IL-33 Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin C pp 444
Lo, the day is
coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be
stumble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither
root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there
will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. This is the Word of the Lord.
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni -
Qari
mill-Ktieb tal-Profet Malakija 3,19-20
Ara, jiġi l-Jum, jaqbad qisu
forn, u l-kburin kollha u dawk kollha li
jagħmlu l-ħażen ikunu tiben, u l-jum li ġej għad jaħraqhom, igħid il-Mulej tal-eżerċti: hekk li ma
jħallilhom la għerq u lanqas fergħa. Imma għalikom li tibżgħu minn ismi titla' x-xemx tal-ġustizzja, bis-salvazzjoni fuq ġwenħajha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9
R.
(cf. 9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing
praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. R/
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. R/
Let
the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy. R/
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy. R/
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity. R/
Salm Responsorjali Salm 97 (98)
for he comes to rule the earth,
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity. R/
Salm Responsorjali Salm 97 (98)
R/ Il-Mulej jagħmel ħaqq mill-popli.
Għannu
lill-Mulej biċ-ċetra,
biċ-ċetra
u bil-ħlewwa tal-għana,
bit-trombi
u bid-daqq tat-trumbetti;
għajtu
bil-ferħ quddiem il-Mulej is-sultan! R/
Ħa jriegħed il-baħar u kulma fih,
id-dinja
u kulma jgħammar fiha.
Ħa
jċapċpu x-xmajjar idejhom,
u
l-muntanji flimkien jgħajtu bil-ferħ
quddiem il-Mulej. R/
Għax il-Mulej ġej
biex
jagħmel ħaqq mill-art;
hu
jagħmel ħaqq mid-dinja bil-ġustizzja,
u mill-popli bis-sewwa. R/
2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Brothers and
sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among
you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night
and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a
model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed
you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear
that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not
keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord
Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food. This is the Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni -
Qari
mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 3, 7-12
Ħuti, intom stess tafu kif
jeħtieġ li timxu fuq l-eżempju tagħna. Aħna ma tgħażżiniex meta konna fostkom; il-ħobż
li kilna, ħadd ma tahulna b'xejn; imma
lejl u nhar ħdimna, tħabbatna u batejna biex
ma nkunu ta' piż għal ħadd minnkom. Imxejna hekk mhux għax ma għandniex dritt
li żżommuna intom, imma ridna nagħtukom eżempju biex timxu fuqu. Meta konna fostkom aħna ordnajnielkom li
jekk xi ħadd ma jridx jaħdem, dan anqas
ma għandu jiekol. Issa aħna smajna li hemm xi wħud fostkom li qegħdin
jitgħażżnu; mhumiex jaħdmu, imma qegħdin
jinħlew fix-xejn. Lil dawn in-nies nardanwlhom u nwissuhom,
f'isem il-Mulej Ġesu' Kristu, biex jaħdmu sewwa u għaxienhom jaqilgħuh. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
GOSPEL -
LUKE 21: 5-19
While some people were speaking about how the temple was
adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you
see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another
stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all
these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be
deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,’ and 'The time has
come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear
of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen
first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful
earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the
sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they
will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led
before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense
beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even
be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put
some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will
be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." This is
the Word of the Lord.
L-Evanġelju -
Qari skont
San Luqa 21, 5-19
F'dak iż-żmien, kien hemm xi
wħud li bdew jgħidu fuq kemm it-tempju kien imżejjen b'ġebel sabiħ u
għotjiet; iżda Ġesu' qalilhom:
"Kulma qegħdin taraw, għad jiġi żmien li ma
tibqax ġebla fuq oħra minnu li ma
tiġġarrafx." U huma staqsewh u qalulu: "Mgħallem, issa dan meta għad jiġri?
U se jkunu is-sinjali li dawn il-ħwejjeġ ikunu waslu biex
iseħħu?"Qalilhom: "Araw li ma
titqarrqux. Għax għad jiġu ħafna f'ismi u jgħidu: "Jien hu" u "Iż-żmien
wasal," Tmorrux warajhom! Meta
tisimgħu min jitkellem fuq gwerer u taqlib fil-pajjiżi, tinħasdux għax
jeħtieġ li l-ewwel jiġri dan, iżda t-tmiem ma jasalx minnufih." Imbagħad
qalilhom: " Għad iqum ġens kontra ġens u saltna kontra saltna, l-art
titheżżeż bil-kbir,f'ħafna bnadi jkun
hemm il-ġuħ u mard li jittieħed, u fis-sema jidhru ħwejjeġ tal-biża' u sinjali
tal-għaġeb. Imma qabel dan kollu jixħtu jdejhom fuqkom u jippersegwitawkom,
jagħtukom f'idejn il-mexxejja tas-sinagoga u jitfgħukom il-ħabs, u jeħdukom
quddiem slaten u
gvernaturi minħabba f'ismi. Dan
ikun jiswielkom biex tistgħu tagħtu
xhieda. U żommu sewwa moħħkom: toqogħdux taħsbu minn qabel
kif se tiddefendu ruħkom, għax jien
nagħtikom kliem u għerf li kull min ikun kontra tagħkom ma jkunx jista' jiqaflu
jew imerih. U jittradukom saħansitra l-ġenituri tagħkom u ħutkom u qrabatkom u ħbiebkom, u lil xi
wħud minnkom joqtluhom, u kulħadd isir
jobgħodkom minħabba f'ismi. Imma xagħra waħda
minn raskom ma tintilifx. Jekk tibqgħu
sħaħ sal-aħħar issalvaw ħajjitkom!" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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COMMENTARY…..
Viewing
History in the Larger Context of God
As we come to the end of the Church's liturgical year, our
Sunday Scripture readings are filled with apocalyptic images that may well
terrify us with their intensity, honesty, realism and practicality. Apocalyptic
writing was popular in Christian circles for a millennium. Major historical
crises most often triggered apocalyptic thinking.
Sunday's Gospel scene came at a moment late in
Jesus' ministry, and the disciples stood with him on Jerusalem 's
holiest ground and stared at the majestic temple of Jerusalem Temple Mount
Jesus spoke about the earth-shattering catastrophes
including the seizure, persecution, deliverance and betrayal of the disciples.
He also spoke about the many who will come in his name to bring quick fixes to
the great dilemmas of his and our time. Jesus is clearly no stranger to the
horrific forces still on the prowl in our world. Their terror, whether cosmic
or personal, is overcome by the assurance that he knows his own, even the
number of the hairs on their heads. He went to the cross to make that assurance
trustworthy. It is not stoic determination that gets us "gain of
soul," but faithful reliance on his promise of grace sufficient in
weakness, a grace that works in everything for the gain of the soul.
To reject the divine reign Jesus brought would be
to bring down the judgment of God. To endure under his gracious reign would be
"to gain your souls." Remember that Jesus spoke of the soul not as
fixed but "gained." The soul is that inward capacity in which the
divine and human connect in a lifelong process of anchoring and maturing and
enduring--enduring that will not flinch in the face of suffering.
What's in a name?
If apocalyptic literature shocks us, it may well
be for good reasons. Maybe we need to be lulled out of our complacent faith and
beliefs, our way of living and acting, and realize that time is short, that the
Lord truly does come like a thief in the night, that we must radically change
our ways today, not tomorrow. The theme of Jesus' words in today's Gospel is
that his "name" (which is the equivalent of his mission and his
person) will be the cause of disruption.
And yet we often remain so uncourageous, shunning
any form of conflict and struggle. We hide our Catholic Christian identity for
fear of "offending" others or of being labeled Christian or Catholic.
Have we ever stopped to realize that maybe some things in this world are truly
worth fighting for, and even dying for? Have we forgotten that those associated
with "the Name" will endure persecution?
A lesson
There is also an important message for us in
today's second reading from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians (2
Thessalonians 3:7-12). St. Paul
As we near the end of the liturgical year and are
confronted with ultimate things in next Sunday's Scripture readings, let us
never forget that we are called to give witness through our daily living. Amid
painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of
predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven
not only for a revelation of God's will but also for a vision of the end of the
present misery and the beginning of the age to come. That thought alone is a
cause of consolation, joy and hope in the midst of the storms of our times.
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