Is-Sitt Ħadd tal-Għid
Messalin
A pp 211
Philip went down to the city of Samaria
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Atti
ta' l-Appostli 8, 5-8. 14-17
F'dak iż-żmien, Filippu niżel f'belt tas-Samarija u xandar lil Krisitu lin-nies tagħha.
Il-folol tan-nies
b'fehma waħda kienu joqogħdu attenti għal dak li kien
jgħidilhom Filippu, meta kienu jisimgħuh u jaraw il-mirakli li kien jagħmel. Kien hemm nies maħkuma mill-ispirti ħżiena, u
dawn b'għajat kbir kienu joħorġu minn
……………………………..
Responsorial Psalm
PSalm
66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R/ Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the
earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” R/
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!” R/
“Let all on earth worship and sing
praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. R/
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. R/
He has changed the sea into dry
land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever. R/
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever. R/
Hear now, all you who fear God,
while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness! R/
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness! R/
Salm
Responsorjali - Salm 65 (66)
R/ Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Għajtu bil-ferħ lil Alla,
bnedmin tad-dinja kollha;
għannu s-sebħ ta' ismu,
xandru s-sebħ u t-tifħir tiegħu.
Għidu lil Alla: "Kemm int tal-biża' f'għemilek! R/
L-art kollha tagħtik qima,
tgħannilek u tgħanni lil ismek."
Ejjew, araw l-għemejjel ta' Alla;
tal-biża' f'għemilu fost il-bnedemin. R/
Biddel il-baħar f'art niexfa,
għaddew bil-mixi minn
Għalhekk, nifirħu bih!
Hu jsaltan bil-kobor tiegħu għal dejjem. R/
Ejjew, isimgħu, u ngħidilkom,
intom ilkoll li tibżgħu minn
ngħidilkom x'għamel miegħi.
Imbierek Alla, li ma warrabx it-talba tiegħi;
ma warrabx minn
……………………………………
Reading
Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear, so
that, when you are maligned, those who
defame your good conduct in Christ may
themselves be put to shame. For it is
better to suffer for doing good, if that
be the will of God, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the Spirit. This is the Word of The Lord.
It-Tieni
Lezzjoni - mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Pietru 3, 15-18
Għeżież, lill-Mulej Kristu, qaddsu f'qalbkom.
Kunu dejjem leslti biex tagħtu tweġiba lil kull min
jitlobkom il-għala tat-tama li għandkom. Imma wieġbu bil-ħlewwa u
bir-rispett. Żommu safja l-kuxjeza tagħkom biex, meta jgħidu fuqkom,
dawk stess li jkasbru l-imġiba tajba tagħkom fi Kristu jkollhom għalxiex jistħu.
Jekk din tkun ir-rieda ta' Alla, aħjar tbati għax tkun għamilt
it-tajjeb milli għax tkun għamilt il-ħażin. Għax Kristu wkollmiet darba għal
dejjem minħabba d-dnubiet; hu li kien ġust,
miet għall-inġusti biex iressaqkom lejn Alla; kien mogħti l-mewt fil-ġisem, imma ħa l-ħajja fl-ispirtu. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
…………………………………..
Gospel JohN 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you
love me, you will keep my commandments. And
I will ask the Father, and
he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot
accept, because it neither sees nor
knows him. But you know him, because he
remains with you, and will be in you. I
will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world
will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my
Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and reveal
myself to him.” This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Evanġlju - skond San Ġwann 14, 15-21
F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu:
"Jekk tħobbuni, ħarsu
l-kmandamenti tiegħi. U jien nitlob lill-Missier, u hu jagħtikom Difensur ieħor biex jibqa' magħkom għal dejjem,
l-Ispirtu tal-verita', li d-dinja ma tistax tirċevih, għax hija la tarah u lanqas tagħrfu. Iżda intom tagħrfuh, għaliex jgħammar magħkom,
u huwa fikom. Ma nħalikom iltiema. Nerġa'
niġi għandkom. Ftit iehor u d-dinja ma
taranix aktar. Iżda intom għad tarawni, għax jiena ngħix, u intom ukoll għad tgħixu. F'dak il-jum intom tagħrfu li jiena
f'Missieri, u intom fija u jiena fikom. Min iżomm il-kmandmanti tiegħu u jħarishom,
dak hu li jħobbni u min iħobb lili, iħobbu wkoll il-Missier, u jiena wkoll inħobbu
u nurih lil nnifsi. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
COMMENTARY -
by Larry Broding / www.word-sunday.com, a lectionary
resource for Catholics
The Command to Love
How
do we know we are loved? On a bus, a believer and a non-believer discussed the
Christian life. "Jesus lives," the believer said. "Only in your
mind!" the non-believer retorted with a cynical sneer. "And in my
heart," the believer replied. Knowledge of faith requires more than
the rational arguments used in apologetics. Only when we begin to love God and
reflect that love in daily living can we gain true insight. And influence
others.
This portion of Jesus' farewell discourse
falls on the heels of last week's study. As you remember, Jesus stated he lived
in an intimate love with the Father. Now, Jesus would empower his followers to
love same way he did. And, he promised to be with them. Jesus began
with an "if . . . , then . . . " statement that equated relationship
with action. "If you love me, keep my commands." [14: 15] Among the contemporaries of Jesus, the power of
a rabbi's teaching depended upon the quality of the rabbi's example.
Conversely, the rabbi expected his disciples not only to learn from his
teaching, but to follow his example. In this way, the action vindicated the
truth of the teaching.
In John, both the words and commands of Jesus
pointed toward love. Love between the Father and the Son. Love between the Son
and his followers. Now, Jesus told his disciples to follow his example. Love
each other. The love relationship between the Father and the Son, between the
Son and his followers, became the paradigm for life in the Christian community.
But the simple command to love did not
satisfy, since example alone could not suffice. Jesus provided the power to
love in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. In Greek, "Paraclete"
literally means "one called along side." The phrase could mean a
broader sense of "Helper" (one called along side to help) or a
narrower sense of "defense attorney" (one called along side to assist
in a legal dispute). The context justified the broader meaning of
"Helper." The Spirit witnessed to Jesus and taught the disciple; in
this sense, the Spirit accused the world of sin through the life of the
Christian. In no way could the Spirit be seen as a legal spokesperson in behalf
of the accused Christian. While Christians were persecuted, they didn't need a
defense for a life of love.
Jesus promised the Spirit would "stay
with you into the (next) age (i.e., forever)." [14: 16]
The Spirit's presence was continuous (right now) and eternal (forever). The
Spirit assisted the believer from the moment of faith choice into the
afterlife. The Spirit helped the believer to put faith into action (that is, to
love others).
But, the Spirit did more than help. It was the
Spirit of Truth. [14: 7a] Like John 4: 23b-24, the Spirit referred to God's inner dynamic
power. Truth equaled the word "only" or acted as the means that
revealed the "only" truth (remember our discussion last week about
"truth"). So, the Spirit was Truth (that is, God) or the messenger
who reveals the truth about God. Actually, the Spirit was both. Remember,
"wherever God acts, God is." Like Jesus, the Spirit was God's
messenger and God himself. The Spirit empowered the believer as the divine
presence, another God-helper.
Could those whose ambitions and anxieties tied
them to the world see the Spirit? In other words, could these
"worldly" people see love for what it truly was? Could they know true
love? The followers of Jesus could see love because the Spirit would orient
them to Christ and others (" . . . be near you . . . "). And, they
would know love because the Spirit, Christ's very risen life, would live in the
follower (" . . . will live in you . . . "). [14: 17b] Could the world promise as much? Or did the
world simply pay lip service to love as it invested itself in sheer narcissism?
Why are acts of love the most powerful tools
we have to bring others to Christ? When we, as
Christians, show love, we reveal the life of God among people. Why? Simply
because we affirm the presence of the Risen Lord with us. And we show others
life of the Spirit within us. Love, then, is "the shoe leather of
faith." Love is faith in action.
To those who, like the cynic on the bus, claim
Christianity is nothing more than a movement built on a fantasy, we say;
"Christians! See how they love one another."
How will you show love this week to others?
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