Is-17-il Ħadd matul
is-Sena Sena 'A'
(Messalin 'A' pp 338)
The LORD appeared
to Solomon in a dream at night. God
said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “O LORD, my God, you have made me, your
servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a
mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom
you have chosen, a people so vast that
it cannot be numbered or counted. Give
your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of
yours?” The LORD was pleased that
Solomon made this request. So God said
to him: “Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know
what is right— I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up
to now, and after you there will come
no one to equal you.” This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - 1Slaten
3, 5-7.12
F'dak iż-żmien, f'Gibgħon il-Mulej deher lil Salamun fil-ħolm bil-lejl: "Itlobni x'nagħtik," qallu Alla. U wieġbu Salamun:
"Mulej, Alla tiegħi, lili, qaddej tiegħek,
għadek kemm qegħedtni sultan flok David missier. Iżda jiena għadni daqsxejn ta' żagħażugħ, bla
ma naf mnejn għandi ngħaddi. Il-qaddej
tiegħek sab ruħu f'nofs dan il-poplu li
int għażilt, poplu hekk kotran li ħadd ma jista'jgħoddu jew iqisu. Agħti,
għalhekk, lill-qaddej tiegħek moħħ ħafif biex jifhem, biex jista' jmexxi l-poplu tiegħek, u jagħraf
it-tajjeb mill-ħażin; għax inkella min
jasal biex imexxih, dan il-poplu tiegħek ta' kotra hekk kbira?" Il-Mulej ħa
gost li Salamun talab dil-ħaġa. Għalhekk qallu Alla: "Ladarba tlabt din il-ħaġa, u ma
tlabtnix għomor twil, jew għana
R/ (97a) Lord, I love your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces. R/
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight. R/
I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate. R/
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate. R/
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple. R/
Salm Responsorjali -
Salm 118 (119)
R/ Kemm inħobba l-liġi tiegħek, Mulej.
Mulej, dan hu sehmi,
li nħares il-kelma
tiegħek.
Aħjar għalija l-liġi
ta' fommok
mill-eluf ta'
flejjes tad-deheb u l-fidda. R/
Tkun it-tjieba tiegħek
il-faraġ tiegħi,
skond il-wegħda li għamilt
mal-qaddej tiegħek.
Tiġi fuqi tjubitek,
biex ikoll il-ħajja;
għax il-liġi tiegħek
hi l-għaxqa tiegħi. R/
Għalhekk inħobb
il-kmandamenti tiegħek,
aktar mid-deheb,
mid-deheb l-aktar fin.
Għalhekk jien nimxi
dritt fuq il-preċetti tiegħek,
u nobgħod kull triq
qarrieqa. R/
Ta' l-għaġeb huma
l-preċetti tiegħek,
għalhekk tħarishom
qalbi.
It-tifsir ta'
kelmtek jagħti d-dawl,
Ifiehem lil min ma
jafx. R/
Brothers and
sisters: We know that all things work for good for
those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. For those he
foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified. This is
the Word of The Lord.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni - Ittra
lir-Rumani 8, 28 -30
Ħuti, aħna nafu li Alla, ma' dawk li jħobbuh, ma'
dawk li huma msejħin skond il-providenza
tiegħu, f'kollox jaħdem id f'id għall-ġid
tagħhom. Għax lil dawk li hu għarafhom
mill-bidu, ippresestinahom ukoll biex jieħdu s-sura fuq ix-xbieha ta' Ibnu, ħalli dan ikun il-kbir fost ħafna aħwa;
lil dawk li ppredestinahom, sejħilhom
ukoll; lil dawk li sejħilhom, iġgustifikahom
ukoll; lil dawk imbagħad li iġġustifikahom,
igglorifikahom ukoll. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel matthew 13:44-52
Jesus
said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure
buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes
and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. When
he finds a pearl of great price, he goes
and sells all that he has and buys it. Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into
buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of
teeth. “Do you understand all these
things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in
the kingdom of heaven is like the head
of a household who brings from his
storeroom both the new and the old.” This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Evanġelju - skond
San Mattew 13, 44-52
F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet tixbaħ lil teżor moħbi
f'għalqa, li wieħed raġel isibu u jaħbih, u kollu ferħan
imur ibigħ kull ma jkollu u jixtri dik
l-għalqa. Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna
tas-Smewwiet lil wieħed neguzajant ifittex
ġawhar fin; meta sab ġawhra tiswa ħafna, mar biegħ kull ma kellu u xtara lilha. Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna
tas-Smewwiet lil xibka mitfugħa l-baħar li fiha jinġabar minn
kollox. Meta timtela jtellgħuha
x-xatt u joqogħdu bilqiegħda, jiġbru fil-kannestri dak li jkun tajjeb u jarmu l-ħażin. Hekk jiġri fi tmiem
id-dinja: l-anġli joħorġu jifirdu l-ħżiena mill-ġusti, u jixħtuhom fil-ħuġġieġa
tan-nar; hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u t-tgħażiż tas-snien. Kollu fhimtuh dan?
"Iva," qalululu. U hu qalilhom: "Għalhekk
kull kittieb li jkun sar dixxiplu
tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet jixbah lil wieħed sid li, mill-ħażna tiegħu, joħroġ sew
il-ġdid u sew il-qadim." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
////////////////////
Seek the Treasure That
Awaits
What did Jesus want to say with the two
parables of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl? More or less this: The decisive hour of history has arrived. The Kingdom of God
Specifically, it is about himself and his coming on earth. The hidden treasure and the precious pearl are nothing other than Jesus himself. It is as if, with these words, Jesus wished to say:
Salvation has come to you freely, by God's initiative. Make a decision, take
advantage of the opportunity, do not let it escape from you. It is the time to
decide.
Specifically, it is about himself and his coming on earth. The hidden treasure and the precious pearl are nothing other than Jesus himself. It is as if, with these words, Jesus wished to say
What comes to my mind is the day World War II
ended. In the city, partisans and allies opened the storerooms with provisions
left by the German army when it retreated. In a flash, the news reached
villages in the country and all ran at top speed to take all those wonderful
things. Some arrived home full of blankets, others with baskets of provisions.
I think that with these two parables Jesus
wished to create such an atmosphere. He wanted to say:
Run while you have time! There is a free treasure that awaits you, a precious
pearl. Do not lose the opportunity.
Except that, in Jesus' case, what is at stake is infinitely more serious. One's all is at stake. The Kingdom is the only thing that can save us from the highest risk of life, which is to lose the reason why we are in this world.
Except that, in Jesus' case, what is at stake is infinitely more serious. One's all is at stake. The Kingdom is the only thing that can save us from the highest risk of life, which is to lose the reason why we are in this world.
We are in a society that lives on insurance.
People insure themselves against everything. In some countries, it is a kind of
mania. There is even insurance against bad weather during vacations. Among all,
the most important and frequent insurance is that of life.
However, lets reflect for a minute. Of what use is this insurance and against what does it insure us? Against death? Of course not. It ensures that, in case of death, some one receives an indemnity.
The Kingdom of Heaven is also life insurance against death. "Whoever believes in me, even though he die, shall live," said Jesus. Thus we also understand the radical need posed by such a "deal": to sell everything and leave it all. In other words, to be prepared, if necessary, for any sacrifice.
However, not to pay the price of the treasure or the pearl, which, by definition, do not have a "price," but to be worthy of them.
However, lets reflect for a minute. Of what use is this insurance and against what does it insure us? Against death? Of course not. It ensures that, in case of death, some one receives an indemnity.
The Kingdom of Heaven is also life insurance against death. "Whoever believes in me, even though he die, shall live," said Jesus. Thus we also understand the radical need posed by such a "deal": to sell everything and leave it all. In other words, to be prepared, if necessary, for any sacrifice.
However, not to pay the price of the treasure or the pearl, which, by definition, do not have a "price," but to be worthy of them.
In each of the parables there are, in fact, two
actors: an evident one, that goes, sells and buys; and a hidden one, taken for
granted. The author taken for granted is the former proprietor who did not
realize that in his field there was a treasure and sold it cheaply to the first
bidder. It is the man or woman who had the precious pearl, did not realize its
value, and gave it to the first merchant passing by, perhaps for a collection
of false pearls.
How can we not see in this warning that is addressed to those of us who sell our faith and Christian heritage for nothing?
How can we not see in this warning that is addressed to those of us who sell our faith and Christian heritage for nothing?
However, the parable does not say "a man
sold everything he had and started to look for a hidden treasure." We know
how such stories end: One loses what one had and finds no treasure. These are
stories of dreamers, of visionaries.
No, man found a treasure and, because of this, sold all he had to buy it. In a word, it is necessary to have found the treasure to have the strength and joy to sell everything.
No, man found a treasure and, because of this, sold all he had to buy it. In a word, it is necessary to have found the treasure to have the strength and joy to sell everything.
Leaving the parable to one side, we must first
find Jesus, meet him in a personal, new and convincing way. Discover him as
friend and savior. Then it will be child's play to sell everything.
It is something that will be "full of joy," as the proprietor mentioned in the Gospel.
It is something that will be "full of joy," as the proprietor mentioned in the Gospel.
[Translation
by ZENIT from the Italian original]
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