Shalom - God's Gift of Peace

Readings for April 27

Second Sunday of Easter

Sunday of Divine Mercy

 

Tieni Ħadd tal-Għid

Ħadd il-Ħniena Divina

Messalin A    pg 186

Lectionary: 43

                       

Reading 1   -   ACTS 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.  Awe came upon everyone,  and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common;  they would sell their property and possessions  and divide them among all according to each one’s need.  Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.  This is the Word of The Lord.

1 Qari  -   AtTi tal-appostli 2:42-47

Huma kienu jżommu sħiħ fit-tagħlim ta' l-appostli u fl-għaqda ta' bejniethom, fil-qsim tal-ħobż u fit-talb.  Waqa' mbagħad il-biża' fuq kulħadd għax ħafna kienu l-mirakli u s-sinjali li kienu jsiru permezz ta' l-appostli. Dawk kollha li kienu jemmnu kienu ħaġa waħda, u kienu jaqsmu kollox bejniethom, ibigħu ġidhom u kull ma kellhom u jqassmu d-dħul bejn kulħadd, skond il-ħtieġa ta' kull wieħed. U kuljum kienu jmorru fit-tempju flimkien, jaqsmu l-ħobż fi djarhom, u jissieħbu fl-ikel bi qlub ferħana u safja; u kienu jfaħħru lil Alla, u l-poplu kollu kien iġibhom. U minn jum għal ieħor il-Mulej kien iżidilhom magħhom lil dawk li jkunu salvi.   Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm   -   PSalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R/ Alleluia

.Let the house of Israel say,
“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 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
R/ Alleluia

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/ 

B'saħħithom kollha imbuttawni biex naqa';

imma l-Mulej tani l-għajnuna.

Qawwa tiegħi u għana tiegħi l-Mulej;

hu kien għalija s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.

Għajjat ta' ferħ u rebħ fl-għerejjex tat-tajbin:

il-leminija tal-Mulej għamlet ħwejjeġ ta' ħila!         R/ 

Il-ġebla li warrbu l-bennejja

saret il-ġebla tax-xewka.

Bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan:

ħaġa ta' l-għaġeb f'għajnejna.

Dan hu l-jum li għamel il-Mulej;

ħa nifirħu u nithennew fih!                                              R/ 

Reading 2   -     1 PeTer 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope  through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you  who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,  to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while  you may have to suffer through various trials,  so that the genuineness of your faith,  more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,  may prove to be for praise, glory, and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Although you have not seen him you love him;  even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,  as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  This is the Word of The Lord.

2 Qari   -     1 PieTru 1:3-9

Ikun imbierek Alla u Missier Sidna Ġesù Kristu, li fil-ħniena kbira tiegħu raġa' wilidna għal tama ħajja bil-qawmien ta' Ġesù Kristu  mill-imwiet u għal wirt li la jitħassar, la jittabba', u lanqas jinxef. Dan il-wirt hu merfugħ għalikom fis-sema għax intom tinsabu taħt  il-ħarsien tal-qawwa ta' Alla fil-fidi tagħkom li twassal għas-salvazzjoni li lesta biex tidher fl-aħħar taż-żminijiet. Għalhekk għandkom għax tifirħu mqar jekk issa, għal ftit żmien ieħor, jeħtiġilkom titnikktu taħt ħafna provi. Bħalma d-deheb, li jintemm, jgħaddi mill-prova tan-nar, hekk tgħaddi mill-prova l-fidi tagħkom, li tiswa aktar mid-deheb, biex ikun jistħoqqilha tasal għat-tifħir, għall-glorja, u għall-ġieħ, meta jidher Ġesù Kristu. Lilu, għalkemm ma rajtuhx, intom tħobbuh; fih, għad li issa m'intomx tarawh, intom temmnu; fih intom tifirħu b'ferħ glorjuż, li ma jistax jitfisser,  waqt li tiksbu l-għan tal-fidi tagħkom, li hu s-salvazzjoni tagħkom.  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 nail marks 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.

   

Evangelju     -     gwanni 20:19-31

Dak in-nhar fil-għaxija, fl-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, meta d-dixxipli kienu flimkien imbeżżgħa mil-Lhud, bil-bibien magħluqa, ġie Ġesù u qagħad f'nofshom; u qalilhom: "Is-sliem għalikom?" Kif qal hekk, uriehom idejh u ġenbu. Id-dixxipli ferħu meta raw lill-Mulej. Mbagħad Ġesù 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 maħfura, u dawk li żżommuhomlhom ikunu miżmuma."  Tumas, wieħed mit-Tnax, jgħidulu t-Tewmi, ma kienx magħhom meta ġie Ġesù.  Għalhekk id-dixxipli l-oħra qalulu: "Rajna l-Mulej." Iżda hu qalilhom: "Jekk ma narax f'idejh il-marka ta' l-imsiemer u ma nqigħedx sebgħi fuq il-marka ta' l-imsiemer u idi fuq ġenbu, jien ma nemminx." Tmint ijiem wara, id-dixxipli reġgħu kienu ġewwa, u Tumas magħhom. Il-bibien kienu magħluqa, imma Ġesù daħal, qagħad f'nofshom, u qalilhom: "Is-sliem għalikom?" Mbagħad 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 Ġesù: "Emmint għax rajtni! Henjin dawk li ma rawx u emmnu."  Hemm ħafna sinjali oħra li Ġesù għamel quddiem id-dixxipli tiegħu u li m'humiex imniżżla f'dan il-ktieb. Iżda dawn inkitbu sabiex intom temmnu li Ġesù hu l-Messija l-Iben ta' Alla, u biex bit-twemmin tagħkom ikollkom il-ħajja f'ismu.  Kelma tal-Mulej.

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COMMENTARY:

A reflection by Larry Broding, Catholic Lectionary Resources

 God's Gift of Peace

When the last time you truly felt peaceful?  Peace is more than a lack of conflict. A lull in action between two opponents only gives them a chance to regroup, to recharge for the next round. A void of violence does not lead to happiness.  True peace, on the other hand, gives us happiness, since it is build on trust. The gospel tells us how Jesus gave his followers peace because they trusted him. In spite of scepticism, he offers us the same peace.   In his gospel, John gave the reason the followers gathered together behind locked doors. They feared the Jewish leadership. "If they killed Jesus," the followers reasoned, "the leadership would certainly be looking for us." [20:19a]

Barred doors made Jesus' followers look more suspicious. At the time, trust within the Jewish community was built upon open access. Doors were never locked. Neighbouring children could enter one's house at will. Jews lived private lives in the open. Anyone who locked their doors (save the rural family who lived miles from their neighbour), cut themselves off from the community.

Suddenly Jesus appeared in the locked room and greeted his followers with "Shalom." [20:19b]. Shalom ("peace" in Hebrew) meant God was working in the world. When God worked, he put the world in balance. No war, no hatred, no cynicism could overcome God's providence. When God worked, he put the spirit in balance. No fear, no doubt, no lack of trust could overcome the sheer joy of God's presence. Shalom meant everything was right in God's world.

When his followers saw Jesus alive with his deadly wound, they realized the "Shalom" of Jesus, for they witnessed God's activity in the world. Fear left them, for now they believed. Joy entered their hearts. [20:20]    Again Jesus said "Shalom" with a command and a gift. The command: Go into the world. As the Father sent Jesus into the physical world, Jesus would now send his followers into the cultural world. [20:21]

With the command came the gift: the Holy Spirit. In Greek (pneuma) and Hebrew (ruah), the word "spirit" can be translated as "breath" In 20:22, the word "breathe on" in Greek can be seen only here and in Genesis 2:7 of the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Bible used by the early Church) where God breathed life into Adam. So, when Jesus breathed on his followers, he gave them his Spirit. When the followers took in the Spirit, they received his newly risen life. [20:22]

Now they could obey the missionary command to proclaim repentance and forgive sin. Jesus told his followers to forgive or retain sin like a knot loosening or tied closely together. If the followers forgive, however, they must loosen the sinner from the guilt now and in the future. Sin was never to be brought up again. [20:23]

Why does the Christian walk lead through forgiveness to peace?   How have you experienced that road?

Preachers have called Thomas the "Doubter." Few have touched upon his cynicism. Over and over, Thomas heard the witness of the followers. But, Thomas wanted more than proof positive. ("Inspect and touch," literally meant "to see and thrust.") He stepped beyond skepticism into cynicism. [20:24-25]

A week later, Jesus again appears with the greeting of "Shalom." Turning to Thomas, Jesus answered the challenge of cynicism with the challenge of faith. Thomas responded with two titles for Jesus: Lord and God. Thomas acknowledged the rightful place of Jesus as Lord; he also saw God working through the Risen Christ. Thomas finally received Christ's gift of Shalom. [20:26-28]

In contrast to Thomas, Jesus blessed those who believed without seeing him raised from the dead. [20:29] Here John used the word "believe" in two senses: to trust ("believe in") and to hold onto the truth ("believe (something) about..."). Blessed were those who placed their personal trust in Christ (believe in); they do not need proof of his resurrection, for they know he is alive. But, even blessed are those who hold onto the truths of faith (believe...about), for, with an open heart, they will soon experience the risen Christ. Belief in these two sense stood against the cynicism found in Thomas.

How does the cynicism of the world affect you? How does faith keep you from cynicism?

The peace Christ give us heals the fear and cynicism of the world. This peace builds bridges of trust and allows us to walk together to the Father. His peace allows us to continue to believe and to hold on to his very life. Let us, then, offer each other the peace of Christ, the Shalom of his Spirit.

How can you offer the peace of Christ to others in your daily life?