Suy Niệm Thứ Ba tuần thứ Ba Phục Sinh
Trong chúng ta, không ai thích phải gặp những sửa sai hay bị thách đố những điều khó khăn. Đó là lý do mà những người Do thái đã ném đá thánh Stêphanô. Họ đã tức giận bởi vì ông đã chỉ trích về cách sống của họ, Thay vì họ sửa đổi lối sống của họ như lời giáo huấn của Chúa, thì họ lại đâm ra ganh ghét, thù hận Chúa Giêsu và những người Theo Chúa và đã ra tay tàn bạo dã man.
Có lẽ chúng ta phải tự xét mình vì đô khi trong cuộc sống, chúng ta cũng đã có những lối hành xử chẳng khác gì những người Do thái này, chúng ta không muốn những ý kiến của chúng ta được tôn trọng, sự thoải mái của cái thế giới nhỏ bé của chúng ta không thể thay đổi ngoài ý muốn của chúng ta. Mặc dù thế, chúng ta cũng không thể tấn công bất cứ ai bằng vũ lực, hay bằng những lời nói hộc hằn, độc ác và tàn nhẫn. Đức Thánh Cha Phanxicô đã thách thức chúng ta nên tránh né những sự cẩu thả và tham lam của con người. Ngài đã chỉ cho chúng ta thấy những vấn để đó là những thứ gây ra sự đỗ vỡ gia đình và cộng đồng chung của chúng ta. Trớ trêu thay, nhiều Kitô hữu đã bác bỏ thông điệp của ngài một cách giận dữ. Khi chúng ta phản ứng với sự giận dữ và bạo lực, đó là một dấu hiệu cho thấy những lời nói đã đánh đúng vào con tin đen của chúng ta.
Qua bài Tin Mừng, Đám đông người do thái đã ngạc nhiên khi Chúa Giêsu đã hoá bánh cho họ ăn một cách kỳ diệu. Họ muốn nhiều hơn nữa, nhưng Chúa Giêsu muốn họ hiểu được ý nghĩa của việc Chúa đã làm. Chúa Giêsu đã nhấn mạnh rằng bánh ma-na mà Chúa ban cho tổ tiên của họ ăn trong sa mạc chỉ là của ăn là tạm thời, vì họ ăn và họ vẫn còn đói nữa. Vì Chúa là Con Thiên Chúa đã đến từ Trời, Ngài đã mang đến cho nhân loại một nguồn dinh dưỡng để nuôi sống con người nhiều hơn và vĩ đại hơn nữa. Đó chính là Ngài, là bánh trường sinh. Ngài không thể làm tất cả mọi ngưòi trong số những người đó hiểu được lời và ý nghĩ của Ngài.
Nếu cuộc sống của chúng ta chỉ dựa vào lương thực thế trần và nguồn nuôi dưỡng nào khác ngoài Thiên Chúa để nuôi sống chúng ta, thì chúng ta sẽ phải thất vọng. Nếu chúng ta chấp nhận những ơn lành (món quà) mà Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho chúng ta, Thì ơn thánh này sẽ kéo dài mãi mãi cuộc sống của chúng ta. Khi chúng ta cảm thấy bị thất vọng ê chề, thì chúng ta phải chắc chắn tin rằng chúng ta chỉ có thể dựa vào nguồn ơn nuôi dưỡng và sức mạnh của Chúa Giêsu mà thôi. Lạy Chúa, Xin Chúa luôn luôn nâng đỡ và hướng dẫn chúng con..
Tuesday 3rd Week of Easter
People do not like to be challenged. Those who stoned Stephen were outraged and offended by his words of criticism and ironically behaved just as he predicted. We are no different — we do not like our opinions and our comfortable little world challenged. Although we probably won’t physically attack anyone, some respond with vicious and unkind words. Pope Francis challenged human carelessness and greed, pointing out that it is destroying our common home. Ironically, many Christians angrily rejected his message. When we react with anger and violence, it is a sign that the words were right on the mark.
The crowd was amazed that Jesus had fed them miraculously. They wanted more, but Jesus wanted them to understand its significance. He insisted that the manna that their ancestors had eaten was temporary, for they became hungry again. Since he had come from heaven, he brought a far greater source of nourishment and sustenance — himself, as the bread of life. He was unable to make all of them understand. If we draw our life and sustenance from any source other than God, it will let us down. If we accept the gift that Jesus gives us, it will last eternally. When we feel overwhelmed, we should make sure that we are relying on the nourishment and strength of Jesus and that alone.
Lord, sustain me always.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:34–35
Imagine if you were to never grow hungry or never thirst again. On a natural level, this would be an interesting reality. Of course, if you never had physical hunger or thirst, then you may never enjoy the delight of good food and drink. So why would anyone want to lose out on such delights?
Of course, Jesus was not speaking of natural food and drink, He was speaking of supernatural hunger and thirst. And He was not saying that the spiritual food and drink He came to give us would eliminate our ability to delight in spiritual fulfillment. On the contrary, Jesus was saying that the spiritual food and drink He was to provide would result in neverending fulfillment and satisfaction.
Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel will continue to be read throughout this week, the Third Week of Easter. This chapter presents us with what is traditionally called the “Bread of Life Discourse.” It’s John’s deep, mystical and profound teaching on the Most Holy Eucharist.
First of all, it’s useful to look at this Gospel within its context. Recall that on the previous day, Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and a crowd of people who had been fed by Him were now seeking more food. Jesus uses their desire for more food to begin to teach them about the Most Holy Eucharist, and He wants to do the same for you.
Put yourself into this scene. What is it that you hunger and thirst for the most? Perhaps you have plenty of physical food, but perhaps you don’t. If you do, what else do you crave? What do you desire? When you have identified your deepest desires right now, use these desires to allow our Lord to teach you about the Bread of Life. It might be useful to say to our Lord, “Here are my current desires in life…” And then, allow yourself to hear Jesus say to you, “I want to give you so much more. I am what you truly long for. If you come to Me, you will have all your desires fulfilled and more.” This is essentially the conversation Jesus had with this crowd throughout John Chapter 6.
Do you believe that the Most Holy Eucharist is capable of fulfilling you on the deepest level? Too often we approach that Sacrament in a lazy and distracted way. As a result, we often fail to truly receive our Lord on a level that provides this deepest delight and satisfaction.
Reflect, today and throughout this week, upon your approach to Holy Communion. The Eucharist is Christ Himself. It’s a gift that has the potential to not only sustain us in every way but also to draw us into the greatest Heavenly delights. Believe Jesus’ words in this holy chapter of John’s Gospel. For if you deepen your belief in all that Jesus has said, you will begin to realize that all you crave in life will begin to be fulfilled by this precious gift in ways beyond your imagination.
My Eucharistic Lord, You are the Bread of Life. You are all that I desire in life. Give me the grace of understanding, dear Lord, so that I can come to believe all that You have revealed about the Most Holy Eucharist. I do believe, my God. Help my unbelief. Jesus, I trust in You.
Tuesday 3rd of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of the Eucharist. I believe it truly is the food that endures for eternal life. I ask that you deepen my faith and that, in my life, I always look for your Son, Jesus Christ.
Encountering the Word of God
1. When the Lord Gave Thanks: Today’s Gospel passage connects the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-15) and the walking on water (John 6:16-21) with the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:32-58). Here, Jesus prepares his hearers for the teaching that he is the life-giving bread that God gives from heaven. “First, he instructs them that they need to elevate their minds above physical bread, which sustains earthly life, to heavenly bread, which gives eternal life (John 6:26-27). Second, Jesus establishes the discourse’s basic principle: people should work to obtain the bread that lasts for eternal life, which he provides (John 6:27). Third, Jesus introduces the theme of God’s work, which leads to faith in Jesus and the reception of the life-giving bread” (Martin and Wright,
The Gospel of John, 120). When John points back to the place of the bread miracle, he uses the verb “
eucharistein,” which means “to give thanks.” The Sacrament, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, is called “Eucharist” because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. The name recalls the Jewish blessings that proclaim – especially during a meal – God’s works: creation, redemption, and sanctification (see
CCC, 1328).
2. The Seal of God the Father: In the Gospel, Jesus refers to himself as “the Son of Man,” on whom God the Father has set his seal. As the Son of God, Jesus is eternally sealed and anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Son is perfectly united to the Father by their Bond of Love. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River was also a sealing, but one that happened in time. Just as the Son of God is sealed and anointed by the Spirit, we, as adopted children of God, are sealed: “The language of sealing designates ownership, and the New Testament often describes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a sealing, impressing a permanent mark (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30)” (Martin and Wright,
The Gospel of John, 121). As the Catechism teaches: “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character of his belonging to Christ” (
CCC, 1272). The sacramental character consecrates us for religious worship. “The baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity” (
CCC, 1273).
3. Accomplishing the Work of God: When the crowds asked Jesus what they needed to do to accomplish the works of God, they were likely thinking about the works prescribed by the Torah, the Law of Moses. Jesus points them to the role of faith and how it empowers a person to accomplish supernatural and meritorious works. This is a point to which Paul returns time and time again in his letters. We were powerless to fulfill the Old Law. However, empowered by divine grace through faith in Jesus, we can fulfill the New Law of charity instituted by Christ. On our own, we can do nothing, but with Christ, all things are possible.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd, and I am part of your flock. You are the Sheep Gate, and I choose to go through you to the pasture of eternal life. You are the Bread of Life, and I am humbled to be invited to partake of this bread. You are the true Vine, and I am a branch united to you. You are the light of the world; shine your light in and through me today. You are the Resurrection and the Life, raise me up to new life with you. You are the way, the truth, and the life; lead me and guide me to the dwelling of eternal life.
Tuesday 3rd of Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you cared for your people as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. You care for me as I journey through life to the heavenly promised land. Just as you gave your people manna for their journey, give to me the New Manna of the Eucharist and fill my soul with your grace.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Eucharist as the New Manna: In the Gospel, the crowd continues to press Jesus for more signs. They recall the manna Moses provided for their ancestors in the desert and want Jesus to do something similar. Jesus corrects them and says that God the Father, not Moses, provided the bread from heaven. Jesus promises that his Father will give them the heavenly bread which gives life. This heavenly bread is nothing other than Jesus himself as he declares: “I am the bread of life.” Throughout the Old Testament there are foreshadowings of the gift of the Eucharist: the sacrifice of bread and wine offered by the priest Melchizedek, the manna in the desert, and the bread of the presence in the temple sanctuary. The Eucharist surpasses all of these foreshadowings. It fills us with God’s grace and enables us to collaborate with the Holy Spirit and not oppose the Spirit’s action in our lives. The Eucharist is also the Sacrament of the New Law given by Jesus. It is the pure sacrifice acceptable to God and is celebrated throughout the world, from the rising of the sun to its setting. The Eucharist is the Bread that sustains us for more than a day because it gives us eternal life.
2. Stephen’s Interpretation of the History of Israel: Filled with grace and power, Stephen spoke before the high priest and interpreted the history of Israel, beginning with Abraham. His goal was to show historical episodes of resistance or opposition to the Holy Spirit and how the temple worship was coming to an end after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. The story of Abraham reveals that God can act outside Jerusalem and its temple: “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia” (Acts 7:2). The story of Joseph “emphasizes how God used the evil done to Joseph by his brothers to bring salvation from famine for those same brothers. It clearly serves as a foreshadowing of Christ's passion, in which God used the far greater evil done to Jesus to bring a far greater salvation to the very people who killed him” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 120). God uses the crime of Joseph’s brothers to save his brothers and their families. Stephen also says that Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him during their first visit, implying that the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus during his public ministry. During their second visit, Joseph’s brothers recognize him; likewise the Jewish people have the opportunity to recognize the presence of Jesus in his disciples (see Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 121). Stephen then turns to the story of Moses. He first reinterprets Moses’ killing of the Egyptian as Moses assuming that the people will understand that God was offering them deliverance through him. Moses is rejected on the following day, since the people did not understand, and flees to the land of Midian. Jesus is the prophet-like-Moses who was also rejected by the people and misunderstood by the people (Luke 19:41-44) during his public ministry. Forty years after killing the Egyptian, Moses is called by God to save the people. In the desert, Moses was again rejected by the people. William Kurz comments: “Like Moses, Jesus took action to save his people a second time after their first rejection of him. Jesus’ second attempt to save his people is through his witnesses, who are empowered by the Holy Spirit after his resurrection” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 126).
3. Stephen on the New Law and the New Temple: According to Stephen, an angel gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai; but the people did not observe the law (Acts 7:53). What is implied is that Jesus, as the Son of God, has given a new law to the new people of God and that this law is greater than that given by angels through Moses. The stakes in rejecting or not observing this new law are higher. In the last part of his discourse, Stephen refers to the book of the twelve prophets and quotes Amos 5:25-27. This passage reveals that Israel fell into idolatry time and time again. Stephen contrasts the tent of the false god Moloch with the tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant in the desert. David’s son, Solomon, will eventually build the temple for God, but Stephen argues that God does not need Solomon’s building: “The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands” (Acts 7:48). Stephen has argued explicitly that the people have opposed the Holy Spirit just like their ancestors. Implicitly he is arguing that the law of Moses and the temple of Solomon have been surpassed by Jesus, who gives the new law and whose risen body is the new temple. Stephen’s preaching infuriates the Jews. Only when Stephen speaks to them of his heavenly vision of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, do the people cover their ears so as not to hear the blasphemy and throw Stephen outside the city and stone him. Just as Jesus forgives the people on account of their ignorance and commends his spirit to the Father as he is crucified to death, so does Stephen forgive those who kill him and commend his spirit to the Lord Jesus as he is stoned to death.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are here with me to guide my footsteps. Teach me to be docile to your guidance. Show me where I am needed, inspire my speech to give witness to you and give glory to God, and fill me with your divine love and Holy Spirit.
