Suy niệm lễ Kính đức mẹ là mẹ hội thánh Monday after Pentecost

Suy niệm lễ Kính đức mẹ là mẹ hội thánh
Câu chuyện Vườn địa đàng trong sách Sáng Thế Ký đã dạy chúng ta rất nhiều về chính bản thân chúng ta. Chúng ta tò mò; chúng ta thiếu kiên nhẫn và chúng ta đã không tin tưởng vào Chúa như Chúa đã dạy chúng ta. Ông Adong và Êvà được sống trong hạnh phúc, vui vẻ và bình yên, họ được hưởng tất cả những gì Chúa ban cho tất cả những gì trong vườn, ngoại trừ ăn trái trên cây mà Thiên Chúa cấm. Nhưng như Adong và Êvà, con người chúng ta mong muốn hầu hết những gì mà Thiên Chúa cấm đoán, và không có gì đáng ngạc nhiên khi cả hai ông bà đã rơi vào bẫy của ma quỷ và không vâng lời Thiên Chúa. Đó không phải là tất cả là những cái xấu của chúng ta  mà còn tệ hơn thế nữa đó là khi chúng ta đối diện với Thiên Chúa, chúng ta cố đổ lỗi cho người kia.
Và bây giờ  họ cảm thấy xấu hổ và sợ hãi khi đối diện với Thiên Chúa. Họ đã nhận thức được chính bản thân họ và tin rằng bản thân của họ đã tự tách biệt chính họ với Thiên Chúa. Đó là thân phận con người của chúng ta kể từ đó;  chúng ta mong muốn được gập gặp gỡ Thiên Chúa nhưng chúng ta lại sợ hãi và xấu hổ.
Sự vâng phục và lòng tin tường của Đức Maria vào lời Thiên Chúa và sự vâng phục và trung thành của Con bà, Chúa Giêsu đã bắt đầu khôi phục mối quan hệ mà chúng ta từng có với Thiên Chúa. Khi Chúa Giêsu bị treo trên thập giá, ngài đã thiết lập mối quan hệ mẹ con giữa Đức Maria và người môn đệ Yêu dấu.  Đức Maria đã sống trong Giáo hội. Nhưng hơn thế nữa, Mẹ Maria còn tiếp sống trong cuộc sống của chúng ta khi chúng ta kêu gọi Đức Maria và Con bà bằbng cả tâm hồn và trái tim rộng mở. Chúa Giêsu đã có thể tuyên bố sự  kết thúc cái  sứ mệnh cùa Ngài ở trần gian; nhưng với chúng ta thì mới chỉ là sự bắt đầu. Chúng ta hãy tiếp tục công việc của chúng ta là hãy hướng tâm hồn và lòng mình đến với Chúa!
Lạy Chúa, xin cho chúng con luôn biết vâng lời Ngài.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church : Monday 1st June 2020
Gen. 3:9-15,20 ; Jn. 19:25-34.
The Garden of Eden story teaches us a lot about our-selves. We are curious; we are impatient, and we do not trust God as we ought. Adam and Eve lived in a state of happiness, joy, and peace — all they had to do was refrain from eating the fruit of one particular tree. But we desire most that which is forbidden, and it is not surprising that both fell into the trap and disobeyed God. That was not all: when confronted by God, each tried to blame the other. How typical!
And now they felt shame and fear to look God in the face. They were aware of self and believed that self was separate from God. That has been our condition ever since – we desire God but are afraid and ashamed.
Mary’s trusting obedience to God and the obedience and fidelity of her son Jesus began restoring the relation- ship we once had with God. As Jesus hung on the cross, he established a mother-son bond between Mary and the Beloved disciple.
Mary would live on in the Church. But more than that, Mary lives on in our lives when we call upon her and her son with open hearts. Jesus was able to declare his mission finished — but ours is just beginning. Let us continue the work of turning minds and hearts to God! Lord, may I always be obedient to Your will.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.”  And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27
The memorial we celebrate today, which was added to the Roman Liturgical Calendar in 2018 by Pope Francis, highlights the truth that the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only the Mother of the Person of Christ, and, therefore, the Mother of God, she is also the Mother of the Church, that is, the Mother of all the faithful. The Blessed Virgin Mary is your mother. And as your mother, she is truly tender, compassionate, caring and merciful, bestowing upon you everything that a perfect mother desires to bestow. She is the fiercest of mothers who will stop at nothing to protect her children. She is a mother wholly devoted to you, her dear child.
The Gospel passage chosen for this memorial depicts our Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the Cross. She would have been no other place than directly beneath her Son as He endured His last agony. She did not flee in fear. She was not overwhelmed by grief. She did not sulk in self-pity. No, she stood by her Son with the perfect love and strength of a devoted, caring, compassionate and faithful mother.
As she stood by her Son in His hour of suffering and death, Jesus turned to her and entrusted the Apostle John to her maternal care. From the early Church Fathers until the most recent teachings of the Church today, this act of entrusting John to Mary and Mary to John by Jesus has been understood as an entrustment of all the faithful to the maternal care of Mother Mary. Mother Mary is, therefore, not only the Mother of the Redeemer, Christ Himself, she also becomes the Mother of all the redeemed, the mother of us all, the Mother of the Church.
Consider the spiritual mother you have in Heaven. A mother is one who gives life. Your mother in Heaven is entrusted with the task of bestowing upon you the new life of grace won by the Cross. And as your mother, she will not withhold anything from you that is to your benefit. A mother is also one who is tender with her children. The Immaculate Heart of our mother in Heaven is one that is filled with the greatest tenderness toward you. Though her caresses are not physical, they are much deeper. She caresses with the tenderness of grace which she imparts to you as you pray and turn to her in your need. She gives you the grace of her Son, poured out upon the Cross as the blood and water sprung forth as a font of mercy. Mother Mary pours that mercy upon you as a tender and devoted mother would. She holds nothing back.
If you are unaware of the love in the heart of our Blessed Mother for you, use this memorial as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of her role in your life. Many children take their mothers for granted, not fully understanding the depth of their love. So it is with our Mother in Heaven. We will never fully comprehend her love and her constant motherly workings in our life until we join her in Heaven face to face.
Reflect, today, upon Mother Mary standing by you in every moment of your life. See her there in your joys and in your sorrows, during your moments of temptation and struggles, in your moments of confusion and clarity. See her there by your side, bestowing every good spiritual gift upon you when you need it the most. She is a true mother, and she is worthy of your love and gratitude.
My dearest Mother, you stood by your Son with unwavering fidelity and love. You cared for Him, nurtured Him and never left His side. I also am your dear child. I thank you for your loving fidelity toward me and open my heart to the grace of your Son that you bestow upon me throughout life. Help me to be more attentive to your motherly care and to daily grow in gratitude for your presence in my life. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, from the beginning, you have prepared Mary, the Mother of your Son, to be my mother. She cares for me and asks you, through her Son, to attend to my prayer and give me the good things I need. With you as my Father and with Mary as my Mother, I have nothing to fear.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Mother of the Church at Calvary: The Gospel of John presents an important dimension of Mary’s motherhood – her maternal suffering. She is at the foot of the Cross with John the Apostle. She is accompanying her Son as he suffers on the Cross and unites her maternal suffering to his. At a certain moment, Jesus looks at her and calls her “woman.” This title, given by the New Adam, indicates her role as the New Eve. Just as Eve is the mother of all human beings in the first creation, Mary will be the mother of all those who have been re-created through her Son and in the Spirit. Jesus then directs her to gaze upon John and says, “Behold, your son.” John, as the beloved disciple, represents all Christians who are loved by Jesus and strive to return his love. As the mother of the Church, Mary, at Calvary, suffers with her children and cares for them with maternal and sacrificial love. 
2. Mother of the Church after the Ascension: If we take Acts 1:12-14 as our First Reading, we contemplate another dimension of Mary’s maternal care for the Church – her maternal prayer. She is there, in the upper room, among the 11 apostles of Jesus, united with them and praying with them. We can only imagine her role in the 10 days between the Ascension and Pentecost. John took to heart the words of Jesus on the Cross and cared for her as he would his own mother. Peter was likely encouraged by Mary to choose a disciple to take up the office vacated by Judas Iscariot. She gave them an example of prayer, service, and love during those ten days in Jerusalem. Just as she was attentive to the needs of the newlywed couple in Cana, she was attentive to the needs of the early Church, especially the 120 gathered in the upper room before the Feast of Pentecost.
3. Queen-mother of the Church in Heaven: Still another dimension of Mary’s motherhood is present in her role as Queen-mother – her maternal intercession. Mary not only suffered as she gave birth to the Church at the foot of the Cross, Mary not only prayed with her children as they awaited the gift of the Spirit. Mary continues to intercede for her children at the right hand of her Son in heaven. This is what we contemplate when we pray the fifth glorious mystery. We have a mother in heaven, body and soul, crowned with glory, who listens to the prayers of each one of her children and presents them to her Son, our royal Messiah, who presents them to the Father. Our mother is always attentive to the needs of her children.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you love me so much that you gave me your Mother to be my mother. She knew your sufferings and knows mine, and is right now praying for me in heaven. Attend to the voice of your Mother and present her powerful prayers before the Father.
 
Monday Our Lady, Mother of the Church
Opening Prayer: Dear Mother Mary, thank you for being my Mother. Be with me as I seek to follow your Son, Jesus. St. John, thank you for being such a model disciple that Jesus entrusted his mother to you. Mary Magdalene, your penitence, perseverance, and faithfulness throughout Christ’s Passion inspires me. All you holy men and women, pray for me. 
Encountering Christ:
Our Blessed Mother: Jesus gave us a wonderful gift as he died on the cross: Mary our Blessed Mother. Notice that he gave John to Mary first: “Woman, behold, your son.” Just as a mother holds her child at once when she gives birth, Jesus entrusted John to her loving care. Then he gave Mary to John: “Behold, your mother.” As Christian disciples, we are given to Mary, and she is given to us as well. We can ask ourselves, do we truly love and honor our Mother Mary as we should? Are we grateful for her motherly protection? 
Stand at the Cross: Mary and the other disciples stood at the foot of the cross. This is an interesting detail to consider. Mary did not sit or even kneel. She stood with strength while she bore the sorrow of her son’s Passion and death. When you are faced with trials and need strength, try standing at the foot of the cross. Find a crucifix in your home or go to the sanctuary at church and stand there next to it in imitation of Mary. Stand and pray for Christ’s strength: “Passion of Christ, strengthen me!”
To Jesus through Mary: No one was closer to Jesus than Mary, his Mother. She carried him in her womb. She loved and taught him as a child. She was his first disciple. Along with Sts. John and Mary Magdalene, Mary remained close to Jesus to the last. She was with him throughout the good and the bad. She is our Mother, and she wants to be with us through our joys and sufferings as well. In Heaven, Mary is still close to Jesus. When we pray to her, she brings him our needs. If we want to grow close to Jesus, we draw close to Mary. St. Louis de Montfort wrote, “Mary is the quickest, shortest, and easiest path to Jesus.” May we seek to imitate her and so imitate Christ. 
Conversing with Christ: My Jesus, thank you for the gift of Mary, your Blessed Mother and mine. I am sorry for the times that, through my sin, I have failed to be the child of God and child of my Mother that you want me to be. Please give me the grace of a willing heart, a heart that seeks to imitate you and Mary. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Resolution: Lord today by your grace, I will pray a rosary in thanksgiving for Mary, my Blessed Mother.
 
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Lễ Mừng Mẹ là mẹ Giáo Hội Thứ Hai sau lễ Hiện Xuống
Đức Mẹ đã được ban nhiều danh hiệu, để nhấn mạnh vai trò của Mẹ trong sự kết hiệp với Chúa Giêsu Con của Mẹ trong công cuộc cứu rỗi của Chúa. Mẹ đã có rất nhiều danh hiệu bao gồm cả những cái tên nơi mà Mẹ đã hiện trên trái đất. Những danh xưng khác của Mẹ được lấy từ Kinh thánh, thêm vào sự hiểu biết trong những  mầu nhiệm của Thiên Chúa Cha trên Trời. Một danh hiệu đáng lẽ phải được dùng phổ thông và rộng rãi ngay từ thời Chúa Giêsu đã phải chết trên Thập giá, đó là danh hiệu Mẹ của Giáo hội, và tên này chính là động căn bản được xuất phát từ những lời của Chúa Giêsu đã với Mẹ Maria ngay lúc Ngài còn trên thập giá: “Hỡi bà, này là con bà” [ Ga 19: 26-27]. Đứng dưới chân thánh giá Mẹ Maria và Thánh Gioan là biểu tượng của Giáo hội, do đó, khi trao cho Mẹ Maria cho môn đệ yêu dấu của Ngài chăm sóc, Chúa Giêsu đã ngầm trao Mẹ Mria coi sóc và phù trợ cho Giáo hội với tư cách là Mẹ của Giáo hội.  Thánh Ambrose của Thành Milan đã dùng danh hiệu này cho Mẹ Maria từ thế kỷ thứ 4, nhưng đó chỉ được sdùngvtrng địa phương. Cho tới khi thời Giáo hoàng Paul VI đã chính thức dùng danh hiếu này trong Công đồng Vatican II. Và ĐGH Phanxicô muốn giáo hội mừng nhớ mMẹ vào Mi thứ Hai sau lễ Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống -viồ đấy cũng là Ngày sinh hhật của Giáo Hội.
Maria, Mẹ của Giáo hội, xin Mẹ chăm sóc chúng con và hướng dẫn chúng con đến sự thánh thiện hơn trong cuộc sống mà chúng con đang sống hầu giúp chúng con có thể thực sự trở thành môn đệ yêu dấu của Chúa Giêsu, Con của Mẹ.’
 
Our Lady, Mother of the Church: Monday June 9 June 2025
Gen. 3:9-15,20 or Acts 1:12-14; Ps. 87(86):1-2,3,5,6-7; Jn. 19:25-34)
Our Lady has been given many titles, stressing her role in union with her Son Jesus in God’s work of salvation. Many of the titles include the names where it is believed Our Lady appeared on earth. Other titles are taken from Scripture, adding levels of understanding to the mystery of the Mother of God. One title which should have been widely in use from the time of Jesus’ death on the Cross, is “Mother of the Church”, which essentially derives from Jesus’ words to his Mother from the cross:  “Woman, behold your Son” [Jn 19:26-27].
Standing at the foot of the cross Mary and John are symbolic of the Church, thus in giving Mary into the care of the Beloved Disciple, Jesus is implicitly giving the Church into Mary’s care as Mother of the Church. St Ambrose of Milan used the title for Mary already in the 4th century, but it only came into universal use in the Church when Pope Paul VI officially used it during Vatican Council II.
Mary, Mother of the Church, take care of us and guide us to a greater holiness of life that we may truly become beloved disciples of Jesus, Your Son.
 

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Lễ Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Chúa Nhật Lễ Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống
Chúa Giêsu đã Phục Sinh từ cõi chết!  Thật sự đó là tin vui tốt lành. Tuy nhiên,  sự hoàn hảo vẫn còn rất xa vời trong thế giới của chúng ta.  Bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta nghe thấy rằng các môn đệ đã tự khóa mình trong căn phòng kín trên lầu vì sợ người Do thái. Chúa Giêsu đến ngay giữa những sự lo âu và những sợ hại của họ. Thay vì nổi giận với họ vì lòng tin yếu kém và những nỗi  sợ sệt của họ, Chúa Giêsu đã ban bình an cho họ và an ủi họ trong những giây phút mà họ cảm thấy như đang cô đơn, không biết phải làm gì, họ như rắn không đầu. Mặc dù họ còn nhiều yếu kém, chưa được hoàn hảo hoàn toàn như ngài mong muốn, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu vẫn chọn họ và sai họ đi để tiếp tục sứ mệnh của Ngài, Ngài còn ban cho họ những ân sũng của Chúa Thánh Thần để an ùi và giúp họ vững tin, can đảm để rao giảng Tin Mừng  và làm chứng cho sự cứu rỗi của Ngài..
Thần Khí của Thiên Chúa  chọn ban phúc lành cho mỗi người chúng ta, mỗi một ân sũng và tài năng khác nhau . Tuy nhiên với mỗi Ân sũng của Chúa Thánh Thần  đều có chúng một ý nghĩa đó là vì lợi ích chung và cho việc xây dựng cộng đồng dân Chúa. Chúng ta đã nhận được cùng một Chúa Thánh Thần. Chúng ta cũng được may mắn có hồng ân của Chúa ban. Chúng ta có thể có những thắc mắc, nghi ngờ hoặc thậm chí còn sợ hãi.  Chúa Giêsu luôn luôn sẵn sàng đáp ứng những nhu cầu cần thiết riêng của mỗi người chúng ta trong bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào, ngay cả trong những lúc chúng ta đang gặp phải những  sự bối rối, lo âu và bất an. Ngài luôn mời gọi chúng ta hãy đặt niềm tin tưởng vào nơi Chúa Thánh Thần một cách thâm sâu.
Ngày Lễ Chúa Thánh Thần Hiện Xuống này là một cơ hội giúp cho chúng ta phản ánh (suy niệm) về những đặ ơn của Chúa Thánh Thần đã và đang ban xuống cho chúng ta. Đây là một cơ hội để chúng ta cầu xin ơn  Chúa Thánh Thần giúp cho chúng ta thấy rõ hơn những hồng ân mà Thiên Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta. Đấy cũng là một cơ hội để chúng ta xin Chúa Thánh Thần  gíup chúng ta thêm lòng dũng cảm để chúng ta biết sử dụng những ân sũng và tài năng riêng mà Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta một cách trọn vẹn và vì những sự lợi ích cho người khác.
Lạy Chúa, xin giúp chúng con không bị áp lực bởi sự sợ hãi, nhưng thay vào đó, xin hướng dẫn chúng con bằng Thánh Linh của Ngài.
 
PENTECOST  SUNDAY ( Acts 2:1-11;  1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23 )
Jesus has Risen from the dead! This is indeed good news. Yet, the world is still far from perfect. Today, we hear that the disciples have locked themselves in a room out of fear. Jesus comes to them in the midst of their fears. Instead of being angry at them, He gives them what they need — peace. Although they are far from perfect, Jesus chooses them to continue His mission. He gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit chooses to bless different people with different gifts. Every gift, however, is meant for the common good and for the building up of community.
We have received the same Holy Spirit. We too are blessed with gifts. We may have questions, doubts or even fears. Jesus willingly meets us in the midst of these. He invites us to trust deeply in the Spirit that is now with us. This solemnity of Pentecost is an opportunity to reflect. It is an opportunity to ask the Spirit to help me see more clearly the gifts God has given me. It is a chance to ask the Spirit for courage to use these gifts more fully for the good of others.
 Lord, help me not to be pressured by fear, but rather, guided by Your Spirit.
 
Pentecost Sunday
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I come before you in praise and adoration as I think of your total gift of yourself in your Body and Blood. I thank you that through the Eucharist you unite your people in your visible body on earth, the Church. In faith, I know you are really and truly present in the Eucharist and I thank you that I can encounter you tangibly in Holy Communion and in Eucharistic Adoration. In hope, I know the Eucharist is a hint of the heavenly banquet that you are guiding me to, and I know that your life in me through Communion increases my love for you and others. Lord, in this time of prayer, I ask you to strengthen my faith and hope in and my love for your Real Presence in the Eucharist.
Encountering Christ:
1.      Corpus Christi: At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “This is my Body.” He didn’t say “This represents my body.” In fact, in the Bread of Life discourse in John 6:55, Jesus said, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” Many of his disciples responded, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” (John 6:61) and then “As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” (John 6:66). Jesus did not call them back and try to mitigate the impact of his words. Instead, he asked those still with him, “Do you also want to leave?” (John 6:67). He couldn’t have spoken more clearly about the true nature of the Eucharist. But Catholics today still struggle with this truth. A widely reported Pew Research Center study showed that sixty-nine percent of all self-identified U.S. Catholics believe that the bread and wine remain as “symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ,” with only thirty-one percent saying they believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The U.S. Bishops, like Jesus, are continuing to insist on the truth about the Eucharist. You may have heard of their efforts in the “My Flesh for the Life of the World” campaign for a national Eucharistic revival, which is meant to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. How deep is my belief in and my devotion to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist?
2.      Bringing Together Past, Present, and Future: This miracle gave witness to the reality of who Jesus was. He provided for the people abundantly out of almost nothing. In doing so, he brought to mind God providing manna for his people when they hungered in the desert. The miracle also foreshadowed the Eucharist and the heavenly banquet we hope to share in eternity. In all of these, we see that for which Jesus taught us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread…” Christ himself is the Bread of Life and receiving this Bread “increases the communicant’s union with the Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body” (CCC 1416). Do we see the Eucharist as our daily bread? Do we try to attend daily Mass?
3.      Bring What You Have: Dallas Jenkins, founder of the popular television series The Chosen recounted that this Gospel marked a turning point in his life. His Hollywood movie failed at the box office and effectively ended his career. As he and his wife prayed (and cried), this Scripture came to his wife, and they talked about what it could mean. Later that night, he was on the computer, and he received a message from a friend, “Remember, your job is not to feed the five thousand; it’s only to provide the loaves and fish.” When Dallas asked why he sent that message, the friend said that God told him to. The Chosen grew out of that experience of failure and that message. God wants us to bring the gifts and talents we have, no matter how little and inadequate they seem to us, for him to multiply and distribute as he desires. As St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “God has called us not to be successful, but to be faithful.” Our fear of failure or overemphasis on success can limit our willingness to give ourselves to God and thus limit his ability to work in us, multiplying our gifts, and through us, to touch and enrich the lives of others. Do we have talents or gifts that we have been unwilling to offer to the Lord? Do we have gifts or abilities that we consider insignificant and so we fail to offer them to the Lord? 
Conversing with Christ: Lord, how blessed I am that you make yourself available to me in the gift of the Eucharist. It is the source and summit of the Christian life, yet sometimes I can take it–you, your great gift–for granted. As the Eucharist Revival kicks off, stir in my heart a revival of love for you in the Eucharist. Open my mind and heart with awe and gratitude. Strengthen me by this gift to be able to give myself more fully to you, offering the loaves and fish of my life for you to use to build your Kingdom.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make an effort to go to an additional daily Mass or an additional hour of Adoration this week and offer it to all those who doubt the Real Presence.
 
PENTECOST SUNDAY
Opening Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit! Come fill my heart with your virtues, especially faith, hope, and love. Pour yourself into me so I can pour your love out to others. 
Encountering Christ:
Breath of Life: Pentecost is the birthday of our mother, the Church. The Church began on this very day when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and Mary. Pentecost is the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Today we hear how the Holy Spirit was breathed into the Church, making it the living body of Christ. Just as God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7), Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the body of the Church. At Pentecost, “a noise like a strong driving wind…filled the entire house in which they were” (Acts 2:2). This wind is associated with the Holy Spirit, the holy breath of God. May we be filled with the breath of life, the Holy Spirit, living and breathing life into us in each moment: “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10).
Sealed with the Holy Spirit: The same Holy Spirit that the Apostles and Mary received in the upper room is the same Holy Spirit we receive in Baptism. We are sealed with this same Holy Spirit at Confirmation. The Church teaches, “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (CCC 1285). God sealed us with his Spirit for a purpose: to bring his love and mercy to others. The Apostles, and through their succession priests through the ages, received God’s breath and were given the authority to forgive sins and all their priestly duties. The rest of the baptized are called to spread the faith by proclaiming the Gospel and building up Christ’s Kingdom. I can ask myself if I am living up to this call.
Divinized Vessels: At Pentecost, we can recall that “the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:9). The sacraments change us; Christ himself working through them makes us divinized vessels of his presence. By his grace, we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The Catechism teaches: “As fire transforms into itself everything it touches, so the Holy Spirit transforms into the divine life whatever is subjected to his power” (CCC 1127). We receive God’s Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation. We receive his Body, Blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. How could we remain unchanged? This Spirit we have been anointed and sealed with allows us to love and serve others in his name. This love is not our own love, but God’s: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). 
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, thank you for filling me with your Holy Spirit. I am in awe that you want to share your divine life with me. Fill me with your love and life so that I am a fruitful servant. Help me to build your Kingdom using the gifts you have given me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will prayerfully consider how I have lived up to my mission to build your Kingdom, a mission which was sealed in my Confirmation. I will ask how you would like to lead me to spread and defend your Church.
 
My Homily Pentecost Sunday Year C (Mass during the Day):
Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 103; I Cor. 12:2-3, 12-13 and John 20:19-20.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in our lives
Happy birthday, and birthdays deserve to be celebrated. They are occasions when we can be thankful for the gift of life, and for the love we have received. They provide the opportunity for families to get together and recall good memories from the past and also a chance to look to the future, aware of how far we have come. So, it is with Pentecost.
Today is the birthday of the church, a time for us to celebrate who we are and to rediscover what it means to be the people of God. Through the centuries the Holy Spirit has guided the church, despite the weaknesses of its members, both clerical and lay people. We have the witness of many generous and heroic people who have been ‘led by the Spirit’ and whose lives have given eloquent testimony to the power of God at work in them.
Today we celebrate the Pentecost, 50 days after the celebration of Easter; the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Jews celebrated this feast 50 days after the Feast of Passover; thanking God for the gift of harvest as well for His Covenant with Moses in Mount Sinai which also occurs 50 days after the beginning of the Exodus in Egypt. There have been many harvests in our lives! For us, today marks the end of the Easter Season and commemorates the day that the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and on the Church. We are celebrating the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christian. We need this gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives today more than ever, in order for us to be able to function as true Christians and disciples of Jesus in evangelization without fear and intimidation, and desire for vengeance, bigotry, and division.
I remember a story that my oldest sister told me when I visited her last year. She told me that when I was a kid about my grandson’s age now, at the ages of 3 - 4.   I always wanted to hold onto my mother whom I loved and depended on. I always cried and disturbed the whole neighborhood each time my mother would leave me at home with my sisters to go to the local market. Sometimes we do feel the same each time somebody we love is about to leave us. The Apostles felt the same; in the reading of the Feast of Ascension last week, the Apostles were sad when Jesus was leaving them and going up to the Father.  But, Jesus promised them, He will send them the Holy Spirit. At His baptism the Spirit descended upon Jesus and called Him the beloved Son of the Father?  
At the beginning of his public ministry Jesus proclaimed: “The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me.  He has anointed me to bring Good news to the poor, and liberty to the captives….”  (Lk: 4) It was this same Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead and enabled Him to ascend to the Father.  Just as it was not easy for me when my mother would leave me home momentarily or for any us to lose a dear one. The book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us how the early Christians had frightened and coped with persecution and how difficult for the Apostle to teach and continue the mission of Jesus until they had received the Holy Spirit.
Without the Holy Spirit the early church was filled with uncertainties, confusions and fears. It was the Holy Spirit that enables the Apostles to face with love and patience with the rejection they had to deal with after the ascension of Jesus.  It was the Holy Spirit that enables them to be understood by people of all nations listed in today’s first reading. The Spirit of unity. We need this spirit of God. We need the gifts from the Holy Spirit, the gift of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord in order to deal with the challenges that face us today.  Some of these challenges we have seen in our daily live in our own country such as division, discrimination, quarrels, pride, boasting, abusing God’s gifts and selfishness in our homes and in politics and in our communities.  These are some the problems that St. Paul was addresses in the early Corinthian Church, of the 2^nd reading.  For Saint Paul in Baptism, we are all one body in Christ. Just as the eye cannot say I don’t need the hands or the nose, the legs or ears are not necessarily.
We need one another in Christ. Everyone is needed. All the gifts we have are important and we need our gifts to live in fullness with Christ.  None of us sitting here is a chance factor before God or is not gifted with one gift or another.    We are all gifted.  For Saint Paul the sharing of these various spiritual gifts enriches the Church, since they all come from the same Spirit for the common good.  In other words, these gifts are meant for the common good, for the community.   They may reside in some of us in forms of prophecy, teaching, administration, acts of charity, healing, speaking in tongues, apostles, prophets, etc. But usually what this spirit brings should be joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22ff). This is the Spirit that Jesus breathed on the Apostles on the evening of that Easter Sunday in today’s Gospel. It is the Spirit of peace, shalom, wholeness to be agents of evangelization and forgiveness.
Today, then, let’s take heart and invoke the Spirit of God that we may be filled with a joyful appreciation of who we are and what we have to give. This brings with it many challenges, since for many religious people their faith acts as a sort of security blanket, offering certainty and security.   However, the good news is not about how things were in the past but about the Spirit of God at work now and always. Happy Birthday Church!

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ 7 Tuần thứ 7 Phục Sinh

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thứ 7 Tuần thứ 7 Phục Sinh

    Qua Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta Thánh Phêrô dường như đã thấy chính mình đang bị rơi vào trong một tình huống khó xử mà chúng ta không thể chứng minh được một sự kiện mà chúng ta tin là có thật và đúng. Sau khi quay lưng lại với Chúa Giêsu, ông đã nhận thấy rằng mình đã có được một cơ hội khác, có lẽ ông đã nghĩ Chúa đã có sự nghi ngờ về lòng trung thành, và sự thành thực của ông. Nhưng Chúa Giêsu tin tưởng hoàn toàn vào thánh Phêrô và Ngài đã yêu cầu ông tiếp tục sứ mệnh quan trọng mà Đức Giêsu đã uỷ thác Giáo Hội của Chúa cho Thánh Phêrô, là hãy chăm sóc đàn chiên của Ngài. Với sự tin tưởng nơi thánh Phêrô, Chúa Giesu đã bất chấp tất cả những sự thiếu xót, những thất bại trong quá khứ của ông Phêrô kể cả cái tội phản bội và chối Ngài ba lần.
            Chúa Giêsu luôn sẵn sàng ban cho chúng ta một cơ hội thứ hai, nếu chúng ta biết nhìn nhận những tội lỗi và những yếu kém và thiếu xót của chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy nhìn thẳng vào trái tim của chúng ta và hãy thử cảm nhận tình yêu của Chúa Giêsu đã được thể hiện trong cuộc sống của chúng ta như thế nào. Chúng ta hãy thử cảm nhận mỗi buổi sáng khi Chúa cho mặt trời mọc lên cho chúng ta và mỗi cái cầu vồng Ngài cho chúng ta thấy được sau cơn mưa… Hãy chiến đấu và hãy ráng giữ lấy những cảm nhận đó trong tâm khảm của chúng ta. Hãy Ở lại với Chúa Giêsu và theo Ngài.
REFLECTION
Have we ever been in an awkward situation where we couldn't prove a point we believe is real or right? Perhaps it can be some experience we would like to share with our friends so that can to learn from it, or some theory we failed to explain in class. But we know we are right, even if we realize that we'll lose our credibility to others.
            Peter seems to find himself in a similar situation. After turning his back on Jesus, he finds himself being given another chance. Perhaps there may be doubts regarding his loyalty and faithfulness. But Jesus believes in Peter and he asks him to continue this important mission. Jesus entrusts Peter with his church, with looking after his flock in spite of his past failings and transgressions.
            Jesus is always willing to give us a second chance. Let us look into our hearts and feel how his love is shown in our lives. Feel each morning as he makes the sun rise for us and each rainbow he shows us after the rain. Hold on to it. Fight for it. Stay with Jesus and follow him.
 
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. John 21:24–25
As we conclude our Easter season, we are given the conclusion of the Gospel of Saint John to ponder. Recall that John’s Gospel has been a central focus throughout the Easter Season. Therefore, if you have been prayerfully reading the Gospel for Mass each day for the past several weeks, then you have truly immersed yourself in this holy Gospel.
The Gospel of Saint John is much different from the other three Synoptic Gospels. John’s language is mystical and symbolic. John presents the seven miracles as the seven “signs” that reveal Jesus’ divinity. Jesus is identified as I AM, the Son of the Father, the Vine, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Eternal Word, and more. John points to the Crucifixion as Jesus’ hour of glory in which He takes up His throne of the Cross for the salvation of the world. And John’s teaching on the Eucharist is truly profound.
John states that the reason he wrote his Gospel was so “that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). John clearly loved our Lord and understood Him, not only by personal experiences while Jesus was alive on earth but also through a profound level of prayer in his later years. And this depth of understanding and mystical knowledge is communicated in such a way that the reader is easily drawn into John’s prayerful understanding.
As John concludes His testimony about Jesus, he states something worth pondering. He states that Jesus did so many things that were not recorded by him or others, that if they were all written down, the whole world would not contain the books that would be written. First of all, everything that was written down could be the source of prayerful study for a lifetime. John’s Gospel alone could never be exhausted of its meaning. But then consider this final line of John’s Gospel and try to take it as a literal statement for a moment. If that statement were literally true, that the whole world could not contain the books that would record all that Jesus did, then this fact should leave us with a holy awe. In fact, the reason this must be true is because what Jesus did within each and every mind and heart He touched is truly indescribable. Volumes upon volumes could not thoroughly describe it. His divine action of saving souls, rescuing people from sin and death, and pointing them to eternal life is more than our feeble minds can fully comprehend. 
Reflect, today, upon the holy Gospel of Saint John. As we do conclude this Easter Season and our reading of John’s Gospel, allow yourself to sit in awe of the infinite activity of our divine Lord in the lives of those who have turned to Him. Consider every movement of grace in their lives that has been accomplished with such care and love by our Lord. Reflect upon the fact that for eternity you will be contemplating the Eternal Word made Flesh, the Messiah, the Great I AM, the Son of the Father and every other name given to Him Who is our God and King. Saint John loved our Lord and understood Him deeply because he spent his life prayerfully pondering all that Jesus did. Continue to commit yourself to this holy pondering so that you will be drawn more deeply into this contemplation with holy awe.
Jesus, Messiah, You are truly beyond comprehension in Your beauty, glory and holiness. You are God from God and Light from Light. You are the Great I AM, and all the books in the world could not properly describe the depth of Your greatness. Fill my mind and heart with the gift of deep spiritual insight so that I, like Saint John the Evange
 
Saturday 7^th of Easter 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, throughout the season of Easter, I have been meditating almost daily on your Word in the Gospel of John. Help me recall the lessons I have learned this Easter and put them into practice so as to be a faithful member of your family, the Church.
Encountering the Word of God
1. Caring for Mary: The conversation in the Gospel between Jesus and Peter takes place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a couple of weeks after Jesus’ resurrection. John, the Beloved Disciple, was following them, and Jesus draws out a contrast between the way John will give testimony to Jesus and the way Peter will give testimony. Peter’s love for Jesus will be expressed in pastorally caring for the Church for over thirty years (John 21:15-17) and suffering crucifixion in Rome in his old age (John 21:18). John’s love for Jesus will be expressed in remaining and abiding. His first task will be to care for Mary, the Mother of Jesus (John 19:26-27). 
2. Gospel Witness: John indicates that his testimony is written down in his Gospel. Tradition holds that John wrote his Gospel after those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He didn’t repeat the words and actions of Jesus already recorded in the other three Gospels. He had decades to contemplate his lived experience with Jesus and the deeper meaning of the signs Jesus worked. He understood that the sacramental signs entrusted to the Church were the greater works promised by Jesus to his disciples. Inspired by the Spirit, John recalled Jesus’ last will and testament given at the Last Supper. As well, John sought to defend the divine nature of Jesus and emphasize throughout his Gospel the oneness of Jesus, the Word of God, with the Father and the Spirit, as well as his distinction from the other two persons of the Trinity. He understood that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the divine Bridegroom, the Suffering Servant, the Word made flesh, the Alpha and the Omega, and our eternal High Priest.
3. The Witness of Love: Some ten years after Jesus’ resurrection, John saw his brother, James, killed by Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12:1-2). Unlike Peter and Paul, John survived the persecution of the Church under the Emperor Nero and later under the Emperor Domitian. He continued to guide the Christian community in Ephesus after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This date is likely the meaning of Jesus’ question, “What if I want him to remain until I come?” While Peter died several years before the destruction of Jerusalem, John lived on for decades after that event. John suffered exile to the island of Patmos, yet wrote letters to the churches under his care. As an old man, tradition holds that he began to repeat a single message to the members of his flock: “My little children, love one another.” In his youth, he was a “son of thunder” who was ready to call down fire on the towns and villages that refused to welcome Jesus. But, in his old age, his message was simplified and became that of his Beloved Lord and Savior, “Love one another.”
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your Apostles proclaimed your Gospel to the ends of the earth. They were faithful and endured persecution. They believed in you, hoped in your promises, and lived your charity. Help m
 
 
Saturday 7^th of Easter 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, throughout the season of Easter I have been meditating almost daily on your Word in the Gospel of John. Help me recall the lessons I have learned this Easter and put them into practice so as to be a faithful member of your family, the Church.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Purpose of the Gospel of John: The Gospel of John was written so that we may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). Just as John said earlier that Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which were not written in his Gospel, today’s Gospel passage states that there are many other things that Jesus did, but that all the books in the world could not contain them. This gives us some indication of the breadth and depth of Jesus’ actions (Ephesians 3:18). Today’s Gospel passage also puts us on guard against vain curiosity and vain speculation about the future. When Peter asks what will happen to John, Jesus tells him not to concern himself with this and that what is important is that Peter follow him. This does not mean that we shouldn’t care about others or their salvation. It is a reminder, though, that ultimately God is in charge and we only collaborate with God. If we are docile to his will, God will show us the path that leads to life in Christ. The Holy Spirit will guide us along that path that leads to salvation. We can also see today that, in Christ, God’s revelation is complete. God has said everything in his Word, Jesus Christ, and there will be no other word than this one. “No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Dei Verbum, 4). Even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for the Christian faith gradually to grasp its full meaning over the course of the centuries (CCC, 66). Private revelations do not belong to the deposit of faith; they do not improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but help to live more fully by it in a certain period of history (CCC, 67).
2. The Transmission of Divine Revelation: The Gospel was handed on to us orally and in writing: orally by the apostles who handed on what they received from the lips of Christ or at the prompting of the Holy Spirit; in writing by the apostles and others associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing (CCC, 76). Sacred Scripture, then, is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit (Dei Verbum, 9). We welcome God's Revelation and respond to God in faith. Our faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ (Romans 10:17). This is why Paul asks in the Letter to the Romans: “How can we hear this word without a preacher and how can we preach without being sent?” Paul, we see in the First Reading, uses every opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ. Before his journey to Rome, Paul defends himself before the Roman Governor Festus and King Herod Agrippa II and, during his defense, he challenges the king to respond to his message that Jesus is the Christ. If Herod believes in the prophets, then what does he say about their fulfillment in Jesus Christ? When Herod dodges the question, Paul says that he will pray to God for him to become a believer in Christ, for Paul desires the salvation of all who hear him.
3. Paul in Rome: After a very eventful trip, involving hurricane-force winds and a shipwreck on the Island of Malta, Paul arrived in Rome, where he was able to give witness to Christ for over two years. He was under house arrest during the first two years of his time in Rome but could receive visitors. He first encountered the Jewish leaders and explained why they should listen to him: “first, he remains a loyal Jew, having done nothing against his people or their ancestral customs; second, he is not a criminal by Roman standards, and for this reason the Romans wanted to release him; third, it was only because of objections to his release by Jews in Jerusalem that he was forced to appeal to Caesar” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, 382). Paul spends all day bearing witness to the Kingdom of God and trying to convince the Jews about Jesus. He shows how Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament – the law of Moses and the Prophets. Some Jews were convinced; others were not. After preaching first to the Jews, Paul once again turns his attention to the Gentiles: “Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” During those two years under house arrest, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught all who came to him about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your Apostles proclaimed your Gospel to the ends of the earth. They were faithful and endured persecution. They believed in you, hoped in your promises, and lived your charity. Help me to imitate them, proclaim the Gospel, and endure trials and suffering for the sake of your name.
Living the Word of God: As the Easter Season comes to an end, we thank God for all he has done for us through his Son Jesus Christ. We were poor and miserable and enslaved by sin. Now, our high priest, the Lamb of God, has released us and bestowed divine sonship and eternal life upon us. He intercedes for us in heaven before the Father and prepares a place for us in the Father’s house. Each day we are called to grow in our knowledge of God and love for him. We grow to the degree we allow God to reign in us and work in us and through us.
 
Saturday 7^th of Easter - Encountering Christ:
What about Him: “Peter turned and saw the disciple” and he compared himself to John. He asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Why are we always concerned about what the other person receives, and whether or not we receive what we think we deserve from God? Peter and John were friends, and their friendship was built on their relationship with Christ. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2). Peter might not have been jealous of John’s relationship with Christ, but he wanted to know what John’s path of discipleship would be. Sometimes a person becomes so familiar to us, we think we know who they are, and we judge them. Peter “saw” the disciple, and he thought he knew him. As Mother Mary Francis, PCC, says in But I Have Called You Friends, friendship begins with respect, which comes from the Latin roots “to look again” (14), but often we fail to truly see them for who they are. “The trouble is that we think we know people, and we really don’t know them at all. So we must look again and again and then again and gradually we shall get to know these people…we shall never completely understand another person. This is part of the wonder of Christ” (15-16).
You Follow Me: John’s path of discipleship would be different than Peter’s. “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” Why do some seem to have an easier path than others? The story of the soul who wanted to trade in his cross for a lighter one is a good reminder. No sooner had his guardian angel taken him to the place with crosses, he saw giant tree limbs, huge iron bars, and then he found a light cross made of a couple of twigs. “I’ll take this one!” he cried. His guardian angel replied, “This is the cross you already carry.” Our cross is tailor-made to fit our shoulders, and we have to trust that God knows what he is doing. This boring desk job, the teenager who won’t answer when I ask about her day, the wife who stares at her Instagram, the husband who works late, the disease that is slowly progressing—these crosses are given lovingly by Our Lord who gives us the grace to embrace them, carry them, grow into them. 
His Testimony Is True: John asserted the truth at the end of his Gospel. He bore witness to Christ by his word and by his life. Truth can often be a fuzzy notion. When a wife asks her husband if her jeans are flattering, the best answer is always “Yes.” But Jesus is more concerned about our hearts, and if we are being faithful to ourselves and the truth that is in us. He has given us a mission and everyone is different. He called most of the Apostles to martyrdom but John lived out his life on the island of Patmos, where he composed the Book of Revelation. They were all faithful to Christ’s call to testify to the truth until the end of their days on earth.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, you know I sometimes fail to love those closest to me, those I live with, and those in my own family. Help me to be a voice of encouragement to those around me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will support someone who is struggling to live his or her vocation by sending them a note or giving a word of encouragement.
 
Thứ Bẩy sau tuần thứ 7 Phục Sinh
Suy Niệm đoạn kết Tin Mừng thánh Gioan (John 21:20-25) ,
Trong bài đọc thứ nhất, chúng ta được nghe việc Thánh Phaolô đến Rome trong xích sắt và gông cùm. Trong thời gian ở đó, Thánh Phaolô đã tìm cách để gặp gỡ những người La Mã gốc Do Thái để giải thích trường hợp của mình với họ. Ngay cả trong hoàn cảnh khó khăn, Phaolô đã nắm lấy cơ hội để rao giảng Tin Mừng của Chúa Giêsu Kitô cho người Do Thái ở đó.  Trong đoạn kết của Tin mừng theo Thánh Gioan hôm nay cho chúng ta thấy ông Phêrô nóng lòng muốn biết số phận của người mộn đệ Chúa yêu, Nhưng Chúa Giêsu nói với Phêrô là đừng quan tâm việc đó, vì việc đó chẳng có liên quan gì tới Phêrô cả, Việc của Phêrô là “hãy theo Chúa”. Phêrô và Phaolô cà hai đều là những Tông đồ cao cả của Chúa Kitô, Nhưng hãy coi sự khác biệt giữa hai người:
  - Phaolô gặp Chúa Kitô trên đường đến Damascus để bắt đạo. Ông đã hứa hoàn toàn theo Chúa Kitô. Tất cả cuộc sống của ông đã mong muốn và dành cho việc rao giảng về Chúa Giêsu kitô và sự cứu rỗi của Ngài.
- Mặt khác, còn Phêrô lúc nào cũng lúng túng và loạng choạng trong những ngày theo làm môn đệ của Chúa. Có những lúc chúng ta nghĩ rằng Phêrô làm được việc, nói đúng ý Chúa thì ngay lúc ấy ông lại nói sai hoặc làm điều làm mất lòng Chúa. Tuy nhiên, theo thời gian, nhờ ân sủng Chúa ban, Phêrô đã lớn lên và trưởng thành trong đức tin và trở thành vị lãnh đạo thực sự của Giáo Hội ban đầu theo như ý của Chúa.
- Là môn đệ của Chúa Kitô, chúng ta sẽ không bao giờ và không thế nào có thể giống nhau hoàn toàn,.Mỗi người chúng ta đều có cái độc đáo riệng, có mỗi cá tính và sự suỹ nghĩ riêng, khác nhau. Vì thế Đức Kitô mời gọi chúng ta theo Chúa vì cái bản chất riêng, hay năng khiếu riêng của mỗi người. Như vậy, chúng ta không có sự so sánh giữa mình với những người khác hoặc các sứ vụ và thiên chức của họ. Chúa Giêsu mời gọi chúng ta theo Ngài, theo kế hoạch riêng mà Ngài dành cho chúng ta. Chúng ta phải dành nhiều thời giờ cầu nguyện để xin ơn Chúa thánh thần soi sáng để biết thánh ý Chúa cho cuộc sống của chúng ta hơn là chúng ta phải quá bận tâm để so sánh hay phân bì về những gì người khác đang làm hoặc không làm cho Chúa
 
Saturday 7th of Easter 2024
Just before the beginning of today's Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, "Follow me." Peter starts walking behind Jesus. His mind should be focused on "follow me," on discipleship, but it's wandering. Jesus had just confirmed Peter's appointment as chief shepherd of his flock and had hinted Peter would die a martyr. So as he's walking behind Jesus, Peter looks back at John and asks Jesus, "What about John? What's going to happen to him?" Jesus is a bit short-tempered with Peter, "That's none of your business, Peter, your business is to follow me."
            Peter has fallen into a very common human failing: not looking at oneself to find worth and value, but looking to another person as a point of comparison against which to measure one's own worth. It didn't matter that Peter and John were to die different types of death. That one was to die a violent death and the other was to live a long life and come to his end in peace, did not make the two apostles rivals in honor or prestige nor did it make the one greater or less  than the other. If each of them followed the path Jesus assigned to  him, both would be his servants, his disciples.
            This is the source of our glory: not being greater than other men or women, but being in the service of the Lord in whatever capacity he has allotted to each of us. Let's ask ourselves today: Do we find our glory in the service of Christ, or do we insist that our worth can be determined only by how we measure up against the success of others in Christ's service