23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 128
It-23 Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin B pp 458
Reading 1 ISAIAH 35:4-7A
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with
divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be
opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then
the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and
rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water. This is
the Word of the Lord.
L-Ewwel Qari - mill-Profet Isaija 35, 4 – 7a
Għidu lil dawk b'qalbhom
imbeżżgħa: "Agħmlu l-ħila, la tibżgħux! Araw, Alla
tagħkom gej jitħallas; il-ħlas ta' Alla
wasal; Hu stess ġej biex
isalvakom." Imbagħad jinfetħu għajnejn il-għomja, jinfetħu widnejn
it-torox. Imbagħad iz-zopp jaqbeż bħal għaqżiela u lsien l-imbikkma jinħall bil-ferħ. Iva, igelgel l-ilma
fid-deżert, u l-widien fix-xagħri. L-art maħruqa tinbidel f'għadira, u l-art niexfa f'għejun ta'
ilma ġieri. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial
Psalm PSalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
The God of Jacob
keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives
sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
Salm Responsorjali - Salm 145 (146)
Il-Mulej
iżomm kelmtu għal dejjem,
jagħmel
ħaqq lill-maħqurin,
u jagħti
l-ħobż lill-imġewħin.
Il-Mulej
jeħles lill-imjassrin.
R/ Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Il-Mulej
jiftaħ għajnejn il-għomja;
il-Mulej
jerfa' lill-milwijin;
il-Mulej
iħobb lill-ġusti;
il-Mulej
jħares lill-barranin.
R/ Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Hu
li jżomm lill-iltim u ill-armla,
imma
lill-ħżiena jħarbatilhom triqathom
Il-Mulej
isaltan għal dejjem;
Alla
tiegħek, Sijon, minn
R/ Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Reading 2 JAMES 2:1-5
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes
into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you
pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ” have you
not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? Listen,
my beloved brothers and sisters. Did not God choose those who are poor in the
world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he
promised to those who love him? This is the Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Qari -- mill-Ittra ta' San Ġakbu
2, 1-5
Ħuti; tħallux
il-fidi f'Ġesu' Kristu, il-Mulej
tagħna tal-glorja, mal-ħarsien
lejn l-uċuħ. Għax jekk fil-laqgħa tagħkom jidħol xi ħadd biċ-ċrieket tad-deheb
f'subgħajh u bi lbies ilellex, imbagħad
jidħol xi ħaddieħor fqir liebes imċerċer, u intom idduru ma'
dak bl-ilbies ilellex, u tgħidulu: "Int
oqgħod komdu hawn bilqiegħda" waqt li lill-fqir tgħidulu: "Int oqgħod bilwieqfa" jew, "Oqgħod bilqiegħda
fuq il-mirfes ta' riġlejja", ma jidhrilkomx li tkunu qegħdin tagħmlu għażla
bejniethom, u hekk issiru mħallfin
qarrieqa? Isimgħu, ħuti għeżież: mhux
Alla kien li għażel lill-foqra
għad-dinja biex jistagħnu
fil-fidi u jsiru werrieta tas-Saltna li hu wiegħed lil dawk li jħobbuh? Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Gospel MARK 7:31-37
Again Jesus left
the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to
the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis . And people brought to him a deaf man who had a
speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by
himself away from the crowd. He
put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he
looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that
is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech
impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He
ordered them not to tell anyone. But
the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He
has done all things well. He
makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” This is
the Word of the Lord.
L-Evanġelju
-- skont San Mark
-- 7,
31-37
F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu',
telaq mill-inħawi tal-belt ta' Tir, għadda minn
Sidon minn
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Commentary by Larry Broding
Shortcomings and Faith
What kinds of shortcomings do people have? How do those
shortcomings challenge people to grow?
We all have 'em. Shortcomings. They can be physical,
emotional, moral, behavioral, or mental. Most of us have several shortcomings.
Some of these shortcomings are real. Others are imagined (they're only
"real" when we compare them to other people). No matter. We will
obsess, deny, rationalize them. And we'll spent real money for relief from
them. We'll do anything to alleviate them, to be free of them.
Sometimes we call these shortcomings our
"demons." In the time of Jesus, the ancients equated many of these
shortcomings to demonic possession. Jesus freed a man from a real shortcoming,
a demon, but did more than heal him. He allowed the man to hear and speak the
truth.
As the notes above indicates, Jesus treated this healing
as a demonic possession. He spat on the ground as a warning against evil
spirits. He touched the man on the ears and the tongue to infuse God's power.
As a result, the man was able to truly hear and understand. And the chains that
held his tongue (demons bound his tongue) were loosened. The man could speak
clearly, for no demon could now touch him.
Jesus freed the man from more than a physical ailment. He
restored the man's moral character and social contacts. Jews in the time of
Jesus assumed physical ailments (like the one the man suffered from) were the
result of sin, either personal or ancestral. Such an ailment reflected moral
deficiencies. It also placed barriers between the man and a normal social life.
(Indeed, some of his family members might have been ashamed of his condition and
sought to hide him.) Despite the action of the crowd to deliver the man to
Jesus, the man still would have been "different," counted among the
outcasts and sinners.
We must not overlook whose voice, whose command, healed
the man. The man responded to Jesus' word: "Be opened!" The man heard
and felt Jesus. His power healed the man. Now, the man could hear the truth.
And he could clearly speak the truth. Mark inferred that the man was freed from
his demons and rose to proclaim faith. How much clearer can one speak?
The clarity of the man's speech (his own witness) caused
others to praise God and spread the reputation of Jesus. Why did Jesus try to
discourage the crowd from praising him? Historically, such praise would bring a
backlash. "The carpenter had no right to be a healing minister," some
would think. Controversy would bring scandal and scandal would bring
condemnation. Those who rose above their place in life would be knocked down.
There was another reason for Jesus' reaction to such
praise. Those who praised him would misunderstand his ministry and his
Messiahood. They would expect Jesus to be God's vengeance, the Davidic messiah
who would drive the Romans into the sea and restore his ancestor's throne. In
the end, even his most enthusiastic followers would leave him when they found
Jesus would not fulfill their political ambitions.
Jesus wanted discretion from the crowd because he would,
in time, reveal the type of Messiah he was. He would also reveal the type of
follower his Messiahood required.
Is our praise of God for his benefit or ours? Do we pray
and worship God to fulfill our needs alone? Or do we do it for his glory? Or do
we praise God for both reasons? Explain.
Sometimes our shortcomings are spiritual. We are people of
faith, but our spiritual focus is upon the self. Many times we struggle between
our immature "needs" and a real exercise in the Spirit's gifts. These
shortcomings can lead us to discouragement ("church does not fulfill my
needs anymore"). Or they can challenge us to grow. Through growth, we
begin to listen and understand. Then, we can speak clearly. Our ears are no
longer blocked. Our tongue is no longer held bound. Despite our shortcoming,
Jesus will touch and call to us. And he will use these shortcomings to lead us
to greater faith.
Reflect on your own shortcomings. How do they affect your
spiritual life? How do they challenge you to redouble your efforts in prayer
and service?
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