Who are you, Jesus?

readings for  June 29, 2014 |

Mass during the Day

               Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles      

Solennita ta’ S.Pietru u S. Pawl – Appostli

Messalin Ferjali pp483

Reading 1          -           acts of the apostles 12:1-11

In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.  He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.  Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf.  On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,  Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers,  while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.  Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him  and a light shone in the cell.  He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.”  The chains fell from his wrists.  The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”  He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”  So he followed him out,  not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;  he thought he was seeing a vision.  They passed the first guard, then the second,  and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,  which opened for them by itself.  They emerged and made their way down an alley,  and suddenly the angel left him.   Then Peter recovered his senses and said,  “Now I know for certain  that the Lord sent his angel  and rescued me f rom the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-EWWEL QARI  -  mill-Atti ta’ l-Appostli 12, 1-11

Ghall-habta ta’ dak iz-zmien, is-sultan Erodi qataghha li jahbat ghal xi whud minn hdan il-Knisja. Qatel ‘il Gakbu, hu Gwanni, bis-sejf.  Imbaghad, billi ra li din il-haga ghobot lil Lhud, qatagha li jaqbad ‘il Pietru wkoll.  Dan kien f’jiem l-Azzmi.  Meta arrestawh u tefghu l-habs, qieghed ghassa mieghu erba’ ghaqdiet ta’ suldati ta’ erbgha kull wahda, bil-hsieb  li, wara l-Ghid, iressqu quddiem il-poplu.  Pietru, mela, kien arrestat fil-habz, bil-ghassa mieghu.  Fl-istess hin, il-Knisja kienet qiegheda titlob ‘l Alla ghalih bil-hegga. Fil-lejl stess ta’ qabel ma Erodi kellu johrog ‘il Pietru,  dan kien rieqed bejn zewg sultdati, marbut b’zewg ktajjen,  waqt li xi ghassiesa kienu ghassa mal-bieb tal-habs. F’daqqa wahda gie hemm anglu tal-Mulej,  u dawl idda mal-kamra.  L-anglu ta lil Pietru daqqa fuq genbu,  qajmu u qallu:  ˝Qum malajr.˝    Il-ktajjen waqghu minn ma’ idejh.   Imbaghad l-anglu qallu:  ˝Thazzem u ilbes il-qorq,˝   Pietru hekk ghamel.   U qallu wkoll :  ˝Dawwar il-mantar mieghek u imxi warajja.˝    Pietru hereg u mexa warajh, bla ma ntebah li dak li kien qieghed jigri permezz ta’ l-anglu kien tassew ;  haseb li kienet xi holma. Ghaddew l-ewwel ghassa, u t-tieni wahda wkoll, u  waslu hdejn il-bieb tal-hadid li kien jaghti ghall-belt;  u dan infetah wahdu. Hargu u mxew tul triq. F’daqqa wahda l-anglu telaq minn hdejh. Imbaghad Pietru gei f’tieghu, u qal:  ˝Issa qieghed ninduna, tabilhaqq, li l-Mulej baghat l-anglu tieghu u helisni minn id Erodi u  minn dak kollu li l-Lhud kienu qieghed jistennew li jsir.”  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm      -        psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

. (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.                                 R/

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.                                                R/

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.                            R/

The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.                     R/

SALM RESPONSORJALI                                -         Salm 33

R/  Dawk li jibzghu mill-Mulej, l-anglu tieghu jehlishom.

Kull hin inbierek ‘il-Mulej,

tifhiru dejjem f’fommi.

Bil-Mulej tiftahar ruhi,

jisimghu l-fqajrin u jifirhu!                                  R/

Kabbru ‘l-Mulej mieghi,

u nghollu ismu flimkien.

Jien fittixit ‘il-Mulej, u wegibni,

u minn kull biza’ helisni.                                     R/

Harsu lejh u tiddu bil-ferh,

u wicckom ma jisthix.

Dan il-fqajjar sejjah ‘il-Mulej, u semghu,

u mid-dwejjaq kollha tieghu helsu.                  R/

L-anglu tal-Mulej ighammar madwar dawk li

jibzghu minnu,u jehlishom.

Duqu u taraw kemm hu tajjeb il-Mulej,

Hieni l-bniedem li jistkenn fih.                                          R/

Reading 2           -         2 timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,  and the time of my departure is at hand.   I have competed well; I have finished the race;  I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.  The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,  so that through me the proclamation might be completed  and all the Gentiles might hear it.   And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.  The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.    To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.  This is the Word of The Lord.

IT-TIENI QARI   -    mit-Tieni Ittra lil Timotju  4,6-8,17-18

Ghaziz:  Jien nghid ghalija,  demmi ga nxerred b’sagrificcju, u zmien it-tluq tieghi wasal.  Tqabadt it-taqbida t-tajba, temmejt il-girja, harist il-fidi. Mill-bqija hemm merfugha ghalija l-kuruna tal-gustizzja, li biha  f’dak il-jum ihallasni l-Mulej, l-Imhallef gust, u mhux lili biss, imma wkoll lil dawk kollha li  jkunu ghexu bix-xewqa tad-dehra tieghu. Il-Mulej waqaf mieghi u tani l-qawwa biex, bis-sahha tieghi, il-kelma tigi mxandra sa l-ahhar u  l-gnus kollha jisimghha.  Hekk jien gejt mehlus minn halq l-iljun.  Il-Mulej jehlisni minn kull deni u jharisni sa  ma nasal fis-saltna tieghu tas-sema.   Glorja lilu ghal dejjem ta’ dejjem.  Amen.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel               -           matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi  he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,  and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.   This is the Word of The Lord.

 L-Evangelju  -  skond San Mattew 16, 13-19

F’dak iz-zmien :  Meta wasal fl-inhawi ta’ Cesarija ta’ Filippu, Gesu’ staqsa lid-dixxipli tieghu u qalilhom : ˝In-nies min ighidu li hu Bin il-Bniedem?˝ U huma wigbuh :  ˝Xi whud Gwanni l-Battista, ohrajn Elija, u  ohrajn Geremija jew wiehed mill-profeti.˝˝Imma intom,˝ qalilhom, ˝intom min tghidu li jien?˝ U qabez Xmun Pietru u qallu:  ˝Inti l-Messija, l-Iben ta’ Alla haj.˝ U wiegbu Gesu’ u qallu:  ˝Imbierek int, Xmun bin Gona, ghax  mhux il-laham u d-demm urewk min jien, imma Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet.   U min-naha tieghi nghidlek:  Inti Pietru, u fuq din il-gebla jien nibni l-Knisa tieghi, u l-bibien ta’ l-infern ma jeghelbuhiex.  Lilek naghtik l-imfietah tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet, u kull ma torbot fuq l-art ikun marbut fis-smewwiet, u kull ma tholl fuq l-art ikun mahlul fis-smewwiet.       Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

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 COMMEN TARY 

by Larry Broding / word-Sunday.com   

Who Are You, Jesus?

Have you ever found a moment in life when you asked “what is life really all about?” 

How did you answer? Where was Jesus in your answer?

Sometimes reflection comes not at the end of life, but before great questions of life. For the followers of Christ, the question “What is life all about?” could be asked in another way: “Who are you, Jesus?”

“Who are you, Jesus?” In a non-Jewish neighbourhood of Galilee, Jesus popped the question. In an atmosphere of anticipation for the time of God’s judgement, the disciples must have been asking themselves the same question. “We are following you, Jesus,” they may have wondered, “but what’s your place in God’s great plan?” Many expected Elijah to announce the coming of the Messiah before the end of the world. The paranoid Herod Antipas, the ruler who beheaded John the Baptist, was said to believe that Jesus was actually the Baptist raised from the dead! There were many other theories . Did Jesus fit any of these popular ideas, or was there more?

Simon, as the leader of the apostles, spoke up. His words represent the consensus of Jesus’ inner circle. In Matthew, Simon’s answer “Son of the living God” defined the title “Messiah.” Jesus was not a political Messiah, one who would lead an army against the Romans. He was not a popular Messiah, who would merely feed the poor. Here, Simon recognizes the unique relationship between Jesus and God, his Father.

In return for the answer to his question, Jesus “anointed” Simon with a blessing and a mission. Simon was blessed in two ways: 1) by a direct revelation by the Father and 2) by recognition from his Son. Then Jesus gave Simon a new mission, represented by a new name and a new status. Jesus called Simon, Peter, or  “Rock.”  Now, Peter was not only leader of the apostles; he was leader of the Church with the power of its head, Jesus Christ.

Peter’s answer and commission marked a turning point in the life of Jesus and his followers. From this point forward, Jesus was on the road to Jerusalem, to his death and his resurrection.

Who are you, Jesus? This question has been asked over and over throughout the centuries. For Christians, the answer is simple: Jesus is God’s Son and the bridge between the Father and his people.

Who is Jesus for you?

Where does he fit into the meaning of your life?