RReadings  for February 3, 2013

 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ir-Raba’ Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C 276

Reading 1 - Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But now gird your loins, stand up and tell them all what I command you.  Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day  who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-1  Qari  -  Ġeremija  1, 4-5,17-19

Fi żmien Ġosija, gietni l-Kelma tal-Mulej u qalli: "Qabel ma sawwartek fil-ġuf, għaraftek; qabel ma ħriġt minn ħdan ommok, ikkonsagrajtek. Jien qegħedtek profeta fuq il-ġnus. Ħażżem ġenbejk, qum u għidilhom kulma nordnalek. La tibżax minnhom, għax inkell nbeżżgħek jien quddiemhom. Arani llum se nagħmel minnek belt fortizza, kolonna tal-ħadid, ħajt tal-bronż, kontra l-pajjiż kollu, kontra s-slataten ta' Ġuda, u l-prinċipijiet tiegħu, kontra l-qassisin tiegħu u l-poplu tal-pajjiż. Huma jeħduha kontrik, imma ma jagħmlulek xejn, għax jien inkun miegħek – oraklu tal-Mulej – biex neħilsek minnhom." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm     -    Ps  71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

R. (cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.                                               R/

Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.                    R/

For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.                             R/

My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.                   R/

Salm Responsorjali        -  Salm 70 (71)

                        R/     Fommi jxandar il-ġustizzja tiegħek.

Fik, Mulej, jien nistkenn,

ma  jkolli qatt għax ninfixel.

Għall-ġustizzja tiegħek salvani u ħarisni,

agħtini widen u fittex eħlisni.                                                           R/

Kun sur ta' kenn għalija;

int wegħedt li tiġi dejjem issalvani,

għax blata u fortizza int għalija.

Alla tiegħi,  ħarisni minn id il-ħażin.                                                 R/

Għax inti, Sidi, it-tama tiegħi,

Mulej,  inti l-fiduċja tiegħi sa minn żgħożiti.

Fuqek serraħt sa minn twelidi,

sa minn ġuf ommi int ħadtni.                                                           R/

Fommi jxandar il-ġustizzja tiegħek,

il-jum kollu l-għemejjel tal-għajnuna tiegħek,

O Alla, sa minn  żgħożiti int għallimtni;

u jien s'issa għadni nxandar għeġubijietek.                                    R/

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Reading 2  - 1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13

Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, It is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease;  if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.  At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.  At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-2 Qari  -  1 Korintin 12, 31; 13, 1-13

Ħuti, intom ħabirku għal doni ogħla.  Imma jien nurikom triq li tgħaddihom ilkoll. Li kont nitkellem bl-ilsna tal-bnedmin u tal-anġli bla ma kelli  l-imħabba, kont inkun qisni  strument tar-ram iżarżar jew platti jċekċku. U kieku kelli d-don tal-profezija u kont naf il-misteri kollha u l-għerf kollu, kieku kelli l-fidi tiegħi sħiħa li nqanqal il-muntanji, imma ma kellix imħabba, jiena ma kont inkun xejn. U kieku kelli nqasam ġidi kollu fil-karita u nagħti ġismi  għall-ħruq bla ma jkolli mħabba, xejn ma jkun jiswieli ta' ġid. L-imħabba taf tistabar u tħenn; l-imħabba mhijiex għajjura, ma  tintefaħx biha nfisha, ma titkabarx fuq l-oħrajn; ma tagħmilx dak li mhux xieraq; ma tfittixx dak li hu tagħha, xejn ma tinkorla; ma żżommx f'qalbha għad-deni, ma tifraħx bl-inġustizzja, imma tifraħ bil-verita' kollox tagħder, kollox temmen, kollox tittama, kollox tissaporti. L-imħabba ma tintemm qatt.  Jgħibu l-profeziji, jisktu l-ilsna, jgħib  l-għerf.   Għalissa nafu biċċa, u l-profezija tagħna hi nieqsa,  imma meta jfeġġ dak li hu sħiħ,  jgħib dak li hu nieqes.  Meta kont tarbija,  kont nitkellem ta' tarbija, inħoss ta' tarbija, naħseb ta' tarbija.  Meta sirt raġel warrabt dak li hu ta' tarbija. Bħalissa naraw bħallikieku f'mera, imċajpra, imma  mbagħad naraw wiċċ imb wiċċ.  Issa nagħraf biċċa, imbagħad nagħraf bħalma jien  magħruf issa.   Issa hawn fidi, tama u mħabba, it-tlieta jibqgħu. Il-kbira fosthom l-imħabba! Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Gospel - Luke 4:21-30

Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.   They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”  He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own  native place.   Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in  the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away. This is the Word of the Lord.

L_Evanġelju - Luqa 4, 21-30

F'dak iż-żmien Ġesu' qal lin-nies fis-sinagoga: "Din il-kitba seħħet illum, intom u tisimgħu." U lkoll laqgħu kliemu u stagħġbu għall-kliem mimli ħlewwa  li kien ħiereġ minn fommu u bdew jgħidu: "Dan mhuwiex bin Ġużeppi?" Iżda hu qalilhom:  "Zgur li se tgħidu għalija dan il-proverbju: 'Tabib, fejjaq lilek innifsek",.  Dak kollu li smajna li ġara  f'Kararnahum agħmlu hawn f'pajjiżek ukoll!"   U żied jgħidilhom:  "Tassew, ngħidilkom, ebda profeta ma jilqgħuh tajjeb f'pajjiżu.  Għax, ngħidilkom is-sewwa, kien  hemm bosta romol f'Iżrael  fi żmien Elija meta s-sema baqa' tliet snin u sitt xhur magħluq u waqa' ġuħ kbir  fil-pajjiż kollu; madankollu għand ħadd  minnhom ma ntbagħat Elija, imma għand waħda armla minn Sarefta ta' Sidon.   U kien hemm bosta lebbrużi f'Iżrael fi żmien il-Profeta Eliżew, imma ħadd minnhom ma ġie mfejjaq ħlief Nagħman tas-Sirja. Meta semgħu dan fis-sinagoga  kulħadd imtela bil-korla; qamu, u ħarġuħ  'il barra belt, ħaduh fuq xifer ta' rdum tal-għolja li fuqha kienet mibnija l-belt tagħhom, u riedu jixħtuħ  minn hemm fuq għal isfel.   Iżda hu għadda minn ġo nofshom u baqa' sejjer. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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COMMENTARY:

Father Cantalamessa on Seeking and Giving Love 

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

Unless you have charity...

This Sunday's Gospel narrates the rejection Jesus meets at Nazareth, his hometown, the first time he returns after beginning his public ministry. This rejection elicits the famous remark, "No prophet is accepted in his own country."  Since we had commented on Mark's account of this episode last year (and also since last week’s reflection by Fr Thomas Rosica  had also touched on this part of the gospel  as well), we can therefore focus our attention on the Second Reading where we find a very important message. This is Paul's celebrated hymn to charity. Charity is the religious term for love. This is, then, a hymn to love, perhaps the most celebrated and sublime ever written.

When Christianity appeared on the world's stage, love had already employed various singers. The most illustrious was Plato who wrote an entire treatise on it. The common name for love at that time was "eros" (this is where we get "erotic" and "eroticism" from).

Christianity sensed that this passionate and desirous love was not adequate to express the novelty of the biblical concept. For this reason it avoided the term "eros" and substituted that of "agape," which could be translated as "spiritual love" or "charity" -- although the latter term has come to acquire a too restricted meaning: doing charity, works of charity.

The difference between "eros" and "agape" is this. Desirous or erotic love is exclusive; it is consummated between two persons; the interference of a third person would mean its destruction, its betrayal. Sometimes the birth of a child can throw this kind of love into a crisis.  The giving type of love, "agape," on the contrary embraces everyone, no one can be excluded, not even enemies. The classical formula of "eros" is pronounced by Violetta in Verdi's opera "La Traviata": "Love me, Alfredo. Love me as much as I love you."

The classical formula of "agape" is that of Jesus who says: "As I have loved you, love one another." This latter is a love that is meant to circulate, to expand.  Another difference is this. Erotic love, in the more typical form of "falling in love," does not last long, or it lasts only by changing its object, that is, by falling in love with different people successively. Of charity, however, St. Paul says that it "remains," indeed it is the only thing that remains in eternity, even after faith and hope have ceased.   But between these two loves -- that of seeking and that of giving -- there is not separation and contraposition, but rather development and growth.

"Eros" is the point of departure for us and "agape" is the point of arrival. Between them there is room for a whole education and growth in love. Let us take the most common case which is love between two persons.

In the love between a husband and wife "eros" prevails at the beginning, attraction, reciprocal desire, the conquering of the other, and so a certain egoism. If this love does not make an effort to enrich itself along the way with a new dimension, one of gratuity, of reciprocal tenderness, of a capacity to forget oneself for the other, and to project itself into children, we all know how it will end.Paul's message is quite relevant today. The entertainment and advertising worlds seem bent on inculcating in young people that love is reducible to "eros" and that "eros" is reducible to sex. Life is presented as a continual idol in a world where everything is beautiful, young, and healthy; where there is no growing old, no sickness, and everyone can spend as much as they want. But this is a colossal lie that generates unrealistic expectations, which, once they are not met, provoke frustration, rebellion against family and society, and often open the door to crime. The word of God makes it such that the critical sense in people is not altogether extinguished when this illusory vision of life is daily proposed to them.  

(Translation by Zenit. org)