Satan Exists, and Christ Defeated Him

Readings for March 30, 2014

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Ir-Raba' Ħadd tar-Randan

Messalin A pp 150 

Reading 1                1 samuel  16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a

The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,  for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”  As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,   because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance  but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,  but Samuel said to Jesse,  “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him;  we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”  Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth  handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers;  and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -    mill-Ewwel Ktieb ta' Samwel 16, 1b, 6-7,10-13a

F'dak iż-żmien,  il-Mulej qal lil Samwel:  Imla l-qarn biż-żejt u itlaq.   Jien se nibagħtek għand Ġesse l-Betlemita, għaliex minn fost uliedu  jien għażilt għalija sultan." Ġara li malli wasal, Samwel ra lil Elijab u qal:  "Hawn quddiem il-Mulej il-midluk tiegħu?  U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: "Tħarisx lejn is-sura tiegħu, jew it-tul ta' persuntu,għax jiena diġa warrabtu.  Għax il-Mulej ma jarax bħalma jara l-bniedem, dak biss li jidher fl-għajn, imma l-qalb." Ġesse ressq quddiem Samwel sebgħa minn uliedu; imma Samwel qallu:  "Il-Mulej ma ħatar lil ħadd minnn dawn."U ssokta jgħidulu:  "Dawn huma  t-tfal kollha?"  Ġesse wieġbu:  "Għad fadal iż-żgħir, qiegħed jirgħa n-nagħaġ."U Samwel qal lil Ġesse:  "Ibgħat għalih u ġibu, għax ma noqogħdux fuq  il-mejda qabel ma jiġi hawn."  U bagħat għalih u ġiebu. Kien żgħażugħ ruxxan, għajnejh ħelwin, u sabiħ fis-ura tiegħu. U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: "Qum u idilku, għax dan hu."  Samwel ħa f'idejh il-qarn biż-żejt, u dilku quddiem ħutu. Minn dak inhar 'il quddiem niżel fuq David u ħakmu l-ispirtu tal-Mulej.                Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

Responsorial Psalm    -    psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R/ (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.                                                    R/

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courag.                                                     R/

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.                                                          R/

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.                                                           R/.

Salm Responsorjali                       -  Salm  22(23)

R/  Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni.

Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,

xejn ma jonqosni,

f'mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni.

Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;

hemm hu jrejjajqni.                                       R/

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa

minħabba l-isem tiegħu.

Imqar jekk  nimxi f'wied mudlam,

ma nibżax  mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.

Il-ħatar tiegħek u l-għasluġ tiegħek,

huma jwennsuni.                                            R/

Inti tħejji mejda għalija

quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.

Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,

u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli.                             R/

Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena

il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti.

U ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej

Sakemm indum ħaj.                                       R/

reading 2                            ephesians 5:8-14

Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness,  but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,  for light produces every kind of goodness  and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;  rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention  the things done by them in secret;  but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,  for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:  “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”   This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -   mill-Ittra lill-Efesin 5, 8-14

Ħuti, intom kontu darba dlam, imma issa intom dawl  fil-Mulej,għixu ta' wlied id-dawl li intom; frott id-dawl jinsab f'kull ma hu  tjieba, f'kull ma hu ġustizzja, 'kull ma hu verita'.Fittxu li tagħrfu dak li jogħġob lill-Mulej,  u tissieħbux fl-għemejjel tad-dlam bla frott, imma  ikxfuhum bil-beraħ.  Għax dak li qegħdin jagħmlu  huma fil-moħbi, tistħi mqar jekk issemmih:  imma  meta wieħed joħroġhom fil-beraħ, id-dawl juri kollox,  għax kull ma jidher hu dawl;  għalhekk jingħad:   "Stenbaħ  int, li int rieqed, u qum mill-imwiet,  ħa jiddi fuqek Kristu."    Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                  john 9:1-41

As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,  that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned;  it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,  “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see.   His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,  “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, “  but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”  He said, “I am.”  So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”  He replied,  “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes  and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’  So I went there and washed and was able to see.”  And they said to him, “Where is he?”  He said, “I don’t know.”   They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.  Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.  So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.  He said to them,  “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”   So some of the Pharisees said,  “This man is not from God,   because he does not keep the sabbath.”   But others said,   “How can a sinful man do such signs?”   And there was a division among them.   So they said to the blind man again,   “What do you have to say about him,  since he opened your eyes?”   He said, “He is a prophet.”   Now the Jews did not believe   that he had been blind and gained his sight  until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.  They asked them,  “Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How does he now see?”  His parents answered and said,  “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.  We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him, he is of age;  he can speak for himself.”  His parents said this because they were afraid  of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed   that if anyone    acknowledged him as the Christ,  he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said,  “He is of age; question him.”  So a second time they called the man who had been blind   and said to him, “Give God the praise!  We know that this man is a sinner.”  He replied,  “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”  So they said to him,  “What did he do to you?  How did he open your eyes?”  He answered them,  “I told you already and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you want to become his disciples, too?”  They ridiculed him and said,   “You are that man’s disciple;  we are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses,   but we do not know where this one is from.”  The man answered and said to them,  “This is what is so amazing,   that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners,  but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.  It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a  erson born blind.   If this man were not from God,   he would not be able to do anything.”   They answered and said to him,  “You were born totally in sin,  and are you trying to teach us?”  Then they threw him out.  When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,  he found him and said, ADo you believe in the Son of Man?”  He answered and said,   “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”  Jesus said to him,  “You have seen him,  the one speaking with you is he.”  He said,  “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.  Then Jesus said,  “I came into this world for judgment,  so that those who do not see might see,  and those who do see might become blind.”  Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this   and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”   Jesus said to them,  “If you were blind, you would have no sin;   but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.     This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju    -  Qari skond San Ġwann 9, 1-41

F'dak iż-żmien, kif kien għaddej, Ġesu'  lemaħ raġel   agħma minn twelidu, u d-dixxipli tiegħu   staqsewh:  "Rabbi, dan twieled agħma għax dineb hu stess, jew  għax dinbu l-ġenituri tiegħu?"  Ġesu' wieġeb: "Mhux  għax dineb hu jew il-ġenituri tiegħu, imma ġralu hekk  biex l-għemil ta' Alla jidher fih.  Sakemm għadu bi nhar,  jeħtiġilna nagħmlu x-xogħol ta' dak li bagħatni, għax jasal il-lejl meta ħadd ma jkun jista' jaħdem.  Sakemm  għadni fid-dinja, jien hu d-dawl tad-dinja. Kif qal dan,  beżaq fl-art, għamel minnu qisu tajn, u dilek bih għajnejn   ir-raġel agħma  u qallu:  "Mur inħasel fil-menqgħa ta' Silwan."  Din tfisser "il-Mibgħut".  Mela dak mar, inħasel u ġie jara.  Il-ġirien u dawk li s-soltu kienu jarawh, għax hu kien tallab, qalu:"Dan m'huwiex dak li kien joqgħod bilqiegħda jittallab?"  Xi wħud qalu:"Iva, hu."  Oħrajn qalu:  "Le, imma jixbħu."    Iżda hu qalilhom: "Jien hu."Qalulu:  "Mela kif infetħulek  għajnejk?"  Weġibhom:  "Wieħed raġel,jgħidulu Ġesu',  għamel ftit tajn, dilikli għajnejja bih, u qalli:  "Mur  fis-Silwan u nħasel hemm."   Mort, inħsilt, u ġejt nara."  Qalulu: "Fejn  huwa dan ir-raġel?"  Qalilhom: "Ma nafx."  Lil dan il-bniedem li fl-imgħoddi kien agħma ħaduh għand il-Fariżej.  Issa dak in-nhar li Ġesu' għamel it-tajn u fetaħ għajnejn l-agħma nzerta  kien is-Sibt.  Il-Fariżej ukoll staqsew mill-ġdid lill-agħma kif sar jara.  U hu qalilhom:  "Qegħedli ftit tajn fuq għajnejja, mort ninħasel, u  issa qiegħed jara."   Xi wħud mill-Fariżej qalu:  "Dan il-bniedem m'huwiex ġej mingħand  Alla, għax ma jħarisx is-Sibt."  Iżda oħrajn qalu:  "Kif jista' wieħed  midneb  jagħmel sinjali bħal dawn?"   U ma qablux bejniethom.  U reġgħu qalu lill-agħma: "Inti x'jidhirlek minnu, issa li fetaħlek għajnejk?"   Qalilhom: "Dak profeta." Il-Lhud ma ridux jemmnu li hu kien agħma u ħa d-dawl qabel ma   bagħtu għall-ġenituri  ta' dak li sar jara, u staqsewhom:  "Dan, li  intom qegħdin tgħidu li twiled agħma, dan binkom?  Mela issa kif ġie jara?"  Il-ġenituri tiegħu wieġbu u qalulhom: "Nafu li dan  hu t-tifel tagħna u li twieled  agħma, imma kif issa ġie jara, dan ma nafuħx, u anqas ma nafu min fetaħlu għajnejh.  Staqslu lilu: żmien  għandu, ħa jitkellem hu għalih innifsu."  Il-ġenituri tiegħu wieġb hekk  għaliex beżgħu  mil-Lhud, għax il-Lhud kienu ġa ftiehmu bejniethom  li jekk xi ħadd jistqarr li Ġesu' hu l-Messija, isib ruħu barra mis-sinagoga.   Kien għalhekk li l-ġenituri wieġbu:  "Zmien għandu, staqsu lilu."  Għal darb'oħra reġgħu bagħtu għal dak li kien agħma u qalulu: "Agħti   glorja lil Alla!  Aħna nafu li dan il-bniedem huwa midneb."   Dak  weġibhom:  "Jekk hux midneb ma nafx.  Ħaġa waħda naf:  li jien kont agħma u issa qiegħed nara."Qalulu: "Imma hu x'għamillek?  Kif fetaħhomlok għajnejk?"  U hu weġibhom:"Ġa għedtilkom u ma  smajtux"  Xi tridu tisimgħu iżjed?  Jaqaw tridu intom ukoll issiru  dixxipli tiegħu?"   U qabdu jgħajruh u qalulu:  "Dak int dixxiplu tiegħu!  Aħna ta' Mose'  dixxipli!  Aħna nafu li lil Mose' kellmu Alla, imma dan ma nafux minn fejn hu!"  Weġibhom ir-raġel u qalilhom:  "Sewwa"  Hawn qiegħed l-għaġeb,  li intom  ma tafux  minn fejn inqala', u madankollu lili fetaħli għajnejja!  Aħna  nafu  li Alla  mhux se jisma' lill-midinbin;  iżda mbagħad jekk wieħed ikun iqim lil Alla  u jagħmel ir-riedu tiegħu, lil dan jisimgħu.  Qatt fid-dinja ma nstema'  li xi ħadd fetaħ għajnejn wieħed agħma mit-twelid.  Li kieku dan ma kienx ġej  mingħand Alla, xejn ma  kien ikollu ħila jagħmel."   Imbagħad qabżu u qalulu:  "Int se tgħallem lilna, int li twelidt dnubiet waħdek."  U keċċewh 'il barra.  Ġesu' sema' li keċċewħ 'il barra; sabu u qallu:  "Temmen int f'Bin il-bniedem?"  Dak  wieġeb u qallu:  "Min hu, Mulej, biex nemmen fih?"  Qallu Ġesu'  "Mhux biss rajtu, imma  huwa dak stess li qiegħed ikellmek."   Qallu:  "Nemmen, Mulej!"  U nxteħet għarkobbtejh quddiemu.  Imbagħad Ġesu' qal:  "Jien ġejt fid-dinja biex nagħmel ħaqq, biex min ma jarax isir jara, u min jara  jagħma."   Xi wħud mill-Fariżej li kienu hemm madwaru semgħuh jgħid dan u staqsewh:  "Aħna wkoll għomja?"  Weġibhom Ġesu':  "Li kieku kontu għomja, ma kontux tkunu ħatja ta' dnub.  Imma issa qegħdin tgħidu:  "Aħna naraw."  mela d-dnub tagħkom għadu fuqkom."   Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY……

Satan Exists, and Christ Defeated Him

By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

Demons, Satanism and other related phenomena are quite topical today, and they disturb a great part of our society.  Our technological and industrialized world is filled with magicians, wizards, occultism, spiritualism, fortune tellers, spell trafficking, amulets, as well as very real Satanic sects. Chased away from the door, the devil has come in through the window. Chased away by the faith, he has returned by way of superstition.

The episode of Jesus' temptations in the desert that is read on the First Sunday of Lent helps us to have some clarity on this subject. First of all, do demons exist? That is, does the word "demon" truly indicate some personal being with intelligence and will, or is it simply a symbol, a manner of speaking that refers to the sum of the world's moral evil, the collective unconscious, collective alienation, etc.?

Many intellectuals do not believe in demons in the first sense. But it must be noted that many great writers, such as Goethe and Dostoyevsky, took Satan's existence very seriously. Baudelaire, who was certainly no angel, said that "the demon's greatest trick is to make people believe that he does not exist."

The principal proof of the existence of demons in the Gospels is not the numerous healings of possessed people, since ancient beliefs about the origins of certain maladies may have had some influence on the interpretation of these happenings. The proof is Jesus' temptation by the demon in the desert. The many saints who in their lives battled against the prince of darkness are also proof. They are not like "Don Quixote," tilting at windmills. On the contrary, they were very down-to-earth, psychologically healthy people.

If many people find belief in demons absurd, it is because they take their beliefs from books, they pass their lives in libraries and at desks; but demons are not interested in books, they are interested in persons, especially, and precisely, saints.

How could a person know anything about Satan if he has never encountered the reality of Satan, but only the idea of Satan in cultural, religious and ethnological traditions? They treat this question with great certainty and a feeling of superiority, doing away with it all as so much "medieval obscurantism."

But it is a false certainty. It is like someone who brags about not being afraid of lions and proves this by pointing out that he has seen many paintings and pictures of lions and was never frightened by them. On the other hand, it is entirely normal and consistent for those who do not believe in God to not believe in the devil. It would be quite tragic for someone who did not believe in God to believe in the devil!

Yet the most important thing that the Christian faith has to tell us is not that demons exist, but that Christ has defeated them. For Christians, Christ and demons are not two equal, but rather contrary principles, as certain dualistic religions believe to be the case with good and evil. Jesus is the only Lord; Satan is only a creature "gone bad." If power over men is given to Satan, it is because men have the possibility of freely choosing sides and also to keep them from being too proud (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7), believing themselves to be self-sufficient and without need of any redeemer. "Old Satan is crazy," goes an African-American spiritual. "He shot me to destroy my soul, but missed and destroyed my sin instead."

With Christ we have nothing to fear. Nothing and no one can do us ill, unless we ourselves allow it. Satan, said an ancient Father of the Church, after Christ's coming, is like a dog chained up in the barnyard: He can bark and lunge as much as he wants, but if we don't go near him, he cannot harm us.

In the desert Jesus freed himself from Satan to free us! This is the joyous news with which we begin our Lenten journey toward Easter.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]