“I DIED AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE EVERMORE”

Readings for March 31, 2013

The Resurrection of the Lord

 L-Għid  il-Kbir tal-Qawmien tal-Mulej mill-Imwiet

  

The Mass of Easter Sunday
Solennita' – Quddies tal-Jum

Reading 1 - Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter proceeded to speak and said: “You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” This is The Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari - Atti ta’ l-Appostli 10, 34a, 37-43

F’dak iż-żmien, Pietru qabad jitkellem u qal: “Intom tafu b’dak li ġara mal-Lhudija kollha, ibda mill-Galilija, wara li Ġwanni xandar il-magħmudija; kif Alla kkonsagra lil Ġesù ta’ Nażaret bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u bil-qawwa, u kif  dan Ġesù għadda jagħmel il-ġid u jfejjaq ’il dawk kollha li kienu maħkuma mix-xitan, għax Alla kien miegħu.  U aħna xhud ta’ dak kollu li hu għamel fl-art tal-Lhudija u f’Ġerusalemm.  Tawh  il-mewt billi dendluh mal-għuds tas-salib;  imma Alla qajmu mill-imwiet fit-tielet jum u għamel li hu jidher, mhux lil kulħadd, imma li xhieda li Alla għażel minn qabel lilna, li miegħu kilna u xrobna wara li qawmien tiegħu mill-imwiet. Lilna ordnalna biex inxandruh lill-poplu u nixhdu li dan hu dak li Alla għamlu mħallef tal-ħajjin u tal-mejtin.Il-profeti kollha jixhdu għalih u jgħidu li kull min jemmen fih jaqla’ l-maħfra tad-dnubiet. Il-Kelma  tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm     -      Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. (24) This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.  or:   

R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”                             R/

“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.”                  R/

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.                                R/

Salm Responsorjali       -   Salm  117

  R/    Dan hu l-jum li għamel il-Mulej: ħa nifirħu u nithennew fih. 

          jew:  Hallelujah.

Faħħru l-Mulej, għaliex hu tajjeb,
għax għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu!
Ħa jgħid wlied Israel:
"Għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu!"                           R/

Il-leminija tal-Mulej 'il fuq merfugħa,
il-leminija tal-Mulej għamlet ħwejjeġ ta’ ħila!
Ma mmutx, imma nibqa' ngħix,
u nħabbar l-għemejjel tal-Mulej.                        R/

Il-ġebla  li warrbu l-bennejja
saret il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan:
ħaġa tal-għaġeb f’għajnejna.                             R/

Reading 2 - one of the following readings will be read:

- Colossians 3:1-4

Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,  where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. This is The Word of The Lord.

Or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,  inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. This is The Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari – Għat-Tieni Qari tingħażel silta mit-tnejn li ġejjin:

Kolossin 3, 1-4

Ħuti, jekk intom irxoxtajtu ma’ Kristu, fittxu l-ħwejjeġ tas-sema,  fejn Kristu qiegħed fuq il-lemin ta’ Alla.   Aħsbu  fil-ħwejjeġ tas-sema, mhux f’dawk ta’ l-art. Għax  intom mittu, imma ħajjitkom hi moħbija flimkien ma’ Kristu f’Alla.   Meta  jidher Kristu, li hu l-ħajja tagħkom, imbagħad intom ukoll tidhru flimkien miegħu fil-glorja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

jew: 1 Korintin 5, 6b-8

Ħuti,  ma  tafux li ftit ħmira ttalla’ l-għaġna kollha? Tnaddfu mill-ħmira l-qadima ħalli tkunu għaġna ġdida, if intom bla ħmira.  Il-Ħaruf  tal-Għid tagħna, li hu Kristu, hu maqtul!  Nagħmlu   festa,  mhux bil-ħmira l-qadima, anqas bil-ħmira tal-qerq u tal-ħażen, imma bil-ħobż bla ħmira tas-safa u tas-sewwa.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel –- one of the following readings will be read:

  John 20:1-9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,  “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. This is The Word of The Lord.

Or Luke 24:1-12

At daybreak on the first day of the week the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to  sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.  This is The Word of The Lord.

Orat an evening Mass -
 Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them,  “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they  approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing,  broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted  what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.   This is The Word of The Lord. 

L-EVANĠELJU –  tingħażel silta mit-tnejn li ġejjin:

 Ġwanni 20, 1-9

Kien  l-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, filgħodu kmieni kif kien għadu d-dlam,  u Marjam ta’ Magdala ġiet ħdejn il-qabar u rat il-blata mneħħija mill-qabar.  Għalhekk telqet tiġri għand  Xmun Pietru u għand id-dixxiplu l-ieħor li kien iħobb Ġesù, u qaltilhom: “Qalgħu l-Mulej mill-qabar, u ma nafux fejn qegħduh.” Pietru  u d-dixxiplu l-ieħor ħarġu u ġew ħdejn il-qabar.  It-tnejn ġrew flimkien, imma d-dixxiplu l-ieħor ħaffef  aktar minn Pietru, u laħaq qablu ħdejn il-qabar.  Tbaxxa,  u ra l-faxex tal-għażel imqiegħda hemm, iżda ma daħalx.  Imbagħad  wasal warajh Xmun Pietru, daħal fil-qabar, u ra l-faxex tal-għażel imqiegħda hemm, u l-maktur li kien madwar rasu; dan ma kienx mal-faxex, imma mitwi u mqiegħed f'post għalih. Imbagħad id-dixxiplu l-ieħor, li kien wasal l-ewwel ħdejn il-qabar, daħal hu wkoll, ra, u emmen.  Sa dak in-nhar kienu għadhom ma fehmux l-Iskrittura li kienet tgħid li kellu jqum mill-imwiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Jew  Luqa 24, 1-12

Kmieni mas-sebħ tal-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa n-nisa marru ħdejn il-qabar u ħadu magħhom il-fwejjaħ li kienu ħejjew. Huma sabu l-ġebla mgerba minn quddiem il-qabar, imma  meta daħlu fih, il-katavru tal-Mulej Ġesu' ma sabuhx hemm. U kif kienu mħassbin fuq dan, f'daqqa waħda derhrulhom quddiemhom żewġt ieġiel libsin ilbies jiddi.   In-nisa, mimlijin  bil-biża', baxxew għajnejhom lejn l-art; imma dawk qalulhom: "L-għala qegħdin tifttxuh qalb il-mejtin lil min  hu ħaj? Mhuwiex  hawn,  imma qam.  Ftakru x'kien qalilkom meta kien għadu fil- Galilija, meta qal:  "Jeħtieġ li Bin il-bniedem jingħata f'idiejn  il-midinbin, ikun mislub, u fit-tielet jum iqum mill-imwiet.'"   U huma ftakru kliemu. Telqulura minnn ħdejn il-qabar u marru jgħatu l-aħbar ta' dan  kollu lill-Ħdax u lill-oħrajn kollha.   Kienu Marija ta' Magdala u  Ġwanna u Marija ta' Ġakbu u n-nisa l-oħra li kellhom magħhom;  huma kienu li qalu b'dan lill-appostli. Imma d-dikors tagħhom l-appostli stħajluh thewdin, u ma emmnuhomx. Madankollu Pietru qam u mar b'ġirja lejn il-qabar;  tbaxxa biex iħares, imma ma rax ħlief faxex, u raġa' lura d-dar għaġġeb b'li kien ġara. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Fil-Quddiesa ta’ filgħaxija jista’ jinqara l-Evanġelju li ġej:

    Luqa  24, 13-35

Dakinhar stess,  fl-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, ġara li  tnejn mid-dixxipli  kienu sejrin lejn raħal jismu Għemmaws,  xi sittin stadju  bogħod  minn Ġerusalemm, jitħaddtu bejniethom fuq kulma kien ġara.   Huma u jitħaddtu u jitkixxfu bejniethom, Ġesù nnifsu resaq lejhom u baqa’ miexi magħhom.   Imma   għajnejhom kellhom xi jżommhom u ma setgħux jagħrfuh. U hu qalilhom: “X’intom tgħidu bejnietkom intom u miexja?”  U  huma waqfu, b’ħarsa ta’ niket fuq wiċċhom. Imbagħad  wieħed minnhom, jismu Kleofa, wieġeb u qallu: “Int waħdek  il-barrani  f’Ġerusalemm li ma tafx x’ġara hemmhekk f’dawn  il-jiem?”  “X’ġara?” staqsiehom Ġesu'.   Qalulu: “Dak li ġara  lil Ġesù ta’ Nażaret, li kien profeta, setgħan fl-għemil u fil-kliem quddiem Alla u quddiem il-poplu kollu, kif il-qassisin il-kbar u l-kapijiet tagħna tawh f'idejn il-gvernatur biex ikun ikkundannat  għall-mewt u sallbuh.  Aħna konna nittamaw li hu kien dak li kellu jifdi lil Iżrael;  iżda issa, fuq kollox ġa għaddew tliet ijiem fuq din il-ġrajja!   Issa  wkoll xi wħud min-nisa tagħna ħasduna, għax marru kmieni ħdejn il-qabar u l-kadavru tiegħu ma sabuhx;  ġew jgħidu wkoll li dehrulhom xi anġli li qalulhom li hu ħaj.  Imbagħad  marru ħdejn il-qabar xi wħud minn tagħna u sabu kollox kif kienu qalu n-nisa,  imma lilu ma rawhx!” Qalilhom Ġesù: “Kemm intom boloh  tqal biex temmnu kulma qalu l-profeti!   U ma kellux il-Messija jbati dan kollu u hekk jidħol fil-glorja tiegħu?”   U beda minn Mosè u l-profeti kollha ifissrilhom kulma kien hemm fl-Iskrittura fuqu. Meta qorbu lejn ir-raħal fejn kienu sejrin, hu għamel tabirruħu  li se jibqa’ sejjer aktar  ’il bogħod.  Iżda huma ġegħluh jibqa' magħhom u qalulu:  “Ibqa’  magħna, għax issa sar ħafna ħin u l-jum ġa wasal biex jintemm.”   Imbagħad  daħal biex  joqgħod magħhom. U  waqt li kien fuq il-mejda magħhom, qabad il-ħobż, qal-il-barka, qasmu u tahulhom.    Imbagħad infetħulhom għajnejhom  u għarfuh, iżda hu  għab minn quddiemhom. U wieħed lill-ieħor bdew jgħidu: “Ma  kinetx imkebbsa qalbna ġewwa fina huwa u jkellimna fit-triq u jfissrilna l-Iskrittura?” Dak  il-ħin stess qamu u reġgħu lura Ġerusalemm.   Hemm sabu lill-Ħdax u lil sħabhom miġburin flimkien, u  dawn qalulhom: “Il-Mulej qam tassew, u deher lil Xmun!”   U  huma wkoll tarrfulhom x’kien ġralhom fit-triq u kif kienu għarfuh fil-qsim tal-ħobż.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

…………………

COMMENTARY:

“I DIED AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE EVERMORE” 

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa

Some ancient Fathers of the Church enclosed in an image the whole mystery of the redemption. Imagine, they said, that an epic fight took place in the stadium. A courageous man confronted a cruel tyrant who had the city enslaved and, with enormous effort and suffering, defeated him. You were on the terraces; you did not fight, or make an effort or get wounded. However, if you admire the courageous man, if you rejoice with him over his victory, if you intertwine crowns, arouse and stir the assembly for him, if you kneel joyfully before the triumphant one, kiss his head and shake his right hand; in a word, if you rave so much as to consider his victory yours, I tell you that you will certainly have part of the victor’s prize.

However, there is more: imagine that the victor had himself no need of the prize he had won, but wished more than anything to see his supporter honored and considers as the prize of his combat the crowning of his friend, in that case, perhaps, will that man not obtain the crown also though he has not toiled on been wounded? He certainly will obtain it!

It happens thus, say the Fathers, between Christ and us. On the cross, he defeated the ancient enemy. “Our swords – exclaims Saint John Chrysostom – were not bloodied, we were not in agony, we were not wounded, we did not even see the battle and yet we obtain the victory. His was the fight, ours the crown. And because we are also the conquerors, let us imitate what soldiers do in such cases: with joyful voices let us exalt the victory, let us intone hymns of praise to the Lord!” It is not possible to explain better the meaning of the liturgy we are celebrating.

However, is what we are doing itself an image, a representation of a reality of the past, or is it the reality itself? It is both things! “We – said Saint Augustine to the people – know and believe with very certain faith that Christ died only once for us […]. You know perfectly that all that happened only once, and yet the solemnity renews it periodically […]. Historical truth and liturgical solemnity are not opposed to one another, as if the second is fallacious and the first alone corresponds to the truth. In fact, of what history says occurred only once in reality, the solemnity repeatedly renews the celebration in the hearts of the faithful.”

The liturgy “renews” the event: how many discussions have taken place for the past five centuries on the meaning of this word, especially when it is applied to the sacrifice of the cross and to the Mass! Paul VI used a verb that could smooth the way to an ecumenical agreement on such an argument: the verb “to represent,” understood in the strong sense of re-presenting, namely to render what happened again present and operative.

There is an essential difference between the representation of Christ’s death and that, for example, of the death of Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name. No one celebrates as a living person the anniversary of his own death; Christ does because he is risen. Only he can say, as he does in Revelation: “I died, and behold I am alive ever more” (Revelation 1:18). We must be careful on this day, visiting the so-called sepulchers or taking part in processions of the dead Christ, not to merit the reproach that the Risen One addressed to the pious women on Easter morning: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5).

The affirmation of certain Orthodox authors is bold but true. The anamnesis, namely the liturgical memorial, “renders the event truer than when it happened historically the first time.” In other words, it is more true and real for us who relive it “according to the Spirit,” than it was for those who lived it “according to the flesh,” before the Holy Spirit revealed the full meaning to the Church.

We are not only celebrating an anniversary but a mystery. Again, it is Saint Augustine who explains the difference between the two things. In the celebration “by way of anniversary,” nothing else is required – he says – than to “indicate with a religious solemnity the day of the year in which the recollection of the event itself takes place;” in the celebration by way of mystery (“in sacrament”), “not only is an event commemorated but it is also done in a way in which its meaning is understood and it is received devoutly.”

This changes everything. It is not just a question of attending a representation, but of “accepting” the significance, of passing from spectators to actors. It is up to us therefore to choose what part we want to play in the drama, who we wish to be: Peter, Judas, Pilate, the crowd, the Cyrene, John, Mary … No one can remain neutral; not take a position, means to take a very precise one: Pilate’s, who washes his hands, or the crowd “standing by, watching” (Luke 23:35).

If when going home this evening, someone asks us “Where have you been?” We must also answer, at least in our heart: “on Calvary!”

However, all this does not happen automatically, just because we have taken part in this liturgy. It is a question of “accepting” the meaning of the mystery. This happens with faith. There is no music where there is no ear to hear it, no matter how loud the orchestra sounds; there is no grace where there is no faith to receive it.

However, let us stay on the safe side; let us listen to a doctor of the Church. “What I cannot obtain by myself – writes Saint Bernard –, I appropriate (literally, I usurp!) with confidence from the pierced side of the Lord., because he is full of mercy. Hence my merit is the mercy of God. I am certainly not poor in merits, as long as he is rich in mercy. If the mercies of the Lord are many (Psalm 119:156), I will also abound in merits. And what about my own righteousness? O Lord, I will remember only your righteousness. In fact, it is also mine, because you are righteousness for me on behalf of God” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30).

Did this way of conceiving holiness make Saint Bernard, perhaps, less zealous in good works, less committed to the acquisition of virtues? Did perhaps the apostle Paul neglect to mortify his body and reduce it to slavery (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27), he who, before all and more than all, had made of this appropriation of Christ’s righteousness the purpose of his life and of his preaching (cf. Philippians 3:7-9)?

In Rome, as unfortunately in all big cities, there are so many homeless people, human persons who only have a few rags upon their body and some poor belongings that they carry along in a plastic bag. Let us imagine that one day this voice spreads: on Via Condotti (everyone knows what Via Condotti represents in Rome!) there is the owner of a fashion boutique who, for some unknown reason, whether out of interest or generosity, invites all the homeless of Termini rail way station to come to her shop; she invites them to take off their soiled rags, to have a good shower and then choose the garment they want among those displayed and take it away free of charge.

All say in their heart: “This is a fairy-tale, it never happens!” Very true, but what never happens among men is what can happen every day between men and God, because, before Him, we are those homeless people! This is what happens in a good confession: you take off your dirty rags, your sins, receive the bath of mercy and rise “clothed in the garments of salvation, covered with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

The tax collector of the parable went up into the temple to pray; he said simply but from the depth of his heart: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”, and “he went down to his house justified” (Luke 18:14), reconciled, made new, innocent. The same could be said of us, if we have his same faith and repentance, when we go home after this liturgy.

 “God forgives many things, for a good work,” says Lucia to the Unnamed in Manzoni’s novel “The Betrothed”; with greater truth we can say, he forgives many things by one act of repentance. He promised it solemnly: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Let us take up now and do what we heard at the beginning, it is our task this day: with joyful voices let us exalt the victory of the cross, intone hymns of praise to the Lord. “O Redemptor, sume carmen temet concinentium”[8]: And you, O our Redeemer, receive the song we raise to you.