Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ Ba Tuần 24 Thường Niên Luke 7:11-17 ,
Nhiều người trong chúng ta đã chết rồi mà không biết. Chúng ta đã chết khi chúng ta đã không còn nắm bắt được những ý nghĩa đích thực của cuộc sống, chúng ta thực sự đã chết, mặc dù rằng khi thân thể chúng ta di động, còn hít thở không khí của trần gian. Chúng ta sống chẳng khác gì cái thây ma, bởi vì chúng ta như cái máy vô cảm chỉ biết làm việc chăm chỉ, ăn uống và sống chỉ để thỏa mãn những dục vọng xác thịt của chúng ta, chúng ta chạy đua với vận tốc cao mà không cần định hướng. Bởi vì nơi chúng ta qua là những bận rộn, chúng ta không bao giờ thật sự có thời giờ để suy nghĩ tất cả những gì cho cuộc sống. Chúng ta có rất ít thời gian hoặc không có thời gian nào cho Thiên Chúa. Lý do thâm niên của chúng ta là "Chúng ta quá bận rộn." Khi bệnh tật nằm liệt giường, thật tình mà nói đó là một ân phúc và cũng là môt phúc lành được ngụy trang để cho chúng ta được dừng lại và tạm nghỉ để tính đến cuộc sống của chúng ta và đó cũng là một cơ hội để chúng ta có thể bắt đầu kiểm tra cuộc sống, để chúng ta tự hiểu được rằng những gì mới thực sự là đièu quan trọng cho cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Hôm nay Chúa Giêsu làm cho chàng thanh niên trẻ được sống lại, Ngài cũng đang cố gắng làm cho chúng ta được sống lại từ giấc ngủ vùi sâu trong cuộc sống hôm nay, Ngài mời gọi chúng ta thức dậy để nhìn được bức tranh to hơn của cuộc sống. Con người chúng ta đã được tạo ra, là để SỐNG và để YÊU, được yêu. Tình yêu là những gì làm cho cuộc sống của chúng ta có ý nghĩa. Tình Yêu là để cho chính mình và cho người khác, như Chúa Kitô đã làm. Chúng ta hãy nên có "nỗi sợ Thánh Thiện" để được sống nhưng không sống trong sự áp đảo quá nhiều của thế giới vật chất mà chúng ta đã quên rằng thế giới này đang qua đi quá nhanh mà chúng ta chỉ kẻ đi qua đường. Chúng ta có thể còn sống trong cái thể xác hay hư mất của chúng ta. Ngày hôm nay Chúa Kitô đến để "lấp đầy cuộc sống của chúng ta" với niềm tin và tình yêu. Vì khi chúng ta mất đi cuộc sống của chúng ta, là khi chúng ta sẽ tìm thấy nó và chúng ta đã thật sự là còn sống.
Reflection Tuesday 25th Ordinary Time
Many of us are already dead without knowing it. When we have lost grasp of the true meaning of life, we are actually dead, even if our bodies move around physically. We are like zombies, working hard, eating and living just to satisfy our concupiscence of the flesh, running the rat race without any spiritual direction.
We never really have time to think about what life is all about. We have very little time or no time for God. Our perennial excuse is "We are too busy." When sickness makes us bedridden, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise for us to stop and pause, take account of our lives and start examining what is really important in life.
Today Jesus is also attempting to resurrect us from our deep sleep, inviting us to wake up to see the bigger picture of life. We were created, we LIVE in order to LOVE. Love is what makes life meaningful. It is to give ourselves for others, as Christ has done.
Let us have this "holy fear" to be alive and not be overwhelmed to dwell too much in the world that we forget that this world is passing and we are just passing through. We may be physically alive but in a state of eschatological death. Christ comes today to "fill our lives" with faith and love. When we lose our life, we will find it and really be alive.
Reflection
Today’s Gospel reading has its own value as a factual record of a miracle which Jesus performed. However, intriguingly, Luke may be using it as a parable pointing to another real fact which is not recorded in the Gospels. That Jesus appeared to his Mother Mary after the resurrection and before all his other appearances has been part of Christian tradition from the earliest Church times. It is not recorded in the Gospels, but Christian piety has taken it for granted that Mary, who had given him birth and had stood beside his Cross, would be the first to encounter the risen Christ and receive the good news of the Resurrection.
As far as we know, Mary was a widow; Jesus was her only Son. He was crucified, died and was buried outside the city of Jerusalem.
When he rose from the dead, Jesus gave himself back to his Mother. Lord Jesus, give us into Your Mother’s care and protection, so that we may enjoy the fullness of resurrection joy.
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:11–13
Today’s Gospel presents us with two processions that meet at the gate of the small Jewish town of Nain, near Capernaum, where Jesus had just healed the centurion’s servant. Leaving the city was a funeral procession for a widow’s only son, accompanied by the man’s sorrowful mother and other mourners. Entering the city was the contrasting scene of Jesus surrounded by His disciples and a large crowd filled with hope and expectation. As these two groups converged, the hopeful presence of Christ and His followers encountered the deep sorrow of the grieving mother and her companions, setting the stage for an act of divine compassion.
When Jesus and His disciples encountered the mourners, we are told that He “was moved with pity for her.” The Greek verb used here is a term found often in the Synoptic Gospels. It expresses more than mere sympathy; it conveys a visceral response arising from the depths of one’s being. This word powerfully captures Jesus’ divine compassion, revealing that His mercy is not detached or abstract, but tender, incarnate, and personal. Such compassion always moves Him to action—healing, restoring, feeding, or, in this case, raising the dead.
Why did Jesus perform this miracle? Based on the Gospel account, we do not even know whether the mother or those in the funeral procession recognized who Jesus was. They did not seek His mercy or request His intervention. Rather, it was Jesus who approached them and intervened—moved solely by His divine compassion.
One possible reason for His action lies in the nature of the mother’s sorrow. Sometimes, grief can give way to despair, anger, fear, or confusion. Although the Gospel does not reveal the widow’s interior disposition, there must have been something in her sorrow that deeply touched the heart of Jesus and stirred Him to act. Perhaps her grief was not disordered or hopeless but sprang instead from a quiet purity rooted in love, courage, dignity, and a trusting surrender to God. Jesus, who sees into the heart, may have found in her a sorrow that bore silent witness to unwavering faith and holy resignation.
At that time, a widow who lost her only son faced not only emotional devastation but also severe material hardship. Without a husband or son, she would have been left without legal or financial support. According to the customs of the time, property and inheritance rights passed exclusively through male relatives. A woman could not inherit her husband’s, father’s, or even her son’s estate. Thus, this woman stood on the brink of utter destitution—grieving both the loss of her child and the collapse of her livelihood. Jesus’ miracle was, therefore, not only an act of personal compassion but also a work of justice—restoring dignity, security, and hope to one who had no earthly advocate.
One important lesson this Gospel teaches us is that God sees the depths of our hearts and knows our needs even before we speak them. The widow of Nain did not ask for a miracle, but her silent sorrow, offered in purity and trust, moved the heart of God. When the Lord finds hearts filled not with bitterness or despair, but with faith, surrender, and quiet hope, He is drawn to act with tender mercy. Divine compassion is not earned; it is freely given and finds a dwelling place in souls who trust.
Reflect today on the disposition of your own heart. When you face sorrow, loss, or trial, do you cling to God in hope? Do you surrender with faith, even when you don’t understand? Offer your sorrows to Christ today with trust, and allow Him to draw near, to see you, to touch your wounds, and to speak life into your soul.
Most compassionate Lord, You see into the depths of our human hearts and pour out Your mercy upon each soul according to our needs. Grant me, I pray, a heart that is holy, trusting, and pure. Amid life’s trials and sorrows, preserve me from despair. Instead, fill me with hope and unwavering confidence that You know my needs and will provide for me according to Your perfect will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday 24th Ordinary Time
In today Gospel, We can see tenderness in the heart of Jesus! He moved with compassion at the sight of the weeping widow whose only son had died, he restored the dead man to life.
Seeing her grief, Jesus first comforted her. Then, touched by her sorrow and need, he manifested both his mercy and his power by raising the young man with a touch of the coffin and a word of command: “Arise!” (Luke 7:14). Jesus showed kindness and compassion to this bereaved woman, even though no one asked him for help. No one even showed any real faith in him. In fact, they may not have even known who he was. Jesus took the initiative all by himself.
The Gospel story may tells us another real fact which is not recorded in the Gospels. That Jesus appeared to his Mother Mary after the resurrection and before all other appearances has been part of Christian tradition from the earliest Church times. It is not recorded in the Gospels, but Christian piety has taken it for granted that Mary, who had given him birth and had stood beside his Cross, would be the first to encounter the risen Christ and receive the good news of the Resurrection.
Let us isolate the elements of this story of the widow’s son: A widow, an only son, dead and being carried to burial outside the city; Jesus raised him from the dead and, significantly, gave him back to his mother.
As far as we know, Mary was a widow; Jesus was her only Son. He was crucified, died and was buried outside the city of Jerusalem. When he rose from the dead, Jesus gave himself back to his Mother.
We can see there is tenderness in the heart of Jesus for each of us. In compassion, he reaches out even before we ask for help, even if we have just a little faith. If we’re grieving the loss of a loved one, if we’re feeling wounded or despondent, if we’re suffering from a serious illness; whatever trial we are facing, turn to Jesus. He has words of comfort and consolation just for us.
But don’t stop there. Let the compassion that we have received flow out of us. Just as Jesus touched the coffin of that dead young man, you can take just one step toward touching someone else’s life. It doesn’t have to be much. Just a simple gesture, a kind word, or an offer to help. We can help raise people from their own tombs of sadness and fear. Let’s give thank to Jesus, for His compassion! Thank to Jesus for giving us the hope and helping us to rise again.”
Nhiều người trong chúng ta đã chết rồi mà không biết. Chúng ta đã chết khi chúng ta đã không còn nắm bắt được những ý nghĩa đích thực của cuộc sống, chúng ta thực sự đã chết, mặc dù rằng khi thân thể chúng ta di động, còn hít thở không khí của trần gian. Chúng ta sống chẳng khác gì cái thây ma, bởi vì chúng ta như cái máy vô cảm chỉ biết làm việc chăm chỉ, ăn uống và sống chỉ để thỏa mãn những dục vọng xác thịt của chúng ta, chúng ta chạy đua với vận tốc cao mà không cần định hướng. Bởi vì nơi chúng ta qua là những bận rộn, chúng ta không bao giờ thật sự có thời giờ để suy nghĩ tất cả những gì cho cuộc sống. Chúng ta có rất ít thời gian hoặc không có thời gian nào cho Thiên Chúa. Lý do thâm niên của chúng ta là "Chúng ta quá bận rộn." Khi bệnh tật nằm liệt giường, thật tình mà nói đó là một ân phúc và cũng là môt phúc lành được ngụy trang để cho chúng ta được dừng lại và tạm nghỉ để tính đến cuộc sống của chúng ta và đó cũng là một cơ hội để chúng ta có thể bắt đầu kiểm tra cuộc sống, để chúng ta tự hiểu được rằng những gì mới thực sự là đièu quan trọng cho cuộc sống của chúng ta.
Hôm nay Chúa Giêsu làm cho chàng thanh niên trẻ được sống lại, Ngài cũng đang cố gắng làm cho chúng ta được sống lại từ giấc ngủ vùi sâu trong cuộc sống hôm nay, Ngài mời gọi chúng ta thức dậy để nhìn được bức tranh to hơn của cuộc sống. Con người chúng ta đã được tạo ra, là để SỐNG và để YÊU, được yêu. Tình yêu là những gì làm cho cuộc sống của chúng ta có ý nghĩa. Tình Yêu là để cho chính mình và cho người khác, như Chúa Kitô đã làm. Chúng ta hãy nên có "nỗi sợ Thánh Thiện" để được sống nhưng không sống trong sự áp đảo quá nhiều của thế giới vật chất mà chúng ta đã quên rằng thế giới này đang qua đi quá nhanh mà chúng ta chỉ kẻ đi qua đường. Chúng ta có thể còn sống trong cái thể xác hay hư mất của chúng ta. Ngày hôm nay Chúa Kitô đến để "lấp đầy cuộc sống của chúng ta" với niềm tin và tình yêu. Vì khi chúng ta mất đi cuộc sống của chúng ta, là khi chúng ta sẽ tìm thấy nó và chúng ta đã thật sự là còn sống.
Reflection Tuesday 25th Ordinary Time
Many of us are already dead without knowing it. When we have lost grasp of the true meaning of life, we are actually dead, even if our bodies move around physically. We are like zombies, working hard, eating and living just to satisfy our concupiscence of the flesh, running the rat race without any spiritual direction.
We never really have time to think about what life is all about. We have very little time or no time for God. Our perennial excuse is "We are too busy." When sickness makes us bedridden, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise for us to stop and pause, take account of our lives and start examining what is really important in life.
Today Jesus is also attempting to resurrect us from our deep sleep, inviting us to wake up to see the bigger picture of life. We were created, we LIVE in order to LOVE. Love is what makes life meaningful. It is to give ourselves for others, as Christ has done.
Let us have this "holy fear" to be alive and not be overwhelmed to dwell too much in the world that we forget that this world is passing and we are just passing through. We may be physically alive but in a state of eschatological death. Christ comes today to "fill our lives" with faith and love. When we lose our life, we will find it and really be alive.
Reflection
Today’s Gospel reading has its own value as a factual record of a miracle which Jesus performed. However, intriguingly, Luke may be using it as a parable pointing to another real fact which is not recorded in the Gospels. That Jesus appeared to his Mother Mary after the resurrection and before all his other appearances has been part of Christian tradition from the earliest Church times. It is not recorded in the Gospels, but Christian piety has taken it for granted that Mary, who had given him birth and had stood beside his Cross, would be the first to encounter the risen Christ and receive the good news of the Resurrection.
As far as we know, Mary was a widow; Jesus was her only Son. He was crucified, died and was buried outside the city of Jerusalem.
When he rose from the dead, Jesus gave himself back to his Mother. Lord Jesus, give us into Your Mother’s care and protection, so that we may enjoy the fullness of resurrection joy.
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:11–13
Today’s Gospel presents us with two processions that meet at the gate of the small Jewish town of Nain, near Capernaum, where Jesus had just healed the centurion’s servant. Leaving the city was a funeral procession for a widow’s only son, accompanied by the man’s sorrowful mother and other mourners. Entering the city was the contrasting scene of Jesus surrounded by His disciples and a large crowd filled with hope and expectation. As these two groups converged, the hopeful presence of Christ and His followers encountered the deep sorrow of the grieving mother and her companions, setting the stage for an act of divine compassion.
When Jesus and His disciples encountered the mourners, we are told that He “was moved with pity for her.” The Greek verb used here is a term found often in the Synoptic Gospels. It expresses more than mere sympathy; it conveys a visceral response arising from the depths of one’s being. This word powerfully captures Jesus’ divine compassion, revealing that His mercy is not detached or abstract, but tender, incarnate, and personal. Such compassion always moves Him to action—healing, restoring, feeding, or, in this case, raising the dead.
Why did Jesus perform this miracle? Based on the Gospel account, we do not even know whether the mother or those in the funeral procession recognized who Jesus was. They did not seek His mercy or request His intervention. Rather, it was Jesus who approached them and intervened—moved solely by His divine compassion.
One possible reason for His action lies in the nature of the mother’s sorrow. Sometimes, grief can give way to despair, anger, fear, or confusion. Although the Gospel does not reveal the widow’s interior disposition, there must have been something in her sorrow that deeply touched the heart of Jesus and stirred Him to act. Perhaps her grief was not disordered or hopeless but sprang instead from a quiet purity rooted in love, courage, dignity, and a trusting surrender to God. Jesus, who sees into the heart, may have found in her a sorrow that bore silent witness to unwavering faith and holy resignation.
At that time, a widow who lost her only son faced not only emotional devastation but also severe material hardship. Without a husband or son, she would have been left without legal or financial support. According to the customs of the time, property and inheritance rights passed exclusively through male relatives. A woman could not inherit her husband’s, father’s, or even her son’s estate. Thus, this woman stood on the brink of utter destitution—grieving both the loss of her child and the collapse of her livelihood. Jesus’ miracle was, therefore, not only an act of personal compassion but also a work of justice—restoring dignity, security, and hope to one who had no earthly advocate.
One important lesson this Gospel teaches us is that God sees the depths of our hearts and knows our needs even before we speak them. The widow of Nain did not ask for a miracle, but her silent sorrow, offered in purity and trust, moved the heart of God. When the Lord finds hearts filled not with bitterness or despair, but with faith, surrender, and quiet hope, He is drawn to act with tender mercy. Divine compassion is not earned; it is freely given and finds a dwelling place in souls who trust.
Reflect today on the disposition of your own heart. When you face sorrow, loss, or trial, do you cling to God in hope? Do you surrender with faith, even when you don’t understand? Offer your sorrows to Christ today with trust, and allow Him to draw near, to see you, to touch your wounds, and to speak life into your soul.
Most compassionate Lord, You see into the depths of our human hearts and pour out Your mercy upon each soul according to our needs. Grant me, I pray, a heart that is holy, trusting, and pure. Amid life’s trials and sorrows, preserve me from despair. Instead, fill me with hope and unwavering confidence that You know my needs and will provide for me according to Your perfect will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday 24th Ordinary Time
In today Gospel, We can see tenderness in the heart of Jesus! He moved with compassion at the sight of the weeping widow whose only son had died, he restored the dead man to life.
Seeing her grief, Jesus first comforted her. Then, touched by her sorrow and need, he manifested both his mercy and his power by raising the young man with a touch of the coffin and a word of command: “Arise!” (Luke 7:14). Jesus showed kindness and compassion to this bereaved woman, even though no one asked him for help. No one even showed any real faith in him. In fact, they may not have even known who he was. Jesus took the initiative all by himself.
The Gospel story may tells us another real fact which is not recorded in the Gospels. That Jesus appeared to his Mother Mary after the resurrection and before all other appearances has been part of Christian tradition from the earliest Church times. It is not recorded in the Gospels, but Christian piety has taken it for granted that Mary, who had given him birth and had stood beside his Cross, would be the first to encounter the risen Christ and receive the good news of the Resurrection.
Let us isolate the elements of this story of the widow’s son: A widow, an only son, dead and being carried to burial outside the city; Jesus raised him from the dead and, significantly, gave him back to his mother.
As far as we know, Mary was a widow; Jesus was her only Son. He was crucified, died and was buried outside the city of Jerusalem. When he rose from the dead, Jesus gave himself back to his Mother.
We can see there is tenderness in the heart of Jesus for each of us. In compassion, he reaches out even before we ask for help, even if we have just a little faith. If we’re grieving the loss of a loved one, if we’re feeling wounded or despondent, if we’re suffering from a serious illness; whatever trial we are facing, turn to Jesus. He has words of comfort and consolation just for us.
But don’t stop there. Let the compassion that we have received flow out of us. Just as Jesus touched the coffin of that dead young man, you can take just one step toward touching someone else’s life. It doesn’t have to be much. Just a simple gesture, a kind word, or an offer to help. We can help raise people from their own tombs of sadness and fear. Let’s give thank to Jesus, for His compassion! Thank to Jesus for giving us the hope and helping us to rise again.”
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