The Commemoration of All the Faithful
Departed (All Souls)
Tifkira Solenni tal-fidili Mejtin Kollha
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
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.
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.
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/
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
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 : 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
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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