Listen to Him!

Second Sunday of Lent

It-Tieni  Ħadd tar-Randan

Messalin B  pp 148

Reading 1                         GeNesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” he replied. Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,  and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust  on a height that I will point out to you.” When they came to the place of which God had told him,  Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,  “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God,  since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.” As Abraham looked about,  he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram  and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son. Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:  “I swear by myself, declares the LORD,  that because you acted as you did  in not withholding from me your beloved son,  I will bless you abundantly  and make your descendants as countless  as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;  your descendants shall take possession  of the gates of their enemies,  and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing— all this because you obeyed my command.” .  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni   -   mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 22.1-2.9a.10.13,15-19

F'dak iż-żmien, Alla ried iġarrab lil Abraħam u qallu: "Abraħam!"  U hu wieġbu:  "Hawn jien!"  U qallu: "Aqbad lil Ibnek il-waħdieni, li int tħobb, lil Iżakk; u mur lejn l-art ta' Morija, u hemm offreh b'sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq fuq waħda  mill-għoljiet li jien se ngħidlek." U waslu fil-post li kien semmielu Alla.   U Abraham medd idu u qabad is-sikkina biex joqtol lil ibnu.   U sejjaħlu l-anġlu tal-Mulej mis-smewwiet u qallu: "Abraħam, Abraħam!"  U dan wieġbu: "Hawn jien." U qallu:  "La tmiddx idek fuq iż-żgħażugħ u tagħmillu ebda  ħsara; għax issa naf li inti tibża' minn Alla, u ma ċaħħadadtnix minnibnek il-waħdieni." U Abraħam rafa' għajnejh, ta ħarsa madwaru, u ra muntun  warajh maqbud minn qrunu fil-friegħi.   U Abraħam mar u  qabad il-muntun, u offrieh b'sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq minflok ibnu. U għat-tieni darba l-anġlu tal-Mulej sejjaħ lil Abraħam  mis-smewwiet u qallu:  "Naħlef fuq ruħi – oraklu tal-Mulej – la darba  int għamilt ħaġa bħal din, u ma ċaħħadtnix minn ibnek il-waħdieni, jien imbierkek żguru u nkattarlek sewwa lil nislek bħall-kwiekeb tas-sema u bħar-ramel f'xatt il-baħar; u nislek  għad jret bwieb l-għedewwa tiegħu.  U jitbierku b'nislek il-ġnus kollha tal-art talli smajt minn kelmti." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm                   PSalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

R. (116:9)  I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

I believed, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.                                R.

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.                         R/

My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.                                                        R/

Salm Responsorjali                              Salm 115(116)

R/   Jien nimxi quddiem il-Mulej f'art il-ħajjiin.

Bqajt nemmen, imqar meta għedt:

"Jien imdejjaq ħafna!"

Għażiża f'għajnejn il-Mulej

hi l-mewt tal-ħbien tiegħu/                                       R/

Iva, Mulej, jien qaddej tiegħek,

jien qaddej tiegħek, bin il-qaddejja tiegħek.

Int ħallejtli l-irbit tiegħi.

Lilek noffri sagrifiċċju ta' radd il-ħajr,

u isem il-Mulej insejjaħ.                                              R/

Intemm lill-Mulej il-wegħdiet tiegħi,

quddiem il-poplu tiegħu kollu,

 fil-btieħi ta' dar il-Mulej,

ġo nofsok, Ġerusalemm!                                              R

Reading 2                                         ROMans 8:31B-34

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son  but handed him over for us all,  how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us, who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died—or, rather, was raised— who also is at the right hand of God,  who indeed intercedes for us. .  This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -   mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 8. 31b-34

Ħuti, jekk Alla hu magħna min jista' jkun kontra tagħna? Hu, li lanqas lil Ibnu stess ma ħafirha, imma tah għalina lkoll, kif ma jagħtuniex ukoll kollox miegħu? Min je jakkuża l-magħżulin ta' Alla?  Alla stess hu dak li jiġġusstifikahom.   Min se jikkundannhom?   Kristu Ġesu' li  miet, jew aħjar, li qam mill-imwiet, jinsab fuq il-lemin ta'  Alla, hu li jidħol għalina. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                                                MarK 9:2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and John  and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.  nd he was transfigured before them,  and his clothes became dazzling white,  such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,  and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,  “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents:  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;  from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves,  questioning what rising from the dead meant.  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju  -  skont San Mark  9, 2-10

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' ħa miegħu lil Pietru u lil Ġakbu u  lil  Ġwanni, tellagħhom   weħidhom fuq muntanja għolja, u  tbiddel  quddiemhom.   Ilbiesu sar abjad u jgħammex b'dija  tal-għaġeb:  ebda ħassiel fid-dinja ma jista' jġib il-ħwejjeġ bojod daqshekk.   U dehrilhom Elija ma' Mose' jitkellmu ma' Ġesu'. Qabad Pietru u qal lil Ġesu': "Mgħallem, kemm u sew li aħna hawn!   Ħa ntellgħu tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mose', u oħra għal Elija."   Dan qalu għax ma kienx jaf x'jaqbad jgħid bil-biża' kbir li waqa' fuqhom. Imbagħad ġiet sħaba u għattiethom, u minn ġos-sħaba nstama' leħen jgħid:  "Dan hu Ibni l-għażiż, isimgħu lilu."   Minnufih taw ħarsa madwarhom, u ma raw lil ħadd iżjem magħhom ħlief lil Ġesu' waħdu. Huma u neżlin minn fuq il-muntanja, tahom ordni biex ma jitkellmu ma ħadd fuq li kienu raw qabel ma Bin il-bniedem ikun qam mill-imwiet.   Huma żammew kollox moħbi, iżda bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin x'kin ifissier tqum mill-imwiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Father Cantalamessa on Where Jesus Speaks

Pontifical Household Preacher Looks at This Sunday's Gospel

Listen to Him!

"This is my beloved Son; listen to him." With these words, God the Father gave Jesus Christ to humanity as its sole and definitive Teacher, superior to the laws and the prophets.   Where is Jesus speaking today, so that we can hear him? He speaks to us above all through our conscience. It is a sort of "repeater," set within us, of the very voice of God. But conscience is not enough on its own. It is easy to make it say what we like to hear.

Thus it needs to be illuminated and supported by the Gospel and the teaching of the Church. The Gospel is the place par excellence in which Jesus speaks to us today. But we know by experience that the words of the Gospel can also be interpreted in different ways. It is the Church, instituted by Christ precisely for this end, which assures us of an authentic interpretation: "He who hears you hears me." Because of this it is important that we endeavor to know the doctrine of the Church, to know it firsthand, as she herself understands and proposes it, not in the interpretation -- often distorted and reductive -- of the media.

Almost as important as knowing where Jesus is speaking today is to know where he does not speak.  Needless to say, he does not speak through wizards, fortunetellers, necromancers, horoscope orators, alleged extraterrestrial messages; he does not speak in spiritualistic sessions, in occultism.

In Scripture, we read this warning in this regard: "Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortuneteller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

These were the pagans' typical ways of referring to the divine, who read the future by consulting the stars, or animals' entrails, or birds' flight. With that phrase of God -- "Listen to him!" -- all that came to an end. There is only one mediator between God and men; we are no longer obliged to move "blindly" to know the divine will, or to consult this or that source. In Christ we have all the answers.

Lamentably, today those pagan rites are again fashionable. As always, when true faith decreases, superstition increases. Let us take the most innocuous thing of all, the horoscope.  It can be said that there is no newspaper or radio station that does not offer daily its readers or hearers their horoscope. For mature persons, gifted with a minimum capacity for criticism and irony, it is no more than an innocuous joke, a kind of game or pastime.

Meanwhile, however, let us consider the long-term effects. What mentality is formed, especially in children and adolescents? A mentality according to which success in life does not depend on effort, diligence in studies and constancy in work, but of imponderable external factors; being able to acquire certain powers -- one's own or others' -- for one's own benefit.    Worse still: All this leads one to think that, in good and evil, the responsibility is not ours, but of the "stars," as Don Ferrante thought, of Manzonian memory.

I must allude to another realm in which Jesus does not speak and where, however, he is made to speak all the time: that of private revelations, heavenly messages, apparitions and voices of various kinds. I do not say that Christ or the Virgin cannot also speak through these means. They have done so in the past and they can do so, of course, also today.

It is only that before taking for granted that it is Jesus or the Virgin, and not someone's sick imagination, or worse, of fraudsters who speculate with people's good faith, it is necessary to have guarantees. In this area, it is necessary to wait for the judgment of the Church, and not precede it. Dante's words are still timely: "Christians, be firmer when you move: do not be like feathers in the wind."

St. John of the Cross said that ever since the Father said about Jesus on Tabor: "Listen to him!" God made himself, in a certain sense, dumb. He has said it all; he has nothing new to reveal.  Those who ask for new revelations or answers, offend him, as if he has yet to explain himself clearly. God continues to say to all the same word: "Listen to him, read the Gospel: You will find there, no more and no less, all that you seek."   

[Translation by ZENIT]  © Innovative Media Inc.

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A bit of desert

First Sunday of Lent 

L-Ewwel Ħadd tar-Randan '

Messalin B pp 143

Reading 1                                         GeNesis 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you  and your descendants after you  and with every living creature that was with you:  all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals  that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you,  that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood;  there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.” God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,  of the covenant between me and you  and every living creature with you:  I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth,  and the bow appears in the clouds,  I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings,  so that the waters shall never again become a flood  to destroy all mortal beings.” This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  - mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi  9, 8-15

Alla kellem lil Noe' u lil uliedu miegħu u qalilhom: "Arawni, hawn jien se nagħmel patt tiegħii magħkom  u ma' nisilkom warajkom; ma kull ħliqa ħajja li hemm magħkom, mat-tjur u mal-bhejjem, ma' kull bhima selvaġġa  li hemm magħkom, u mal-bhejjem kollha li ħarġu magħkom mill-arka.   Jien nagħmel il-patt tiegħi magħkom, li qatt iżjed ma jinqered, ebda laħam ħaj, bl-ilmijiet tad- dulluvju; u qatt iżjed ma jkun hemm dulluvju biex iħarbtu l-art. U żied jgħid Alla:   "Dan ikun is-sinjal tal-patt li jien  qiegħed nagħmel bejni u bejnkom, u bejn kull ħliqa ħajja li hemm magħkom, għall-ġenerazzjonijiet  kollha għal dejjem.   Inqiegħed il-qaws tiegħi fis-sħab, u jkun sinjal tal-att bejn u bejn l-art.  Meta niġma'  s-sħab  fuq l-art u tfeġġ il-qawsalla fis-sħab, jien  niftakar fil-patt bejni u bejnkom u bejn kull ruħ ħajja f'kull laħam; u ma jkun hemm iżjed l-ilma tad-dulluvju biex jeqred kull laħam ħaj. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                 PSalm  25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

R. (cf. 10) Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.                                          R.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.                       R.

Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.                      R.

Salm Responsorjali    -     Salm 24 (25)

                R/   Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedelta'.

Triqatek, Mulej, għarrafni,

il-mogħdijet tiegħek għallimni.

Mexxini fis-sewwa tiegħu u għallimni,

għax int Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi.                         R/

Ftakar fil-ħniena u t-tjieba tiegħek,

għax huma minn dejjem, Mulej.

Inti tajjeb, Mulej;

ftakar fija skont it-tjieba tiegħek.                             R/

Tajjeb u sewwa l-Mulej;

għalhekk juri triqtu lill-ħatja.

Imexxi l-imsejkna fis-sewwa,

jgħallem lill-fqajrin it-triq tiegħu.                           R/

Reading 2                                         1 PeTer 3:18-22

Beloved: Christ suffered for sins once,  the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,  that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh,  he was brought to life in the Spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,  who had once been disobedient  while God patiently waited in the days of Noah  during the building of the ark,  in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body  but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,  through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,  with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.  This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni    -     mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Pietru  3m 18-22

Għeżież, Kristu wkoll miet darba għal dejjem minħabba d-dnubiet;  hu li kien ġust miet għall- inġusti biex iressaqkom lejn Alla; kien mogħti l-mewt fil-ġisem, imma ħa l-ħajja fl-ispirtu, li bih mar ixandar is-salvazzjoni  lill-erwieħ li kienu magħluqa fil-ħabs.   Dawn kienu  l-erwieħ ta' dawk li darba ma ridux jisimgħu,  meta Alla qagħad jistenna bis-sabar fiż-żmien li Noe' kien jibni l-arka.   Ftit, jiġifieri tmienja biss, salvaw bis-saħħa tal-ilma.  Dan l-ilma  huwa tixbiħa tal-magħmudija, li issa ssalva lilkom ukoll.    Mhux għax tnaddaf il-ħmieġ tal-ġisem tal-ġisem, imma għax hi talba lil Alla ħierġa minn kuxjenza safja bis-saħħa tal-qawmien ta' Ġesu' Kristu, li tela'  s-sema u qiegħed fuq il-lemin ta' Alla u għandu taħtu s-Setgħat u l-Qawwiet tal-anġli.   Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                               MarK 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested,  Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -   skond San Mark 1, 12-15

F'dak iż-żmien, l-Ispirtu ħareġ lil Ġesu' fid-deżert. U baqa' fid-deżert erbgħin jum, jiġġarrab mix-Xitan. Kien jgħix mal-bhejjem selvaġġi, u kien jaqduh l-anġli. Wara li arrestaw lil Ġwanni, Ġesu' mar il-Galilija jxandar l-Evanġelju ta' Alla u jgħid:   "Iż-żmien huwa mitmum, u s-Saltna ta' Alla waslet; indmu u emmnu fl-Evanġelju. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Father Cantalamessa on Creating "a Bit of Desert"

Lenten Commentary on This Sunday's Gospel Passage

With Jesus in the Desert 

Let us concentrate on the first phrase of the Gospel: "The Spirit drove Jesus to the desert." It contains an important appeal at the beginning of Lent. Jesus had just received the messianic investiture in the Jordan, to take the Good News to the poor, heal afflicted hearts, preach the Kingdom. But he is not in haste to do any of these things. On the contrary, obeying an impulse of the Holy Spirit, he withdraws to the desert where he remains for 40 days, fasting, praying, meditating and struggling. All this in profound solitude and silence.

There have been in history legions of men and women who have chosen to imitate Jesus in his withdrawal to the desert. In the East, beginning with St. Anthony Abbot, they withdrew to the deserts of Egypt or Palestine; in the West, where there was no deserts of sand, they withdrew to solitary places, remote mountains and valleys.

But the invitation to follow Jesus in the desert is addressed to all. Monks and hermits chose a site in the desert; we must at least choose a time in the desert. To spend some time in the desert means to empty ourselves and be immersed in silence, rediscover the way of our heart, remove ourselves from the exterior racket and pressures to come into contact with the most profound sources of our being.

Well lived, Lent is a kind of cure of the poisoning of the soul. In fact, there is not only the contamination of carbon monoxide; there is also acoustic and luminous contamination. We are all somewhat inebriated with noise and externals. Man sends his waves to the periphery of the solar system, but in the majority of cases ignores what is in his own heart. To escape, to relax, to amuse oneself -- are words that mean to come out of oneself, to remove oneself from reality.

There are "escape" shows (the TV provides them in avalanche), "escape" literature. They are called, significantly, fiction. We prefer to live in fiction than in reality. Today there is much talk of "aliens," but aliens or alienated we already are by our own doing in our own planet, without the need of others coming from outside.

Young people are the most exposed to this inebriation with noise. "Let heavier work be laid upon the men that they may labor at it," Pharaoh said to his taskmasters, "and not listen to the words of Moses and not think of breaking out of slavery" (Exodus 5:9). Today's "Pharaohs" say, in a more tacit but no less peremptory way: "Increase the racket over these young people, so that they will be reckless and not think, not decide on their own, but follow the fashion, buy what we want them to buy, and consume the products we tell them to."
What can we do? Being unable to go to the desert, we must create a bit of desert within ourselves. In this regard, St. Francis of Assisi gives us a practical suggestion. "We have," he said, "a hermitage always with us; wherever we go and whenever we wish it we can enclose ourselves in it as hermits. The hermitage is our body and the soul is the hermit within!" We can go into this "portable" hermitage without being seen by anyone, even while we are traveling on a very crowded bus. It all consists in knowing how to "go into ourselves" every now and then.
    

May the Spirit that "drove Jesus to the desert" lead us also, help us in the struggle against evil and prepare us to celebrate Easter renewed in the spirit!
[Translation by ZENIT]  © Innovative Media Inc.

A Leper Came to Jesus

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 77

Is-Sitt Ħadd matul is-Sena –  Sena 'B'

Messalin 'B' pp 366

Reading 1                        LeViticus 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants. If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. “The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.” This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni        -      mill-Ktieb tal-Levitiku 13, 1-2, 45-46

Il-Mulej kellem lil Mose' u lil Aron u qalilhom: "Meta xi ħadd ikollu fil-ġilda xi qxur jew xi  bużżiieqa, jew xi tebgħa bajda, qisha ġerħa tal-ġdiem, jeħduh għand Aron il-qassis, jew għand xi ħadd minn  ulied il-qassisin. Il-marid bil-ġdiem għandu jilbes ħwejjeġ imqattgħa u jħalli rasu mikxufa, u jitgħatta sa geddumu, u  jgħajjat:   "Imniġġes!  Imniġġes!" Kemm idum marid ikun miżmumu b'imniġġes li hu, u jgħix waħdu f'postu barra mill-kamp."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm        PSalm 32:1-2, 5, 11

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.

R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Salm Responsorjali            Salm 31 (32)

                R/  Int kenn għalija, iddawwarni u tfarraħni bil-ħelsien tiegħek.

Ħieni l-bniedem li ħtijietu maħfura,

li għandu d-dnub tiegħu mistur!

Ħieni l-bniedem li ebda ħażen ma jgħoddlu l-Mulej,

u ma għandu ebda qerq f'qalbu!                                              R/

Id-dnub tiegħi jien stqarrejtlek,

u l-ħażen tiegħi ma ħbejtulekx.

Jien għedt:  "Quddiem il-Mulej nistqarr ħtiijieti."

U inti ħfirtli l-hażen tad-dnub tiegħi.                                     R/

Ifirħu, twajbin, u thennew fil-Mulej;

Għajtu bil-ferħ, intom ilkoll ta' qalbkom saffja.                 R/

Reading 2                 1 CORinthians 10:31—11:1

Brothers and sisters,  Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or  the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.  This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni   -    mill-1 Ittra lill-Korintin, 10, 3-11,1

Ħuti, sew jekk tieklu, sew jekk tixorbu, tagħmnlu x'taħmlu, agħmlu kollox  għall-glorja ta' Alla.  Tkunux ta' tfixkil, la għal-Lhud, la għall-Griegi, u lanqas għall-Knisja ta' Alla.   Hekk jien nogħġob lil kulħadd f'kollox, bla ma nfittex l-interess tiegħi, imma tal-ħafna biex isalvaw. Ixbħu lili, bħalma jien nixbaħ lil Kristu.   Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                     MarK 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,  touched him, and said to him,  “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  He said to him, “See that you tell no one anyt hing, but go, show yourself to the priest  and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -    skond San Mark1, 40-45

F'dak iż-żmien, resaq fuq Ġesu' wieħed lebbruż jiltolbu bil-ħerqa,  inxteħet għarkupptejh quddiemu  u qallu:  "Jekk trid, tista' tfejjaqni!"    Imqanqal mill-ħniena, Ġesu' midd idu fuqu,  messu u qallu:  "Irrid, kun imnaddaf!" U minnufih il-lebbra marritlu u ġismu ndaf. U widdbu bis-sħiħ, bagħtu malajr u qallu: "Qis lima tgħid xejn lil ħadd;  iżda mur uri ruħek lill-qassis, u agħmel offerta għall- fejqan tiegħek kif ordna Mose', biex tkunilhom ta' xhieda." Iżda dak, meta telaq, beda jxandar ma kullimkien u jxerred l-aħbar, hekk li Ġesu' f'edba blet ma sata' iżjed jidħol bid-dieher, imma kien jibqa' barra  fil-kampanja u kienu jmorru ħġdejh nies minn kullimkien. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Father Cantalamessa comments on Society's New Leprosies

 A Leper Came to Jesus

In the readings of the day the word leprosy resounds, which, just by hearing it being pronounced, caused anguish and fear for millennia! Two extraneous factors contributed to increase terror in the face of this sickness, to the point of making it the symbol of the greatest misfortune that could befall a human creature and isolate the poor unfortunate victims in the most inhuman ways.   The first was the conviction that this disease was so contagious that it infected anyone who might have been in contact with the sick person; the second, equally groundless, was that leprosy was a punishment for sin.

The one who contributed most to change the attitude and legislation in respect of lepers was Raoul Follereau (1903-1977). In 1954 he instituted the World Day of Leprosy, promoted scientific congresses and finally, in 1975, was successful in having legislation on the segregation of lepers revoked.   In regard to the phenomenon of leprosy, the readings of this Sunday enable us to know first the attitude of the Mosaic law and then of the Gospel of Christ. The First Reading from Leviticus states that the person suspected of suffering from leprosy must be taken to a priest who, verifying it, \"declares him impure.\" To make matters worse, the poor leper, excluded from human fellowship, must himself keep people away from him, warning them of the danger. Society\'s sole concern is to protect itself. 

Let us now see how Jesus conducts himself in the Gospel: A leper came to him beseeching him:"'If you will, you can make me clean.' Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I will;  be clean.' And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean."

Jesus is not afraid of contagion; he allows the leper to come to him and kneel before him. More than that: at a time when it was thought that mere proximity to a leper contaminated, he "stretched out his hand and touched him." We must not think that all this was spontaneous and cost Jesus nothing. As man, he shared in this, as in many other points, the convictions of his time and of the society in which he lived. But his compassion for the leper was stronger in him than the fear of leprosy.  In this circumstance, Jesus pronounces a simple and sublime phrase: "I will; be clean."    "If you will, you can," the leper had said, thus manifesting his faith in the power of Christ Jesus, who shows he can do it by doing it.

This comparison between the Mosaic law and the Gospel in the case of leprosy makes us ask ourselves the question: By which of the two attitudes am I inspired? It is true that leprosy is no longer the disease that causes most fear (though there are still millions of lepers in the world), as it is possible, if caught in time, to be completely cured of it. And in the majority of countries it has been altogether eradicated. But other diseases have taken its place. For some time there has been talk of "new leprosies" and "new lepers." With these terms is understood not so much the incurable illnesses of today, as the diseases (AIDS and drug dependency) against which society protects itself, as it did with leprosy, isolating the sick person and relegating him to the margins of society.

What Raoul Follereau suggested be done vis-à-vis traditional lepers, and which contributed so much to alleviate their isolation and suffering, should be done (and thank God many do) with the new lepers. Often such a gesture, especially if it is done having to overcome oneself, marks the beginning of a real conversion for the one doing it. The most famous case is that of Francis of Assisi, who dates the beginning of his new life from his meeting with a leper. 

[Translation by ZENIT]  © Innovative Media Inc.

Jesus cures the sick

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Il-5 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin  ‘B’ pp 361

Reading 1  -    Job 7:1-4, 6-7

Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. . This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni     -     mill-Ktieb ta' Ġob 7, 1-4,6-7)

Ġob tkellem u qal: "Ħajjet il-bniedem mhix forsi xogħol bilfors fuq l-art? U għomru mhux bħal jiem il-ħaddiem mikri?  Bħalma lsir jixxennaq għad-dell,  u bħalma l-mikri jistenna l-ħlas, hekk xhur fiergħa kienu sehmi, u ljieli dwejjaq messew lili. Jekk nimtedd, ngħid: "Meta se nqum?" u meta nqum, ngħid:  "Meta se jidlam?" u hekk nixba' nhewden sa ma jidlam. Eħfef minn mekkuk għaddew jiemi, u bla tama ntemmu. Ftakar li ħajti buffura riħ, u għajnejja ma jerġgħux jaraw ir-riżq." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm   -   Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

Salm Responsorjali  -   Salm 146(147)

                Faħħru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma.

Faħħru l-Mulej għax tajjeb li tgħanni lil Alla tagħna;

Għax ħelu u xieraq it-tifħir tiegħu.

Jibni 'l Ġerusalemm il-Mulej,

Jiġma' l-imxerrdin ta'  Iżrael.                                                     R/

Hu jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma,

hu jorbot il-ġrieħi tagħhom.

Hu jgħodd in-numru tal-kwiekeb;

Kollha jsejħilhom b'isimhom.                                                   R/          

Reading 2   -  1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,  for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -   mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 9, 16-19, 22-23

Ħuti, jekk jiena nxandar l-Evanġelju ma għandix biex  niftaħar;  jien obbligat nagħmlu dan.   Ħażin għalija jekk ma nxandarx l-Evanġelju. Jekk dan nagħmlu minn rajja, ikolli dritt għall-ħlas; imma jekk nagħmlu għax obbligat, dan ifisser li li qiegħed nagħmel ix-xogħol li Alla fdali f'idejja. X'inhu mela l-ħlas tiegħi?   Li meta nxandar  l-Evanġelju, inxandru b'xejn, bla ma nfittex id-dritt li jagħtini l-Evanġelju stess. Għax għad li ma jiena marbut ma' ħadd, jien għamilt lili nnifsi lsir ta' kulħadd biex nirbaħ lil ħafna.   Sirt dgħajjef mad-dgħajfin, biex nirbaħ id-dgħajfin.   Sirt kollox ma' kulħadd, biex insalva lill-kulħadd.   Nagħmel dan kollu minħabba l-Evanġelju biex ikolli sehem minnu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  -   Mark 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left  and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

L-Evanġelju   -   skond San Mark 1, 29-39)

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' u d-dixxipli ħarġu mis-sinagoga u baqgħu sejrin ma' Ġakbu u Ġwanni għand Xmun u Inrdi'. Issa omm il-mara ta' Xmun kienet fis-sodda bid-deni, u malajr  qalulu biha.   Resaq lejha, qabadha minn idha u qajjiema. U d-deni ħallieha, u bdiet isservihom. Fil-għaxija, imbagħad, fi nżul ix-xemx, ħadulu quddiemu lil dawk kollha li kienu morda jew li kienu maħkuma  mix-xitan.  U quddiem il-bieb inġabret il-belt bi ħġarha. U fejjaq ħafna morda minn kull xorta ta' mard, u ħareġ għadd kbir ta' xjajten li hu ma kienx iħallihom jitkellmu, għax huma kienu jafu min kien. L-għada filgħodu kmieni, qabel ma żernaq, qam, ħareġ u mar f'posot imwarrab u qagħad hekk jitlob. Xmun u sħabu l-oħrajn marru jfittxuh. Kif sabuh, qalulu:  "Kulħadd jistaqsi għalik." U qalilhom:  "Ejjew immorru, band'oħra, fl-irħula tal-qrib, ħalli nippriedka hemmhekk ukoll, għax għalhekk ħriġt." U dar il-Galilija kollha, jipprieka fis-sinagogi tagħhom u joħroġ ix-xjaten. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY -  Fr Cantalamessa on the sick

He Cured Many Sick

The Gospel passage of this Sunday gives us a faithful report of a typical day of Jesus. When he left the synagogue, Jesus went first to Peter's house, where he cured his mother-in-law, who was in bed with a fever; in the afternoon, they took all the sick to him and he cured many, affected by different illnesses. In the morning, he rose while it was still dark and went to a solitary place to pray; then he left to preach the Kingdom to other towns.

From this account we deduce that Jesus' day consisted of a mixture of curing the sick, prayer and preaching of the Kingdom. Let us dedicate our reflection to the love of Jesus for the sick, also because in a few days, in the liturgical memorial of the Virgin of Lourdes, Feb. 11, the World Day of the Sick will be observed.

The social transformations of our century have changed profoundly the conditions of the sick. In many situations science gives reasonable hope of a cure, or at least prolongs in many the period of the illness' evolution in cases of incurable sicknesses. But sickness, as death, is not yet and will never be altogether defeated. It is part of the human condition. Christian faith can alleviate this condition and also give it meaning and value.

It is necessary to express two approaches: one for the sick themselves and another for those who look after them. Before Christ, sickness was considered closely linked to sin. In other words, people were convinced that sickness was also the consequence of some personal sin that had to be expiated.

With Jesus, this attitude changed somewhat. "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases" (Matthew 8:17). On the cross, he gave new meaning to human suffering, including sickness: It is no longer punishment, but redemption. Illness unites us to him; it sanctifies, refines the soul, prepares the day in which God will dry every tear and there will be no longer sickness, or weeping, or pain.

After the long hospitalization that followed the attack in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter on suffering in which, among other things, he said: "To suffer means to become particularly susceptible, particularly open to the working of the salvific powers of God, offered to humanity in Christ" (cf. "Salvifici Doloris" No. 23). Sickness and suffering open between us and Jesus on the cross an altogether special channel of communication. The sick are not passive members of the Church, but the most active, most precious members. In God's eyes, one hour of their suffering, endured with patience, can be worth more than all the activities of the world, if they are done only for oneself.

Now a word for those who must look after the sick, at home or in health structures. The sick person certainly has need of care, of scientific competence, but he has even more need of hope. No medicine alleviates the sick person more than to hear the doctor say: "I have good hopes for you." When it is possible to do so without deception, hope must be given. Hope is the best "oxygen tent" for a sick person. The sick must not be left alone. One of the works of mercy is to visit the sick, and Jesus warned us that one of the points of the Last Judgment will be precisely this: "I was sick and you visited me. I was sick and you did not visit me" (Matthew 25:36,43).

Something we can all do for the sick is to pray. Almost all the sick of the Gospel were cured because some one presented them to Jesus and pleaded for them. The simplest prayer, which we can all make our own, is the one that the sisters Martha and Mary addressed to Jesus, in the circumstance of the sickness of their brother Lazarus: "Lord, he whom you love is ill" (John, 11:3).

[Translation from the Italian original by ZENIT]  © Innovative Media Inc.