Readings for Sunday, 2^nd November 2014

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Tifkira Solenni tal-fidili Mejtin Kollha

Reading 1                         WISdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. This is the Word of The Lord

L-Ewwel Qari  -   mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 3, 1-9

L-erwieħ tat-tajbin huma f’idejn Alla, u  ebda turmenet ma jmisshom. F’għajnejn dawk li ma jemmnu qisem mejtin għal kollox, il-mewt tagħhom hi meqjusa bħala qerda,  qishom sefgħu fix-xejn għax twarrbu minna ;iżda huma jinsabu fis-0sliem.  Għalkemm f’għajnejn il-bnedmin qishom ħadu xi kastig,  it-tama tagħhom hi l-milja ta’ ħajja bla tmiem.  |Zgħira kienet it-tbatija tagħhom, imma kbira il-barka li ħadu;  Alla għaddiehom mill-prova, u sab li jistħoqqilhom ikunu miegħu.  Bħalma d-deheb igħaddu min-nar, hekk hu għaddiehom,  u bħal vittma tas-sagrifiċċju laqagħhom.  Issa, fiż-żmien tal-ġudizzju, jitlibbsu bid-dija,   u bħal xrar tan-nar jiġri fuq it-tiben jaqbad, hekk jleqqu.  Min-nazzjonijiet jagħmlu ġudizzju, u lill-popli jaħkmu,  U Alla jkun is-Sid tagħhom għal dejjem.  Dawk li jittamaw fih jagħarfu l-verita’,   u dawk li huma fidili lejh igĦixu mieg}u fl-imħabba.   Hemm grazzja u ħniena kbira għal dawk li Alla għażel għalih.  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 courage.                                                   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 23)

   R  Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, zwjn jonqosni.

Il-Mulej hu ragħaj tiegħi,

xejn ma jonqosni.

F’mergħat kollhom ħdur jqegħdni,

ħdejn l-ilma fejn nistrieħ jeħodni,

Hu jrejjaqni.                                                                       R/

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa

Minħabba f’ismu.

Imqar jekk nimxi w’wied mudlam,

ma nibżax mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.

Il-ħatar tiegħek u l-għasluġ tiegħek

huma jwennsuni.                                                            R/

                    

Int tħejji mejda g}alija

quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi;

biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,

u l-kalċi tiegħi mfawwar.                                             R/

Iva, it-tjieba u l-ħniena jimxu miegħi

il-jiem kollha ta’ }ajti,

u ngħammar f’dar il-Mulej

matul iż-żminijiet.                                                          R/

Reading 2                         ROMans 6:3-9

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus  were baptized into his death?  We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,   so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead   by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.  For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,   we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.  We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body   might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.  For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ,we believe that we shall also live with him.  We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. This is the Word of The Lord 

It-Tieni Qari          mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 6, 3-11

Ħuti, ma tafux intom li aħna, li tgħammidna fi Krisitu Ġesu’, tgħammidna fil-mewt tiegħu?  Aħna ndfinna miegħu permezz tal-magħmudija fil-mewt,  biex kif Kristu qam mill-imwiet bil-qawwa glorjuża tal-Missier,  hekk ukoll aħna ngħixu ħajja ġdida.  Għax jekk aħna sirna ħaġa waħda miegħu f’mewt tixbaħ lil tiegħu,  hekk ukoll insiru fil-qawmnien għall-ħajja.  Aħna nafu dan:  li l-bniedem il-qadim tagħna kien imsallab miegħu  biex jinqenrend il-ġisem midneb u ma nibqgħux iktar ilsieria tad-dnub.  Għax min imut ikun me}lus mid-dnub. Jekk mitna ma’ Kristu, nemmnu li ukoll ngħixu miegħu.  Aħna nafu li Kristu qam mill-imwiet biex ma jmut aktar;  Il-mewt ma ssaltanx iktar fuqu. Hu miet, miet għal darba   għad-dnub; imma issa qiegħix għal Alla.  Hekk intom, qisu ruħkom mejta għad-dnub,  Imma ħajjin għal Alla, marbutin ma’ Kristu Ġesu’/ Il-Kelma tal-Mulej  

Gospel                                                                 JohN 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds:  “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.  This is the Word of The Lord

L-Evanġelju     -  skont San Ġwann  6, 37-40

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesu’ qal lin-nies: “Dak kollu li Missieri jagħtini jiġi għandi, u min jiġi għandi ma nkeċċiex ‘il barra, għax jiena nżilt mis-sema biex nagħmel mhux ir-riedia tiegħi, imma ir-rieda ta’ min bagħatni. Issa r-rieda ta’  min bagħatni hija din:   li jiena ma nitlef xejn minn dak kollu li tani iżda li nqajmu mill-imwiet fl-aħħar jum.   Għax ir-rieidia ta’ Missieri hija din: li kull min jara l-Iben  jemmenn fih ikollu l-ħajja ta’ dejjem u li jiena nqajmu mill-imwiet fl-aħħar jum.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary…..by Larry Broding                            

Death Leads To Life

How has  our society’s view of death changed? 

How has it stayed the same?

An old saying goes, “As we treat the dead, we treat the living.” While the funeral industry has become big business it is built upon the way our society honours its dead. And we do honor our dead with services, eulogies, and memorials. We treat our deceased as missing, yet still connected to us in some way.

Christianity adds to this sentiment with one insight. We are still connected with our departed, because we are one in Christ. He is the one who gathered everyone to him in this death. And in his resurrection.

John’s gospel can be difficult to understand, but can lead to brilliant flashes of insight. In this gospel, Jesus spoke of his death as the point that united all humanity with God.  In his gospel, John used opposing images of life and death. He also turned these images upside down to make a point. Death led to life; here death was used in a literal sense and as a metaphor for self-giving (“dying to self”). In Christ, the meaning of death was used in both senses; his literal death was his death to the self for the good of others. The farming analogy of the seed painted this point beautifully [24]. Christ’s death and resurrection became the example and the power for our self-giving [25].

To follow Christ meant to partake in his death and resurrection in a very real way. When Christ died and rose again, the Father was present. When the Christian served and died to self, Christ was present; if Christ was present, so was the Father. Note the language is not purely symbolic; God is truly present in our unselfish acts. As Christ is truly present when we are fed at Eucharist, he is present when we fed others through our selfless acts.

The high point of God’s self giving is Christ on the cross. At the right time (the “hour”), Jesus gave himself up to the Father in a very public (and humiliating) manner. In the world’s eyes, Jesus’ life, symbolized by his death, was a failure. By raising his Jesus, however, God vindicated his Son and his self-giving revelation. Death led to life. Faith (God’s reputation, his “glory”) grew as Christ on the cross drew everyone to himself.

How has Christ drawn you to himself? How has his “draw” changed you?

All Souls Day gives us a chance to reflect on God’s love and on the way we view death. Nothing will separate us from God’s love. Death (both symbolically in our self giving and literally) is the door to God’s love. In God’s love we are alive (both figuratively and literally). In Christ, we are all truly connected.

On this day of remembrance, think of the ones you have lost in the light of Christ’s death.

How does that thought comfort you?

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