ALL MEN WILL BE SAVED?

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is-26 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin B p 475

Reading 1   -   Numbers 11:25-29

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, " Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses?aide, said, "Moses, my lord, stop them." But Moses answered him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"   This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari   -   mill-Ktieb tan-Numri 11, 25-29

F'dak iż-żmien,  Il-Mulej niżel fi sħaba jkellem 'il Mose', u ħa mill-ispirtu li kellu fih, u tah lis-sebgħin xiħ; u ġara li, hekk kif l-ispirtu qagħad fuqhom, bdew jipprofetizzaw, imma ma ssoktawx. Issa fil-kamp kien baqa' żewġt irġiel, wieħed jismu Eldad u  l-ieħor Medad,  u fuqhom ukoll niżel l-ipirtu. Hekk dawn ġew magħduda mal-magħżulin għax, għalkemm  ma marrux fit-Tinda,  bdew jipprofetizzaw fil-kamp. Dlonk mar wieħed żagħżugħ jgħarraf b'dan il-Mose' u qallu: "Eldad u Medad qegħdin jipprofetizzaw fil-kamp." U Ġożwe' bin Nun, li minn ċkunitu kien qaddej ta' Mose', qabad u qal:  "Sidi Mose', tħallihomx aktar." Iżda' Mose' wieġbu:  "Jaqaw qiegħed tgħir minħabba fija? Jalla l-poplu tal-Mulej ikun kollu profeti, u jalla l-Mulej iqiegħed fuqhom l-ispirtu tiegħu." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

Responsorial Psalm                      Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.                   R/

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.                                                                R/

Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!   R/

From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.                                                                    R/

Salm Responsorjali      -    Salm 18 (19)

      R/     Il-preċetti tal-Mulej dritti, u jiferrħu l-qalb.

Il-liġi tal-Mulej perfetta, u tagħti l-ħajja;

ix-xhieda tal-Mulej hi sewwa,

u tgħallem lil min ma jafx.                          R/

Il-biża' tal-Mulej sinċier,

u jibqa' għal dejjem;

il-ġudizzji tal-Mulej sewwa,

u mseddqa għalkollox.                 R/

Fehemhom sewwa l-qaddej tiegħek;

ħlas tajjeb għandu min iħarishom.

In-nuqqas  min jista'  jagħrfu?

Minn dak li ma nafx bih saffini.  R/

Mill-kburija wkoll ħares il-qaddej tiegħek,

tħalliha qatt  taħkimni.

Imbagħad inkun bla ħtija

u ħieles minn dnub kbir.                             R/

Reading 2                 James 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over   your impending miseries.  Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes  have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have  corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -    mill-Ittra ta' San Ġakbu  5, 1-6

Ejjew issa, intom il-għonja, ibku u  ixhru fuq l-għawġ li ġej fuqkom! Ġidkom  tħassar, ħwejjiġkom kilithom il-kamla. Id-deheb u l-fidda tagħkom rabbew is-sadid,  u s-sadid tagħkom  għad jixhed  kontra tagħkom u jiklilkom ġisimkom bħal nar. Ħżintu  l-ġid fl-aħħar jiem!  Ara, il-ħlas tal-ħaddiema li ħasdu l-għelieqi tagħkom  –  ħlas li intom żammejtuhulhom   bil-qerq – qiegħed jgħajjat kontra tagħkom, u l-biki  ta' dawk li ħasdu wasal f'widnejn il-Mulej tal-eżerċti.  Fuq l-art għextu fix-xalar u l-lussu;  qgħadtu tissemmnu għall-jum tal-qatla.   Intom ikkundannajtu l-ġust,   qtitluh għax ma jistax jiqfilkom!  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel   -  Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,  "Teacher, we saw someone driving out  demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because  he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a  mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ,  amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. "Whoever causes one of these little ones  who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go to  hell, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the  kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and  the fire is not quenched.'"   This is the Word of the Lord.

 L-Evanġelju   -    skont San Mark 9, 38-43. 45. 47-48

F'dak iż-żmien,  Ġwanni qal lil Ġesu': "Mgħallem, wieħed raġel, li soltu ma jkunx magħna, rajnieh ikeċċi x-xjaten f'ismek u ridna nżommuh, għax hu mhuxiex wieħed minn  tagħna." Imma Ġesu' qal:  "La żżommuhx, le,  għax ma hemm ħadd li se jagħmel miraklu f'ismi u  mbagħad malajr se jkollu ħila jgħid kontra tiegħi. Għax min mhuxiex kontra tagħna, huwa magħna. Min jagħtikom tazza ilma x'tixorbu għax intom tal-Messija, ngħidilkom is-sewwa li ma jibqax mingħajr il-ħlas tiegħu. Imma min jagħti skandlu lil wieħed minn dawn iċ-ċkejknin li  jemmnu fija, ikun jaqbillu jekk jorbtulu ma' għonqu ġebla tat-tħin minn dawk li jdawru l-ħmir u jixħtuj fil-baħar. U jekk idek hija għalik okkażjoni ta' dnub, aqtgħha barra; jaħbatlek aħjar li tidħol b'id waħda, milli tmur  b'idejk it-tnejn fl-infern, fin-nar li ma jintefiex. U jekk riġlek hu għalik okkażjoni ta' dnub, aqtgħu barra; jaħbatlek aħjar li tidħol b'riġel wieħed fil-ħajja milli  tinxteħet  b'riġlejk it-tnejn fl-infern. U jekk għajnek hi għalik okkażjoni ta' dnub, aqlagħħa barra; jaħbatlek aħjar li tidħol b'għajn waħda fis-Saltna ta' Alla milli  tinxteħet b'għajnejk it-tnjen fl-infern, fejn id-dud tagħhom ma jmutx u fejn in-nar ma jintefiex."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Father Cantalamessa on Salvation

He that is not against us is for us

One of the apostles, John, saw demons cast out in the name of Jesus by one who did not belong to the circle of disciples and forbade him to do so. On recounting the incident to the master, he is heard to reply: "Do not forbid him ... For he that is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:39, 40).

This is a topic of great current importance. What to think of those who are outside, who do something good and show signs of the spirit, yet without believing in Christ and adhering to the Church. Can they also be saved?   Theology has always admitted the possibility, for God, of saving some people outside the ordinary ways, which are faith in Christ, baptism and membership in the Church.

This certainty has been affirmed in the modern age, after geographic discoveries and increased possibilities of communication among peoples made it necessary to take note that there are innumerable people who, through no fault of their own, have never heard the proclamation of the Gospel, or have heard it in an improper way, from conquistadors and unscrupulous colonizers that made it quite difficult to accept.

The Second Vatican Council said that "the Holy Spirit offers everyone the possibility, in a way known only to God, to be associated with this paschal mystery of Christ and, therefore, to be saved" ["Gaudium et Spes," no. 22. Editor's note].

Has our Christian faith changed? No, as long as we continue to believe two things: First, that Jesus is, objectively and in fact, the only mediator and savior of the whole human race, and that also those who do not know him, if they are saved, are saved thanks to him and his redeeming death. Second, that also those who, still not belonging to the visible Church, are objectively "oriented" toward her, form part of that larger Church, known only to God.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus seems to require two things from these people "outside": that they are not "against" him, that is, that they do not positively combat the faith and its values, namely, that they do not willingly place themselves against God.

Second, that, if they are unable to serve and love God, that they at least serve and love his image, which is man, especially the needy. It says, in fact, continuing with our passage, still speaking of those "outside": "whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward."

However, having clarified the doctrine, I believe it is also necessary to rectify something more: our interior attitude, our psychology as believers. One can understand, but not share, the poorly concealed contrariety of certain believers on seeing every exclusive privilege fall which is linked to their faith in Christ and membership in the Church: "Then, of what use is it to be good Christians?"

We should, on the contrary, rejoice immensely given these new openings of Catholic theology. To know that our brothers outside of the Church also have the possibility of being saved: What is there more liberating and confirming of God's infinite generosity and will than "that all men be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4)? We should make the desire of Moses our own as recorded in Sunday's first reading: "Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all! (Numbers 11:29)."

Knowing this, should we leave everyone in peace in their own conviction and cease to promote faith in Christ, given that one can also be saved in other ways? Of course not.

But what we should do is emphasize the positive more than the negative reason. The negative is: "Believe in Jesus, because whoever does not believe in him will be eternally condemned"; the positive reason is: "Believe in Jesus, because it is wonderful to believe in him, to know him, to have him next to one as savior, in life and in death."   [Translation from the Italian original by ZENIT]   © Innovative Media Inc.

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