God invites us...

READINGS for October 12, 2014

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

It-28 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Missalin A  p 395

Reading 1                           isaiah 25:6-10a

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.  On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples,  the web that is woven over all nations;  he will destroy death forever.  The Lord GOD will wipe away  the tears from every face;  the reproach of his people he will remove  from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said:  "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!  This is the LORD for whom we looked;  let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"  For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -  Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija  25, 6-10a

Jagħmel il-Mulej ta' l-eżerċti  għall-popli kollha fuq din il-muntanja, nejdab'ikel fin, mejda bi mbejjed ħelwa, b'laħam imsemmen bil-mudullun, u nbejjed fini. U jċarrat minn fuq din il-muntanja  il-velu li kien jgħatti wiċċ il-popli kollha,  għata li kien jaħbi kollha kemm huma l-ġnus.  Jeqred il-mewt għal dejjem,  jixxotta Sidi l-Mulej id-dmugħ minn fuq kull wiċċ,  u jħassar l-għajb tal-poplu tiegħu minn wiċċ l-art kollha:  għax il-Mulej tkellem.  U dakinhar jgħidu:  "Dan hu Alla tagħna;  fih ittamajna li jsalvana;  dan hu l-Mulej li fih ittamajna; nifirħu u nithennew bis-salvazzjoni tiegħu.  Għax id-il-Mulej tinżel fuq din il-Muntanja."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R/ (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

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 22 (23)

                R/  Nghammar f'dar il-Mulej sakemm indum ħaj!

Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,

xejn ma jonqosni;

f'mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħdni.

Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;

hemm hu jrejjaqni.                                                        R/

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa

minħabba l-isem tiegħu.

Imqar jekk nimxi f'wied mudlam,

ma nibżax mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.

Il-ħatar u l-għasluġ tiegħek,

huma jwennsuni.                                                            R/

Inti tħejji mejda għalija

Quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.

Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,

u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli.                                             R

Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena

il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti.

U ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej

sakemm indum ħaj.                                                       R

Reading 2                phillipians 4:12-14, 19-20

Brothers and sisters:   I know how to live in humble circumstances;  I know also how to live with abundance.  In every circumstance and in all things  I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,  of living in abundance and of being in need.   I can do all things in him who strengthens me.   Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress. My God will fully supply whatever you need,  in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -   mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4, 12-14, 19-20

Ħuti, naf ngħix il-għaks; u naf ngħix fil-ġid; kollox drajt u noqgħon għal kollox;  ix-xaba'  u l-ġuħ,  il-ġid u l-għaks.   Għax kollox niflaħ bis-saħħa ta'  dak li jqawwini.   Għamiltu sewwa ħafna meta  qsamtu miegħi tbatijieti.  JimliekomAlla tiegħi b'kull ġid fil-ħtieġa tagħkom,  skond l-għana tal-glorja fi Kristu Ġesu'.  Lil dan Alla, u Missierna, glorja għal dejjem ta' dejjem. Amen.     Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                     matthew 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying,  "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,  but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,  my calves and fattened cattle are killed,  and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away,  one to his farm, another to his business.   The rest laid hold of his servants,  mistreated them, and killed them.   The king was enraged and sent his troops,  destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.   Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,  but those who were invited were not worthy to come.   Go out, therefore, into the main roads  and invite to the feast whomever you find.’  The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,  and the hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to meet the guests,  he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.   The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside,  where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’  Many are invited, but few are chosen." This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -   skond San Mattew 22, 1-14

F'dak iż-żmien, lill-qassisin il-kbar u lix-xjuh tal-poplu,  Gesu' raġa' qabad ikellimhom bil-parabboli u qalilhom:  "Is-saltna tas-smewwiet tixbaħ lil wieħed sultan li għamel festa għat-tieġ ta' ibnu.  U bagħat għall-mistednin mal-qaddejja tiegħu biex jiġu għall-festa; imma dawk ma ridux jiġu.  U reġa' bagħat qaddejja oħra, u qalilhom:  "Għidu lill- mistednin:  Ara, il-mejda tiegħi lesta, il-barrani u l-għoġiela  msemmna diġa' maqtula u kollox lest;  ejjew għall-festa."   Iżda dawk ma tawx kas;  min mar l-għalqa, min għan-megozju tiegħu, u l-bqija qabdu lill-qaddejja tas-sultan, żebilħuhom u qatluhom.  Is-sultan inkorna ħafna, u bagħat is-suldati tiegħu, qered lil dawk il-qattiela, u ħarqilhom il-belt tagħhom.  Imbagħad qal lill-qaddejja tiegħu:  "Il-festa mħejjija,  imma lil dawk ma kienx ta' min jistedinhom għaliha.  Mela morru f'salib it-toroq u sejħu għall-festa lil  kull min issibu."   Dawk il-qaddejja ħarġu fit-triqat  u ġabu lil kull min sabu,  ħżiena u tajba, u s-sala mtliet  bin-nies għall-mejda.   Mela jidħol is-sultan ħalli jara  minn kien hemm fuq il-mejda, u hemmhekk lemah  wieħed li ma kienx liebes għall-festa tat-tieġ; u qallu:  "Ħabib, dan kif dħalt hawn m'initx liebes għall-festa?"  Dak tbikkem.  Imbagħad is-sultan qal lil dawk li kienu  qegħdin iservu:  "Orbtulu riġlejh u idejh u waddbuh   'il barra fid-dlam; hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u  t-tgħażżiż tas-snien!"   Għax ħafna huma l-imsejħin,  imma ftit il-magħżulin!"  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTRY

The Important and the Urgent

By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

It is instructive to consider the reasons why those who were invited to the feast described in the parable refused to come. Matthew says that they "ignored" the invitation and "went away, one to his farm, another to his business." Luke's Gospel is more detailed on this point and presents the reasons for the refusal of the invitation thus: "I have purchased a field and I must go look at it ... "  “I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to see them" ... "I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come" (Luke 14:18-20).

What do these different people have in common? All have something urgent to do, something that cannot wait, that demands their immediate attention. And what does the wedding feast represent? It indicates the messianic goods, participation in the salvation brought by Christ, and, therefore, the possibility of eternal life. The feast represents something important in life, indeed, the only important thing in life. The mistake of those who rejected the invitation is clear, then: They have left the important for the urgent, the essential for the contingent! This is a widespread and insidious danger, not only in the sphere of religion but also in the purely human sphere. It is something worth reflecting on.

First of all let us consider the religious sphere. Neglecting the important for the urgent in our spiritual life means continually putting off our religious duties because there is always something urgent calling for our attention. It is Sunday and it is time to go to Mass, but there is that visit, that work in the garden, that lunch to prepare. Mass can wait, lunch cannot; so you put Mass off and go to your stove.

I said that the danger of neglecting the important for the urgent is also present in the human sphere, in everyday life, and I would also like to reflect on this. It is of the utmost importance that a man dedicate time to his family, be with his children, talk to them if they are grown, play with them if they are little. But then at the last moment there are always urgent things to deal with at the office, extra things to do at work, and he puts it off till another time, returning home too late and too tired to think about anything else.

It is a very important thing for a man or a woman to go every so often to visit their aging mother of father who is living alone at home or some care facility. For everyone it is important to visit a sick friend to show your concern and perhaps offer them some practical help. But it is not urgent and if you put it off, it does not appear that the world will end and perhaps no one will notice. And you put it off.

The same is true in regard to your health, which is also something important. The doctor sees that you need to take care of yourself, take some time to rest, avoid stress. ... You answer, "Yes, yes, I'll definitely do it just as soon as I'm done with that project, when I've finished working on the house, when I've paid off all my debts. .”.. Until you see that it is too late. Here is where the problem lies: You go through life chasing after the thousand little things and never find time for the things that truly impact human relationships and can give joy (or deep sadness when neglected) in life. Thus, we see how the Gospel is, indirectly, a school of life; it teaches us to establish priorities, to attend to what is essential. In a word, to not lose the important for the sake of the urgent as happened with those who were invited to the wedding feast in our parable.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]