Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is-26 Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin B p 475
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 minn
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/
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/
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/
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/
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?
Mill-kburija wkoll ħares il-qaddej tiegħek,
tħalliha qatt
taħkimni.
Imbagħad inkun bla ħtija
u ħieles minn
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
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 minn
dawn iċ-ċkejknin li jemmnu fija, ikun
jaqbillu jekk jorbtulu ma' għonqu ġebla tat-tħin minn
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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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