Il-20
Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin Ċ pp 366
Reading 1 - Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
In those days, the
princes said to the king: “Jeremiah
ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this
city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested
in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into
the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting
him down with ropes. There was no water
in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud. Ebed-melech, a court
official, went there from the palace and said to him: “My lord king, these men
have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him
into the cistern. He will die of famine
on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.” Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to
take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern
before he should die. This is the Word of
The Lord.
l-Ewwel
Qari - Profeta Geremija 38, 4-10
F’dak iż-żmien,
il-prinċpijiet marru jgħidu lis-sultan: “Ħalli jiġi maqtul Geremija. għax b'dan
il-kliem li qiegħed jgħidilhom qiegħed jaqta’ qalb is-suldatii li fadal f’din
il-belt u qalb il-poplu kollu. Tassew,
bniedem bħal dan mhuwiex ifittex il-ġid ta’ dan il-poplu, imma l-qerda
tieghu.” U s-Sultan Sedekija
qalilhom: “Araw, f’idejkom, hu! Għax
is-sultan ma jista' jagħmel xejn maghkom.” U ħadu lil Ġeremija u xeħtuh
fil-bir ta’ Malakija, bin is-sultan; li kien fil-bitħa tal-għassa; imbagħad lil Ġeremija nizzluh bil-ħbula f’dan il-bir, ilma ma kienx
fih, imma ħama minn
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
………………………
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 40:2,
3, 4, 18
R. (14b) Lord,
come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me. R/
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps. R/
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps. R/
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD. R/
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD. R/
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back R/
Salm
Responsorjali - Salm 39 (40)
R/ Mulej, fittex għinni.
Ittamajt
b’tama qawwija fil-Mulej,
Hu niżel ħdejja u
sema’ l-ghajta tiegħi. R/
fuq
il-blat qegħidli riġlejja,
u
saħħaħli l-mixi tiegħi. R/
Qegħidli
fuq fommi għanja ġdida,
għanja
ta’ tifħir lil Alla tagħna.
Ħafna
jaraw u ijimtlew bil-biża' tiegħu,
u
jittamaw fil-Mulej. R/
Jien,
fqajjar u msejken,
għandi
'l Sidi jaħseb fija.
Inti
l-għajnuna u l-ħelsien tiegħi;
iddumx
ma tgħinni, Alla tieghi! R/
………………….
Reading 2 - Hebrews
12:1-4
Brothers and sisters: Since
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of
every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that
lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter
of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross,
despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from
sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet
resisted to the point of shedding blood. This
is the Word of The Lord.
It-Tieni
Qari - Ittra lil-Lhud 12, 1-4
Ħuti, ladarba aħna wkoll għandna madwarna shaba
hekk kbira ta’ xhieda, ejjew inwarrbu minn kull xkiel u kull dnub li malajr ifixkilna,
u b’qalbna qawwija, nibqghu niġru t-triq tal-prova li għandna quddiemna.Inżommu
għajnejna merfugħa lejn Gesu’, li minnu tibda u fih tintemm il-fidi tagħna, hu
li, flok l-hena li kellu quddiemu, qaghad għas-salib bla xejn ma qies il-għajb
tiegħu, u issa qiegħed fuq in-naħa
tal-lemin tat-tron ta’ Alla. Aħsbu mela fih, li qagħad għal oppożizzjoni hekk
kbira min-naħa tal-mindinbin, biex ma tegħjewx u ma taqtghux qalbkom. Sa issa,
fil-ġlieda tagħkom kontra d-dnub, għad ma żammejtux hekk iebes li wasaltu biex xerridtu demmkom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
……………………
Gospel - Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his
disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There
is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until
it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the
earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five
will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be
divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her
daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” This is
the Word of The Lord.
D’dak iz-zmien, Ġesu’ qal
lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Nar ġejt inqiegħed fuq l-art u kemm nixtieq li ga
qabad! Iżda hemm magħmudija li biha għandi nitghammed, u x’diqa għandi sa ma
dan iseħħ! Taħsbu intom li jien ġejt inġib il-paci fid-dinja? Le, ngħidilkom,
imma l-firda; għax mil-lum ‘il quddiem ħamsa
minn nies f’dar wahda jkunu mifruda
bejnithom, tlieta kontra tnejn u tnejn
kontra tlieta: jinfirdu l-missier kontra l-iben u l-iben kontra l-missier, l-omm kontra l-bint u l-bint kontra l-omm, omm ir-raġel kontra
mart binha u mart l-iben kontra omm
żewġha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
……………
COMMENTARY:
Father
Cantalamessa on Division
Here
is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin
Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from next Sunday's liturgy.
I have come to bring division to the earth
This Sunday’s Gospel reading contains some of the most provocative words ever spoken by Jesus: "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
And to think that the person who pronounced these words was the same whose birth was greeted by the words: "Peace on earth to men of good will," and that during his life he proclaimed: "Blessed are the peacemakers." The same person, when he was arrested, commanded Peter to "Put your sword back into its sheath!" (Matthew 26:52). How do we explain this contradiction?
It is very simple. It is a matter of seeing which peace and unity Jesus came to bring and which is the peace and unity he came to take away. He came to bring the peace and unity of the good, that which leads to eternal life, and he came to take away the false peace and unity, which serves only to lull the conscience to sleep and leads to ruin.
It is not that Jesus came purposefully to bring division and war, but his coming inevitably brings division and contrast because he places people before a decision. And, faced with the necessity of making a decision, we know that human freedom will react in different ways. Jesus’ word and person will bring to the surface that which is most hidden in the depths of the human heart. The elderly Simeon had predicted it, taking the baby Jesus in his arms: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many inIsrael
He himself will be the first victim of this contradiction, the first to suffer from the "sword" that he came to bring to the earth, he will give his life on account of it. After him the person most directly involved in this drama is Mary his mother, of whom Simeon says: "A sword will also pierce your soul."
Jesus himself distinguishes the two types of peace. He says to the apostles: "Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives peace do I give peace to you. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). After having destroyed with his death the false peace and solidarity of the human race in evil and sin, he inaugurates the new peace and unity that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is the peace that he offers to the disciples on Easter night, saying "Peace be with you!"
Jesus says that this "division" can also work its way into the family: between father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. And, unfortunately, we know that this is sometimes painfully true. The person who has found the Lord and seriously wants to follow him often finds himself in the difficult situation of having to choose: Either make those at home happy and neglect God and religious practice or follow the latter and put himself in conflict with his own, who give him trouble for every little thing he does for God and piety.
But the contrast penetrates even deeper, within the person himself, and it becomes a struggle between flesh and spirit, between the call to egoism and sensuality, and that of conscience. The division and conflict begin inside of us. Paul illustrated this marvelously: "For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want" (Galatians 5:17).
Man is attached to his little peace and freedom, even if it is precarious and illusory, and this image of Jesus who comes to bring disruption carries the risk of making us indisposed toward Christ, considering him as an enemy of our tranquility. It is necessary to overcome this impression and realize that this too is Jesus’ love, perhaps the most pure and genuine love.
I have come to bring division to the earth
This Sunday’s Gospel reading contains some of the most provocative words ever spoken by Jesus: "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
And to think that the person who pronounced these words was the same whose birth was greeted by the words: "Peace on earth to men of good will," and that during his life he proclaimed: "Blessed are the peacemakers." The same person, when he was arrested, commanded Peter to "Put your sword back into its sheath!" (Matthew 26:52). How do we explain this contradiction?
It is very simple. It is a matter of seeing which peace and unity Jesus came to bring and which is the peace and unity he came to take away. He came to bring the peace and unity of the good, that which leads to eternal life, and he came to take away the false peace and unity, which serves only to lull the conscience to sleep and leads to ruin.
It is not that Jesus came purposefully to bring division and war, but his coming inevitably brings division and contrast because he places people before a decision. And, faced with the necessity of making a decision, we know that human freedom will react in different ways. Jesus’ word and person will bring to the surface that which is most hidden in the depths of the human heart. The elderly Simeon had predicted it, taking the baby Jesus in his arms: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in
He himself will be the first victim of this contradiction, the first to suffer from the "sword" that he came to bring to the earth, he will give his life on account of it. After him the person most directly involved in this drama is Mary his mother, of whom Simeon says: "A sword will also pierce your soul."
Jesus himself distinguishes the two types of peace. He says to the apostles: "Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives peace do I give peace to you. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). After having destroyed with his death the false peace and solidarity of the human race in evil and sin, he inaugurates the new peace and unity that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is the peace that he offers to the disciples on Easter night, saying "Peace be with you!"
Jesus says that this "division" can also work its way into the family: between father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. And, unfortunately, we know that this is sometimes painfully true. The person who has found the Lord and seriously wants to follow him often finds himself in the difficult situation of having to choose: Either make those at home happy and neglect God and religious practice or follow the latter and put himself in conflict with his own, who give him trouble for every little thing he does for God and piety.
But the contrast penetrates even deeper, within the person himself, and it becomes a struggle between flesh and spirit, between the call to egoism and sensuality, and that of conscience. The division and conflict begin inside of us. Paul illustrated this marvelously: "For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want" (Galatians 5:17).
Man is attached to his little peace and freedom, even if it is precarious and illusory, and this image of Jesus who comes to bring disruption carries the risk of making us indisposed toward Christ, considering him as an enemy of our tranquility. It is necessary to overcome this impression and realize that this too is Jesus’ love, perhaps the most pure and genuine love.
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