It-13-il
Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin 'B' 404
God
did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For
he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the
world are wholesome, and there is not a destructive drug among them nor any
domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying. For God formed man
to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of
the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company
experience it. This is the Word of The
Lord.
L-Ewwel
Lezzjoni - mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 1, 13-15; 2,23-25
Il-mewt mhux Alla
għamilha; u lanqas togħġbu l-qerda tal-ħajjin. Hu ħalaq kollox biex jgħix;
għall-ħajja huma l-ħlejjaq tad-dinja, m'hemmx fihom velenu tal-mewt . Is-saltan
tal-mewt ma taħkimx fuq l-art, għax il-ġustizzja ma taqax taħ t il-mewt. Alla
ħalaq il-bniedem biex ma jmutx, u għamlu xbieha tiegħu nnifsu. Bl-għejra
tax-xitan daħlet il-mewt fid-dinja; u jafu xi tfisser dawk li huma tiegħu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial
Psalm Psalm 30: 2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued
me.
I
will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R.
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing. R.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. R.
Salm
Responsorjali Salm 29(30)
R/ Ngħollik, Mulej, għax erfajtni.
Ngħollik, Mulej, għax
erfajtni,
u ma ferraħtx l-għedewwa tiegħi bija.
Mulej, tellejtli
mill-mewt 'il ruħi,
ħlistni minn fost
dawk li jinżlu fil-ħofra. R/
Għannu lill-Mulej, ħbieb tiegħu,
faħhru l-isem qaddis tiegħu.
Għax ftit iddum is-saħna
tiegħu,
iżda għomor sħiħ
l-imħabba tiegħu.
Filgħaxija jidħol
il-biki,
filgħodu jidwi l-għajjat
ta' ferħ. R/
Ismagħni, Mulej, u ħenn għalija;
kun, Mulej,
l-għajnuna tiegħi.
Int bdilt fi żfin l-għali tiegħi,
Mulej, Alla tiegħi, infaħħrek għal dejjem! R/
Reading
2 2 Corinthans
8: 7, 9, 13-15
Brothers
and sisters: As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all
earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious
act also. For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might
become rich. Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but
that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply
their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may
be equality. As it is written: Whoever
had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less. This is the Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni
- mit-Tieni Ittra
lill-Korintin 8,7-9, 13-15
Ħuti, bħalma intom għonja
f'kollox, fil-fidi u fil-kelma, fl-għerf
u biż-żelu kollu, fl-imħabba li aħna
rawwimna f'qalbhom, hekk għandkom tistagħnu
f'din il-ħidma ta' ħniena. Intom tafu l-grazzja ta' Sidna Ġesu'
Kristu, li għad li kien għani, ftaqar
minħabba fikom, sabiex intom tistagħnu
permezz tal-faqar tiegħu. Mhux biex il-piż iħeff minn fuq l-oħrajn, u
jaqa' Kollu fuqkom, imma kulħadd
indaqs. Bħalissa ħallu ż-żejjed tagħkom
jagħmel tajjeb għan-nieqes ta' dawk li
ma għandhomx, biex iż-żejjed tagħhom
għad ikun jista' jpatti għan- nieqes tagħkom.
U hekk ikun kulħadd indaqs, bħalma hu miktub; "Min ġabar ħafna ma sabx iż-żejjed. u min ġabar ftit ma baqax
bin-nieqes." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel Mark 5: 21-43
When Jesus had crossed again
in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed
close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing
him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My
daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she
may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed
him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for
twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had
spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had
heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She
said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her
flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her
affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned
around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his
disciples said to Jesus, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and
yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done
it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and
trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to
her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your
affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your
daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the
message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not
be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him
inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived
at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people
weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this
commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they
ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and
mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He
took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I
say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and
walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that
no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
L-Evanġelju
skond San Mark 5, 21-43
F'dak iż-żmien, wara li
Ġesu' raġa' qasam fid-dgħajsa għax- xatt
l-ieħor, waqt li kien ħdjen il-baħar inġabret madwaru kotra kbira ta' nies. U ġie wieħed mill-kapijiet
tas-sinagoga, jismu Ġajru. Dan malli rah, inxteħet f'riġlejh, u talbu
ħafna u qallu: "Binti ż-żgħira waslet fl-aħħar; ejja qiegħed idejk fuqha, ħalli tfiq u
tgħix." U Ġesu' telaq
miegħu, b'kotra kbira miexja warajh, kulħadd iross fuq. U kien hemm mara li
kienet ilha tnax-il sena sħaħ tbati bit- tnixxija tad-demm. Kienet
batiet wisq taħt ħafna tobba, u nefqet kulma kellha, u mhux biss ma
swielha xejn, imma talli marret għall-agħar.
Meta semgħet b'Ġesu', ġiet qalb il-folla, resqet minn warajh u messitlu
l-mantar, għax qalet: "Jekk immis imqar il-mantar tiegħu nkun
imfejqa." F'daqqa waħda t-tnixxija tad-demm waqfitilha, u ġewwa fiha
Hasset li kient fieqet mill-marda tagħha. Ġesu' minnufih intebaħ
bil-qawwa li ħarġet minnu, u dar lejn il-kotra u staqsa: "Min messli l-mantar?" Id-dixxipli tiegħu qalulu: "Qiegħed tara dawn in-nies kollha
jrossu madwarek, u tistaqsi: "Min messni?" Hu beda jħares madwaru biex jara jilmaħx lil dik li kienet għamlet dan. Imbagħad il-mara, tirtogħod bil-biża' għax għarfet x'kien ġralha, resqet,
inxteħet f'riġlejh u staqrritlu s-sewwa kollu. U qalilha:
"Binti, il-fidi tiegħek fejqitek;
mur bis-sliem, u kun imfejqa
mill-marda tiegħek." Kif kien għadu jitkellem, waslu xi wħud mid-dar
tal-kap tas- sinagoga u lil dan qalulu:
"Bintek mieter; għalfejn
tħabbtu iżjed l-Imgħallem?" Iżda
Ġesu' sama' x'kienu qegħdin igħidu u qal lill-Kap tas-sinagoga: "Tibżax, biss inti emmen." U ma ħalla lil ħadd imur miegħu ħlief lil
Pietru, lil Ġakbu, u lil Ġwanni, ħu
Ġakbu. Waslu d-dar tal-kap tas-sinagoga, u ra storbju sħiħ u nies jibku u
jixhru. Daħal, u qalilhom: "Dan l-istorbju kollu u dan il-biki għalfejn?
It-tfajla mhijiex nejta, imma rieqda." U qabdu
jiddieħqu bih. Imma hu keċċiehom ilkoll 'il barra, ħa
miegħu lil missieri it- tfajla u lil ommha u lil dak li kienu miegħu u daħal fejn kienet it-tfajla. Qabdilha idha, u qalilha: "Talitha,qum!" -
jiġiifieri: "Tfajla qiegħed ngħidlek, qum!" Minnufih it-tfajla qamet u qabdet timxi'
għax kellha tnax-il sena. U baqgħu
miblugħin bil-għaġeb. U hu wissiehom
bis-sħiħ biex dan ma jku jaf bih ħadd, u qalilhom jagħtuha tiekol.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
///////////////////////////////
Father Cantalamessa on
Revitalizing Youth
Talitha
koum Little girl, arise!
The passage of this Sunday's Gospel is made
up of scenes that occur rapidly in different places. First of all is the scene on the lakeshore.
Jesus is surrounded by a crowd when a man falls down at his feet and begs him: "My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." Jesus
leaves his half-finished address and goes to the man's home.
The second scene takes place on the road. A woman who suffered from hemorrhage, went up behind Jesus to touch his garment and felt she is cured. While Jesus was speaking with her, someone arrived from Jairus' house to tell him:
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Jesus,
who heard everything, said to the ruler of the synagogue:
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
And next comes the crucial scene, in Jairus' house. There was great confusion, people weeping and shouting, which is understandable given the death of the adolescent which had just occurred. "So he went in and said to them, 'Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.' ... Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. "He took the child by the hand and said to her, 'Talitha koum,' which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise!' "The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. ... He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat" (Mark 5: 39-43).
The Gospel passage suggests an observation. The degree of historicity and reliability of the Gospels is again continually discussed. We recently witnessed the attempt to put at the same level, as if it had the same authority, the four canonical Gospels and the apocryphal gospels of the second and third centuries.
However, this attempt is simply absurd, and it also shows a good deal of bad faith. The apocryphal gospels, especially those of Gnostic origin, were written several generations later by persons who had lost all contact with the events, and who, moreover, were not in the least interested in making history, but in putting on Christ's lips the teachings of their own schools.
The canonical Gospels, on the contrary, were written by eyewitnesses of the events or persons who had been in contact with eyewitnesses. Mark, whose Gospel we are reading this year, was in close relationship with the Apostle Peter, of whom he refers many episodes that had him as protagonist.
This Sunday's passage gives us an example of that historical character of the Gospels. The clear portrait of Jairus and his anguished request for help; the episode of the woman they meet on the way to her home; the messengers' skeptical attitude toward Jesus; Christ's tenacity; the atmosphere of the people mourning for the dead girl; Jesus' command mentioned in the original Aramaic language; Jesus' moving concern that the resurrected girl be given something to eat. All makes one think of an eyewitness' account of the event.
Now, a brief application of Sunday's Gospel to life:
There is not only the death of the body but also the death of the heart. Death
of the heart exists when one lives in anxiety, discouragement and chronic
sadness. Jesus' words "Talitha koum," Little girl, arise, are not
addressed only to dead boys and girls, but also to living boys and girls.
How sad it is to see young people … sad. And there are very many around us. Sadness, pessimism, the desire not to live, are always bad things, but when one sees or hears young people express them, the heart is even more oppressed.
In this connection, Jesus also continues today to resurrect dead boys and girls. He does so with his word, and also by sending them his disciples who, in his name, and with his very love, repeat to today's young people that cry of his: "Talitha koum,"
youth, arise! Live again!
[Translation by ZENIT] © Innovative Media Inc.
The second scene takes place on the road. A woman who suffered from hemorrhage, went up behind Jesus to touch his garment and felt she is cured. While Jesus was speaking with her, someone arrived from Jairus' house to tell him
And next comes the crucial scene, in Jairus' house. There was great confusion, people weeping and shouting, which is understandable given the death of the adolescent which had just occurred. "So he went in and said to them, 'Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.' ... Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. "He took the child by the hand and said to her, 'Talitha koum,' which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise!' "The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. ... He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat" (Mark 5
The Gospel passage suggests an observation. The degree of historicity and reliability of the Gospels is again continually discussed. We recently witnessed the attempt to put at the same level, as if it had the same authority, the four canonical Gospels and the apocryphal gospels of the second and third centuries.
However, this attempt is simply absurd, and it also shows a good deal of bad faith. The apocryphal gospels, especially those of Gnostic origin, were written several generations later by persons who had lost all contact with the events, and who, moreover, were not in the least interested in making history, but in putting on Christ's lips the teachings of their own schools.
The canonical Gospels, on the contrary, were written by eyewitnesses of the events or persons who had been in contact with eyewitnesses. Mark, whose Gospel we are reading this year, was in close relationship with the Apostle Peter, of whom he refers many episodes that had him as protagonist.
This Sunday's passage gives us an example of that historical character of the Gospels. The clear portrait of Jairus and his anguished request for help; the episode of the woman they meet on the way to her home; the messengers' skeptical attitude toward Jesus; Christ's tenacity; the atmosphere of the people mourning for the dead girl; Jesus' command mentioned in the original Aramaic language; Jesus' moving concern that the resurrected girl be given something to eat. All makes one think of an eyewitness' account of the event.
Now, a brief application of Sunday's Gospel to life
How sad it is to see young people … sad. And there are very many around us. Sadness, pessimism, the desire not to live, are always bad things, but when one sees or hears young people express them, the heart is even more oppressed.
In this connection, Jesus also continues today to resurrect dead boys and girls. He does so with his word, and also by sending them his disciples who, in his name, and with his very love, repeat to today's young people that cry of his
[Translation by ZENIT] © Innovative Media Inc.
