Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary
Time
It-28 Ħadd matul is-Sena
Missalin
A p 395
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
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/
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/
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/
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/
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
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
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
//////////////////////////////
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]
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