I have come to set the earth on fire...

Readings for August 18, 2013

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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 biss; u Ġeremija għodos fil-ħama. Għebed-Melek ħareg mill-palazz tas-sultan,  mar ikellmu u qallu: “Sidi s-sultan, dawn in-nies ġiebu ruħhom ħażin  f’kulma għamlu lil Ġeremija l-profeta, li  xeħtuh fil-bir, u dalwaqt imut bil-ġuħ, għax ma baqax ħobż fil-belt”.  Is-sultan imbaghad ordna lil Ghebed-Melek il-Kusi u qallu: “Ħu mieghek tlitt irġiel minn dawn u mur tella’ lil Ġeremija, l-profeta, mill-bir, qabel ma jmut.”

Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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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/

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/

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/           

Minn bir waħxi tellagħni,

minn qalb il-ħama u t-tajn,

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/

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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

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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.

L-Evangelju  -  San Luqa 12, 49-53

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

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 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 in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:35).

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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