( Sunday of Divine Mercy)
It-Tieni Hadd tal-l-Ghid
(Hadd il-Hniena Divina)
Messalin C 195
Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the
hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. None of the
others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were
added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid
them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of
people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem
L-Ewwel Qari - Atti ta' l-Appostli i 5, 12-16
Bis-saħħa
tal-appostli kienu jsiru ħafna sinjali u mirakli fost il-poplu.
U huma lkoll qalb waħda kienu jinġabru flimkien fil-portiku ta' Salamun, u ħadd mill-oħrajn ma
kien jissogra jissieħeb magħhom;
imma kulħadd kien ifaħħarhom ħafna. L-għadd
ta' dawk li kienu jemmnu fil-Mulej, kemm irġiel kemm nisa, kien dejjem jiżdied u joktor, hekk
li kienu wkoll iġorru l-morda tagħhom
fuq sodod u mtieraħ u jqegħduhom
fil-pjazez biex, xħin jgħaddin Pietru, jaqa' mqar id-dell tiegħu fuq xi ħadd
minnhom. In-nies kienu jiġu mill-ibliet ta' madwar Ġerusalemm, iġorru l-morda u
lil dawk li kienu maħkuma mill-ispirti mniġġsa;
lkoll kienu jitfejqu. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 118:2-4,
13-15, 22-24
R. (1) Give thanks to the Lord for he is
good, his love is everlasting.
or R. Alleluia.
Let the house of Israel
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.” R/:
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just: R/:
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.” R/:
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just: R/:
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it. R/:
Salm
Responsorjali - Salm 117 (118)
R/ Faħħru 'l Mulej, għaliex hu tajjeb! Jew Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Ħa
jgħidu wlied Iżrael:
"Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu"
Ħa
tgħid dar Aron:
"Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu."
Ħa
jgħidu dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej:
"Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu." R/
Il-ġebla
li warrbu l-bennejja
saret
il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan:
ħaġa tal-għaġeb
f'għajnejna.
Dan hu l-jum li għamel il-Mulej;
ħa nifirħu u nithennew fih!" R/
Ejja, nitolbuk, Mulej, salvana!
Ejja, nitolbuk, Mulej, agħtina r-riżq!
Imbierek minn ġej f'isem il-Mulej!
Inberkukom minn dar il-Mulej.
Jaħweħ hu Alla; hu d-dawl tagħna. R/
.......................................
Reading 2 - Revelations 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
Reading 2 - Revelations 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance
we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because
I proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a voice as loud
as a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see.” Then I turned to see whose voice it was that
spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lamp stands and in the midst
of the lamp stands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a
gold sash around his chest. When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet
as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I
am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am
alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write
down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will
happen afterwards.” This is the Word of
The Lord.
It-Tieni Qari – L-Apokalissi 1, 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19)
Jiena, Ġwanni, ħukom u
sieħeb tagħkom fit-taħbit u fis-saltna u
fis-sabar ma' Ġesu', jien sibt ruħi fil-gżira jisimha
Patmos minħabba l-Kelma ta' Alla u x-xhieda ta' Ġesu'. Darba f'jum il-Mulej,
ħassejtni merfugħ fl-Ispirtu, u minn warajja smajt leħen qawwi, bħal ta'
tromba, igħidli: "Kulma tara niżżlu fi ktieb u ibagħtu lis-seba'
knejjes." U jiena dort biex nara min kien qiegħed ikellimni; u kif dort,
rajt seba' kandelabri tad-deheb, u f'nofs il- kandelabri kien hemm wieħed qisu Iben ta' bniedem, liebes
libsa twila sa wiċċ saqajh, b'sidru
mħażżem bi ħżiem tad-deheb Jien, kif rajtu, waqajt qisni mejjet f'riġlejh. Iżda hu ressaq idu l-leminija fuqi u
qalli: "Tibżax! Jien hu l-Ewwel u
l-Aħħar, jiena l-Ħaj; jien kont mejjet,
u ara, jien issa ħaj għal dejjem ta' dejjem, u għandi jinsabu l-imfietaħ tal-Mewt u ta'
Post il-Mejtin. Ikteb kulma tara, kemm
il-ħwejjeġ li hawn issa u kemm dawk li jiġru 'l quddiem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
...................
Gospel - John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the
doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had
said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when
they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father
has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven
them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the
Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him,
“We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the
nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into
his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood
in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your
finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and
do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord
and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his
disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. This is
the Word of The Lord.
L-Evanġelju - Ġwanni 20,
19-31)
Dakinhar
filgħaxija, fl-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, meta d-dixxipli kienu flimkien imbeżżgħa
mill-Lhud, bil-bibien magħluqa, ġie Ġesu' u qagħad f'nofshom; u qalilhom: "Is-Sliem għalikom!" Kif qal hekk, uriehom idejh u ġenbu. Id-dixxipli ferħu meta raw lill-Mulej.
Imbagħad Ġesu' tenna jgħidilhom:"Is-Sliem għalikom! Kif il-Missier bagħat lili, hekk jien nibgħat
lilkom." Kif qal hekk, nefaħ
fuqhom u qalilhom: "Ħudu l-Ispirtu
s-Santu. Dawk li taħfrulhom dnubiethom
ikunu maħura, u dawk li żżommuhomlhom
ikunu miżmuma." Tumas, wieħed
mit-Tnax, jgħidulu t-Tewmi, ma kienx magħhom, meta ġie Ġesu'. Għalhekk id-dixxipli l-oħra qalulu:
"Rajna lill-Mulej." Iżda hu
qalilhom: "Jekk ma narax f'idejh
il-marka tal-imsiemer u ma nqiegħedx sebgħi fuq il-marka tal-imsiemer u idi fuq
ġenbu, jien ma nemminx." Tmint ijiem wara, id-dixxipli tiegħu kienu
ġewwa, u Tumas magħhom. Il-bibien kienu magħluqa,imma Ġesu' daħal, qagħad f'nofshom, u qalilhom: "Is-Sliem
għalikom!" Imbagħad qal lil Tumas:
"Ġib sebgħek hawn u ara idejja, u ressaq idek u qegħedha fuq ġenbi; tkunx bniedem bla fidi, iżda
emmen." Wieġeb Tumas u qallu: "Mulej tiegħi u Alla tiegħi!" Qallu Ġesu':
"Emmint għax rajtni! Ħenjin
dawk li ma rawx u emmnu." Hemm ħafna sinjali oħra li Ġesu' għamel quddiem
id-dixxipli tiegħu u li m'humiex
imniżżla f'dan il-ktieb. Iżda dawn
inkitbu inkitbu sabiex intom temmnu li
Ġesu' hu l-Messija l-Iben ta' Alla, u biex bit-twemmin tagħkom ikollokom il-ħajja f'ismu Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
...................................
COMMENTARY:
"This Miracle ... Has
Changed Humanity´s Destiny"Here is a translation of his homily.
……"Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the
living one; I died, and behold I am alive for ever more" (Rev 1:17-18).
We heard these
comforting words in the Second Reading taken from the Book of Revelation. They
invite us to turn our gaze to Christ, to experience his reassuring presence. To
each person, whatever his condition, even if it were the most complicated and
dramatic, the Risen One repeats: "Fear not!"; I died on the Cross but
now "I am alive for evermore"; "I am the first and the last, and
the living one".
"The first," that is, the source of every being and the first fruits of the new creation; "the last," the definitive end of history; "the living one," the inexhaustible source of life that triumphed over death for ever. In the Messiah, crucified and risen, we recognize the features of the Lamb sacrificed on Golgotha, who implores forgiveness for his torturers and opens the gates of heaven to repentant sinners; we glimpse the face of the immortal King who now has "the keys of Death and Hades" (Rv 1: 18).
………"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever!" (Ps 117: 1).
"The first," that is, the source of every being and the first fruits of the new creation; "the last," the definitive end of history; "the living one," the inexhaustible source of life that triumphed over death for ever. In the Messiah, crucified and risen, we recognize the features of the Lamb sacrificed on Golgotha, who implores forgiveness for his torturers and opens the gates of heaven to repentant sinners; we glimpse the face of the immortal King who now has "the keys of Death and Hades" (Rv 1: 18).
………"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever!" (Ps 117: 1).
Let us make our own the Psalmist´s
exclamation which we sang in the Responsorial Psalm: The Lord´s mercy endures for ever! In order to understand
thoroughly the truth of these words, let us be led by the liturgy to the heart
of the event of salvation, which unites Christ´s Death and Resurrection with
our lives and with the world´s history. This miracle of mercy has radically
changed humanity´s destiny. It is a miracle in which is unfolded the fullness
of the love of the Father who, for our redemption, does not even draw back
before the sacrifice of his Only-begotten Son.
In the humiliated and suffering Christ, believers and non-believers can admire a surprising solidarity, which binds him to our human condition beyond all imaginable measure. The Cross, even after the Resurrection of the Son of God, "speaks and never ceases to speak of God the Father, who is absolutely faithful to his eternal love for man.... Believing in this love means believing in mercy (Dives in misericordia, n. 7).
Let us thank the Lord for his love, which is stronger than death and sin. It is revealed and put into practice as mercy in our daily lives, and prompts every person in turn to have "mercy" towards the Crucified One. Is not loving God and loving one’s neighbour and even one’s "enemies", after Jesus´ example, the programme of life of every baptized person and of the whole Church?
……. With these sentiments we are celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter, which since last year, the year of the Great Jubilee, is also called "Divine Mercy Sunday". It is a great joy for me to be able to join all of you, dear pilgrims and faithful who have come from various nations to commemorate, after one year, the canonization of Sr Faustina Kowalska, witness and messenger of the Lord´s merciful love. The elevation to the honours of the altar of this humble religious, a daughter of my land, is not only a gift forPoland
……. The Gospel, which has just been proclaimed, helps us to grasp the full sense and value of this gift. The Evangelist John makes us share in the emotion felt by the Apostles in their meeting with Christ after his Resurrection. Our attention focuses on the gesture of the Master, who transmits to the fearful, astounded disciples the mission of being ministers of divine Mercy. He shows them his hands and his side, which bear the marks of the Passion, and tells them: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (Jn 20: 21). Immediately afterwards "he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained´ " (Jn 20: 22-23). Jesus entrusted to them the gift of "forgiving sins", a gift that flows from the wounds in his hands, his feet, and especially from his pierced side. From there a wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity. Let us relive this moment with great spiritual intensity. Today the Lord also shows us his glorious wounds and his heart, an inexhaustible source of light and truth, of love and forgiveness.
………….. The Heart of Christ!
In the humiliated and suffering Christ, believers and non-believers can admire a surprising solidarity, which binds him to our human condition beyond all imaginable measure. The Cross, even after the Resurrection of the Son of God, "speaks and never ceases to speak of God the Father, who is absolutely faithful to his eternal love for man.... Believing in this love means believing in mercy (Dives in misericordia, n. 7).
Let us thank the Lord for his love, which is stronger than death and sin. It is revealed and put into practice as mercy in our daily lives, and prompts every person in turn to have "mercy" towards the Crucified One. Is not loving God and loving one’s neighbour and even one’s "enemies", after Jesus´ example, the programme of life of every baptized person and of the whole Church?
……. With these sentiments we are celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter, which since last year, the year of the Great Jubilee, is also called "Divine Mercy Sunday". It is a great joy for me to be able to join all of you, dear pilgrims and faithful who have come from various nations to commemorate, after one year, the canonization of Sr Faustina Kowalska, witness and messenger of the Lord´s merciful love. The elevation to the honours of the altar of this humble religious, a daughter of my land, is not only a gift for
……. The Gospel, which has just been proclaimed, helps us to grasp the full sense and value of this gift. The Evangelist John makes us share in the emotion felt by the Apostles in their meeting with Christ after his Resurrection. Our attention focuses on the gesture of the Master, who transmits to the fearful, astounded disciples the mission of being ministers of divine Mercy. He shows them his hands and his side, which bear the marks of the Passion, and tells them: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (Jn 20: 21). Immediately afterwards "he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained´ " (Jn 20: 22-23). Jesus entrusted to them the gift of "forgiving sins", a gift that flows from the wounds in his hands, his feet, and especially from his pierced side. From there a wave of mercy is poured out over all humanity. Let us relive this moment with great spiritual intensity. Today the Lord also shows us his glorious wounds and his heart, an inexhaustible source of light and truth, of love and forgiveness.
………….. The Heart of Christ!
His "Sacred Heart" has given men
everything: redemption, salvation, sanctification. St Faustina Kowalska saw
coming from this Heart that was overflowing with generous love, two rays of
light which illuminated the world. "The
two rays", according to what Jesus himself told her, "represent the blood and the
water" (Diary, p. 132). The blood recalls the sacrifice of Golgotha and the mystery of the Eucharist; the water,
according to the rich symbolism of the Evangelist John, makes us think of
Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3: 5; 4: 14). Through the mystery of this wounded heart,
the restorative tide of God´s merciful love continues to spread over the men
and women of our time. Here alone can those who long for true and lasting
happiness find its secret.
……………. "Jesus, I trust in you".
……………. "Jesus, I trust in you".
This prayer, dear to so many of the devout, clearly expresses the attitude
with which we too would like to abandon ourselves trustfully in your hands, O
Lord, our only Saviour. You are burning with the desire to be loved and those
in tune with the sentiments of your heart learn how to build the new
civilization of love. A simple act of abandonment is enough to overcome the
barriers of darkness and sorrow, of doubt and desperation. The rays of your
divine mercy restore hope, in a special way, to those who feel overwhelmed by
the burden of sin.
Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us always to have this trust in your Son, our Redeemer. Help us too, St Faustina, whom we remember today with special affection. Fixing our weak gaze on the divine Saviour´s face, we would like to repeat with you: "Jesus, I trust in you". Now and for ever. Amen.
Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us always to have this trust in your Son, our Redeemer. Help us too, St Faustina, whom we remember today with special affection. Fixing our weak gaze on the divine Saviour´s face, we would like to repeat with you: "Jesus, I trust in you". Now and for ever. Amen.
……………………………
[translation by L´Osservatore Romano] © Innovative Media Inc.
[translation by L´Osservatore Romano] © Innovative Media Inc.
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