LIKE A MAN WHO RESEMBLES AN ISOLATED CASTLE, CLOSED IN ON HIMSELF

Readings for December 8, 2013

Second Sunday of Advent 

It-Tieni Ħadd ta' l-Avvent

Messalin A pp 68     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Reading 1                           ISAIAH 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,  and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,   a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox.  The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -  Isaija 11, 1-10

Ġhad-toħrog fergħa miz-zokk ta' Ġesse,  għad tinbet rimja minn għeruqu: fuqu jistrieħ l-ispirtu tal-Mulej, l-ispirtu ta' l-għerf u d-dehen, l-ispirtu ta' l-għaqal u l-qawwa, l-ispirtu ta' l-għerf u l-biża' tal-Mulej, u l-għaxqa tiegħu fil-biża tal-Mulej. Ma jiġġudikax skond ma jidher fl-għajnejn,  u ma jagħtix sentenza skond ma jisma', iżda jiġġudika l-imsejknin skond il-ġustizzja, u jagħti sentenza skond is-sewwa lill-fqajrin ta' l-art. Isawwat il-kiefra bix-xettru ta' fommu, u b'nifs xufftejh joqtol lill-ħażin. Il-ħżiem ta' ġenbejh tkun il-ġustizzja, u l-fedelta' l-ħżiem ta' qaddu.  Il-lupu jibda jgħix mal-ħaruf, il-leopard mil-gidi, u jirgħu flimkien l-għoġol u ferħ l-iljun, daqsxejn ta' tfajjel isuqhom. Il-baqra u l-ors jirgħu flimkien, u l-frieħ tagħhom flimkien jitrieħu. l-iljun bħall-gendus jiekol it-tifen. It-tarbija tal-ħalib titliegħeb fil-ħofra tas-serp; u t-tifel miftum idaħħal idu fil-bejta tal-lifgħa. Ma jagħmlux aktar deni u anqas ħsara fuq il-muntanja qaddisa kollha tiegħi, għax mimlija hi l-art bl-għarfien tal-Mulej bħalma l-baħar hu miksi bl-ilmijiet.   Imbagħad jiġri f'dak il-jum  li l-għerq ta' Ġesse jieqaf  bħala sinjal għall-popli. Lilu jfittxu l-ġnus,  u l-għamara tiegħu tkum isebbħa.    Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm                       PSalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R. (cf. 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
he shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.                                      R/

Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.                  R/

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.                                   R/

May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.                   R/

Salm Responsorjali       -    Salm 71(72)

                R/           Tħaddar f'jiemu l-ġustizzja.

O Alla, agħti lis-sultan il-ħaqq tiegħek,

il-ġustizzja tiegħek lil bin is-sultan,

biex jiġġudika l-poplu tiegћek bil-ġustizzja,

u bil-ħaqq l-imsejknin tiegħek.                                                          R/

Tħaddar f'jiemu l-ġustizzja,

u sliem kotran sa ma jintemm il-qamar,

Isaltan minn baħar sa baħar,

u mix-xmara sa truf l-art.                                                     R/

Għax hu jeħles lill-fqir li jsejjaħlu,

u lill-imsejknin li m'għandux min jgħinu.

Iħenn għad-dgħajjef u għall-fqajjar;

il-ħajja tal-fqajrin isalva.                                                                       R/

Ismu jibqa' jissemma għal dejjem;

idum ismu sakemm iddum ix-xemx!

Bih jitbierku l-ġnus kollha ta' l-art;

il-popli kollha jsejħulu ħieni.                                                              R/

Reading 2                                           ROMans 15:4-9

Brothers and sisters:  Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures  we might have hope. May the God of endurance and  encouragement  grant you to think in harmony with one another,  in keeping with Christ Jesus,  that with one accord you may with one voice  glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you,  for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness,  to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,  but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.        This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -  Ittra  lir-Rumani15,4-9

Ħuti,  kull ma nkiteb fl-Iskrittura fl-imgħoddi , inkiteb għat-tagħlim tagħna, biex bis-sabar u

bil-faraġ li tagħtina l-Iskrittura, aħna jkollna t-tama.  Alla, li minnu ġej kull sabar u faraġ, jgħtikom il-grazzja  li tkunu fehma waħda bejnietkom skond Kristu Ġesu', biex b'fomm wieħed u b'qalb waħda tfaħħru lil Alla u Missier Sidna Ġesu' Kristu. Għalhekk ilqgħu lil xulxin bħalma Kristu wkoll laqa' lilkom, għall-glorja ta' Alla.    Jiena ngħidilkom li Kristu sar qaddej  tal- Lhud ċirkonċiżi minħabba l-fedelta' ta' Alla, biex iseħħu  l-wegħdiet li għamel lill-Patrijarki, u biex il-pagani wkoll   ifaħħru lil Alla minħabba l-ħniena tiegħu bħalma hu miktub:   "Għalhekk jiena nfaħħrek fost il-ġnus ungħanni tifħir ismek." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                 MT 3:1-12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea  and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:  A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair  and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you,  God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit  will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,  but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand.  He will clear his threshing floor  and gather his wheat into his barn,  but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -    Mattew 3, 1-12

F'dawk il-jiem, deher Ġwanni l-Battista jipprieda fid-deżert tal-Lhudija u jgħid: "Indmu, għax is-saltna tas-smewwiet waslet." Għax għalih kien ingħad permezz tal-profeta Isaija, meta qal:  "Leħen ta wieħed jgħajjat fid-deżert:   Ħejju t-triq tal-Mulej, iddrittaw il-mogħdijiet tiegħu."  Dan Ġwanni kellu fuqu libsa tax-xagħar tal-ġemel, bi ħżiem tal-ġild madwar qaddu, u l-ikel tiegħu  kien gradijiet u għasel selvaġġ. U kienet tmur għandu Ġerusalemm u l-Lhudija kollha u l-inħawi kollha ta' madwar il-Ġordan, u kienu jigħammdu   minnu fix-xmara Ġordan huma u jistqarru dnubiethom. Kif ra bosta mill-Fariżej u mis-Sadduċej ġejjin għall-magħmudija tiegħu, qalilhom:  "Ja nisel il-lifgħat, min  uriekom kif għandkom taħarbu mill-korla li ġejja? Agħmlu  mela frott xieraq ta' l-indiema, u taħsbux li tistgħu tgħidu  fikom infuskom: "Għandna b'missier lil Abraham."  Ngħidilkom  li Alla,  minn dan l-istess ġebel,  jista' jqajjem ulied lil Abraham."  Il-mannara ġa tressqet ma' għerq is-siġra';  u għalhekk, kull siġra  li ma tagħmilx frott tajjeb titqaċċat u tinxteħet fin-nar. Jien, ngħid  għalija, ngħammidkom bl-ilma għall-indiema; imma min ġej  warajja hu aqwa minni, u jien ma jistħoqqlix inġorr il-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar. Il-midra qiegħda f'idu, biex iderri l-qiegxħa tiegħu u jiġbor  il-qamħ fil-maħżen, imma t-tiben jaħarqu b'nar li ma jintefiex." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY…………

A VOICE IN THE DESERT - Like a man who resembles aN ISOLATED castle, closed in on himself

By Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, Pontifical Household Preacher

In the Gospel for the second Sunday of Advent Jesus does not speak directly to us but his precursor, John the Baptist. The heart of the baptist's preaching is contained in that phrase of Isaiah that he powerfully repeats to his contemporaries: "The voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight his paths!"

Isaiah, to tell the truth, said: "A voice cries out: in the desert prepare the way of the Lord" (Isaiah 40:3). It is not, therefore, a voice in the desert, but a way in the desert. The Evangelists, applying the text to the baptist who preached in the desert of Judaea, modified the punctuation, but without changing the message's meaning.

Jerusalem was a city surrounded by desert: In the East the road, as soon as it was traced out, was easily erased by the sand blown by the wind, while in the West it was lost in the rugged terrain that sloped downward to the sea. When a procession or an important person had to come to Jerusalem it was necessary to go out into the desert to make a less provisional road; brush was cut away, holes were filled, obstacles were flattened, bridges were repaired. This is what was done during Passover, for example, to receive the pilgrims from the Diaspora. This is what inspired John the Baptist. Someone who is greater than everyone is about to come, he cries, "he who must come," the desired of the nations: A road must be made for him in the desert so that he may arrive.

But here is the leap from metaphor to reality: This path is not made on land but in the heart of every man; it is not built in the desert but in one's life. To build it there is no need to engage in material labor but in conversion. "Straighten the pathways of the Lord!" -- this command presupposes a bitter reality: Man is as a city invaded by the desert; he is closed in on himself, in his egoism; he is like a castle with a moat and the drawbridges all raised.

Worse: Man has complicated his ways with sin and he remains all tied up inside as in a labyrinth. Isaiah and John the Baptist speak metaphorically of ravines, mountains, twisted roads and impervious places. We just need to call these things by their real names, which are pride, sloth, selfishness, violence, cupidity, falsehood, hypocrisy, impudence, superficiality, drunkenness of every sort. (You can be drunk not only on wine or drugs but also on your own beauty, intelligence or yourself, which is the worst drunkenness!) We immediately grasp that this discourse concerns us as well; God's salvation waits on and seeks out in this situation every man.

Straightening a path for the Lord, thus, has a very concrete meaning: It means reforming our lives, converting. In the moral sense the hills that must be made low and the obstacles that must be removed are the pride that leads us to ruthlessness and to be without love for others, the injustice that deceives our neighbor, perhaps adducing specious pretenses to mollify and compensate for silencing our conscience, to say nothing of rancor, revenge, betrayal of love. The valleys to be filled in are laziness, apathy, lack of self-control, every sin of omission.

The word of God does not burden us with duties without at the same time giving the assurance that he will do together with us what he commands us to do. God, says the prophet Baruch, "has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God" (5:7). God makes low, God fills up, God builds the road; our task is to assent to his action, remembering that, as Saint Augustine says, "he who made us without our help, will not save us without our help."

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]