Our Holy Father’s Gift of Faith

21^st  Sunday in Ordinary Time, year B

Il-21 Ħadd matul is-Sena B

Messalin B pp446

Reading 1                 Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,  summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: "If it does not please you to serve the LORD,   decide today whom you will serve,  the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

L-Ewwel Qari  -  mill-Ktieb ta' Ġożwe 24, 1-2; 15-17

F'dak iż-żmien:   Ġożwe' ġema'  t-tribujiet kollha ta' Israel f'Sikem u sejjaħ lix-xjuħ  lill-kapijiet, lill-imħallfin  lill-uffiċjali u resqu quddiem Alla. U  Ġożwe' qal lill-poplu kollu: "Jekk ma jogħġobkomx taqdu l-Mulej,  għażlu llum lil min tridu taqdu: jekk hux  l-allat li kienu jaqdu missirijietkom lil  hemm mix-xmara, jew  l-allat tal-Amurrin li  f'arthom qegħdin tgħammru.   Imma jien u dari naqdu  l-Mulej." U l-poplu kollu wieġeb u qal:   "Ma jkun qatt li  aħna nħallu l-Mulej biex naqdu  allat oħra!   Għax kien il-Mulej, Alla tagħna, li talla' lilna u  'l missirijietna mill-art ta' l-Eġittu, minn dar il-jasar, u  li għamel quddiemna stess dawk il-ħwejjeġ kbar, u  ħarisna matul it-triq kollha li minna għaddejna u  fost il-popli li minn ġo nofshom qsamna. Għalhekk aħna wkoll lill-Mulej naqdu,  għaliex hu Alla tagħna." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                   PSALM  34:  2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.                                     R/

The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.          R/

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.                    R/

Many are the troubles of the just one,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.                                            R/

Salm Responsorjali    - Salm 33 (34)

R/  Ippruuvaw u taraw kemm hu  tajjeb il-Mulej.

Kull ħin imbierek il-Mulej,

tifħiru dejjem fuq fommi.

Bil-Mulej tiftaħar ruħi;

jisimgħu l-fqajrin u jifirħu!                                          R/

Għajnejn il-Mulej lejn il-ġusti,

u widnejh miftuħa għall-għajta tagħhom.

Il-ħarsa tal-Mulej fuq il-ħżiena,

biex eqred minn fuq l-art tifkirithom.                    R/

Jgħajtu  l-ġusti għall-għajnuna, u l-Mulej jismagħhom;

mid-dwejjaq kollha tagħhom jeħlishom.

Qrib il-Mulej lejn dawk b'qalbhom maqsuma,

jgħin lil dawk b'ruħhom mifnija.                              R/

Kbar huma l-ħsarat tar-raġel sewwa,

iżda minnhom kollha jeħilsu l-Mulej.

Iħarislu għadmu kollha,

ebda waħda  ma titkissirlu.                                         R/

Il-ħażin ħżunitu teqirdu;

min jobgħod il-ġust iħallas għall-ħtija.

Jifdi l-Mulej il-ħajja tal-qaddejja tiegħu; 

kull min jistkenn fih ma jkollux ħtija xi jpatti.    R/

Reading 2                                         Ephesians 5:21-32

Brothers and sisters:    Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

It-Tieni Qari  --  mill-Ittra lill-Efesin 5, 21 -32

Ħuti,  oqogħdu għal xulxin fil-biża' ta' Kristu: Intom in-nisa oqogħoduu  għal żwieġhom,  bħallikieku għall-Mulej, għax ir-raġel hu  r-ras il-mara bħalma Kristu hu r-ras il-Knisja,  s-Salvatur tal-Ġisem tiegħu.   Għallhekk,  bħalma l-Knisja toqgħod għal Kristu, hekk  ukoll  in-nisa għandhom joqogħdu għal żwieġhom f'kollox.Intom, l-irġiel, ħobbu n-nisa tagħkom, kif Kristu   ħabb il-Knisja u ta ħajtu għaliha.  U dan għamlu  biex iqaddisha u jnaddafha bil-ħasil ta' l-ilma u l-kelma  u biex  iressaqha quddiemu, din  il-Knisja, sabiħa, bla   tebgħa, bla tikmix, bla għajb, u b'xejn minn dan,   imma qaddisa u bla tmaqdir minn  ħadd. Hekk għandhom  ukoll l-irġiel iħobbu n-nisa tagħhom bħalikienu ġisimhom stess. Min iħobb 'il martu ikun iħobb lilu nnifsu. Qatt ħadd ma  bagħad 'l-ġismu stess, iżda jmantnih u jieħu ħsiebu,  bħalma jagħmel Kristu mal-Knisja, għax  aħna lkoll membri tal-Ġisem tiegħu. Għalhekk ir-raġel iħalli lil misieru u 'l ommu u jingħaqħad ma' martu,  u jsiru t-tnejn ġisem wieħed. Dan il-misteru – qiegħed ngħid għal Kristu u għall-Knisja  -  huwa kbir! Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                                                John  6:60-69

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their  former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

L-Evanġelju  --  skond  San Ġwann 6, 60 –69

F'dak iż-żmien:,  Ġesu' tkellem fuq il-ħobż tal-ħajja. Hafna  dixxipli tiegħu, kif semgħuh, qalu: "Iebes dan il-kliem!  Min jiflaħ jisimgħu?"   Ġesu'  ntebaħ waħdu li d-dixxipli tiegħu  kienu  qiegħdin igergru fuq hekk, u  qalilhom: "Dan il-kliem  qiegħed ifixkilkom?  Mela xi tgħidu kieku kellkom taraw lil  Bin il-bniedem tiela' fejn kien qabel?   Hu l-Ispirtu  li jagħti  l-ħajja, il-ġisem ma jiswa għal xejn.    Il-kliem li jien  għedtilkom huwa spirtu u  ħajja.   Iżda hemm xi wħud fostkom   li ma jemmnux."   Għaliex Ġesu' kien jaf sa mill-bidu min kienu  dawk li ma emmnux u min kien dak li kien sejjer jittradih.   U ssokta jgħidilhom:  "Kien għalhekk  li jiena għidtilkom   li ħadd ma jista'jiġi għandi jekk il-Missier ma jgħtix  li jiġi.Minn dakinhar bosta mid-dixxipli tiegħu telquh u ma baqgħux  imorru warajh.    Imbagħad Ġesu' qal lit-Tnax:  "Tridux titilqu  intom ukoll?"    Wieġbu Xmun Pietru:  "Mulej, għand min immorru?    Inti għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta' dejjem,  u aħna emminna u għarafna  li inti l-Qaddis ta' Alla." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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 COMMENTARY:   by Fr Raniero Cantalamessa ofm cap

This week I would like to focus attention on the second reading of next Sunday’s Eucharistic celebration (Ephesians 5:21-32) because it has a theme of great interest for the family.   Reading Paul's words with modern eyes, one immediately sees a difficulty. Paul recommends to husband that they "love" their wives (and this is good), but he also recommends to women that they be submissive to their husbands, and this -- in a society strongly (and justly) conscious of the equality of the sexes -- seems unacceptable.

In fact, it's true. On this point St. Paul is conditioned in part by the mentality of his age. However, the solution is not in eliminating from relations between husbands and wives the word "submission," but, perhaps, in making it mutual, as love must also be mutual.  In other words, not only must husbands love their wives, but wives must also love their husbands. Not only must wives be subject to their husbands, but also husbands to their wives, in mutual love and mutual submission.  

In this case, to be subject means to take into account the wishes, opinion and sensitivity of one's spouse; to discuss, not to decide on one's own; to be able to give up one's own point of view. In short, to remember that both are "spouses," that is, literally, persons who are under "the same yoke," freely chosen.  

The Apostle gives Christian spouses as model the relationship of love that exists between Christ and the Church, but he explains immediately in what such love consisted: "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her." True love is manifested in "giving" oneself to the other.

There are two ways of expressing one's love for the beloved. The first is to give presents, to fill the other with gifts; the second, much more demanding, consists in suffering for one's spouse.   God loved us in the first way when he created us and filled us with goods: Heaven, earth, flowers, our bodies, everything is a gift of his. But then, in the fullness of time, in Christ, he came to us and suffered for us, unto death on the cross. 

This is also true in human love. At the beginning, the newly married express their love with gifts. But the time comes for all when presents are not enough. It is necessary to be able to suffer with and for the beloved. One must love despite the limitations one discovers in the other, and despite the moments of poverty and illnesses.

This is true love which is like Christ's.   

In general, the first kind of love is called "seeking love" (with a Greek word, eros); the second kind, "giving love" (with the Greek word agape).  The sign that a couple is passing from seeking to giving love, from eros to agape, is this: Instead of saying "What more could my husband do for me (respectively, my wife) which he still does not do?" one begins to ask: "What more could I do for my husband (or my wife) which I still have not done?"

[Translation by ZENIT]   © Innovative Media Inc.

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