TREASURED WORDS

The Octave Day of Christmas -  January 1, 2016

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Solennita' tal-Imqaddsa Omm Alla  Marija

Messalin Ċ pp 123

Reading 1  -  Numbers 6:22-27

The LORD said to Moses:  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:  This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,  and I will bless them.” This is the Word of Thje Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari  -   mill-Ktieb tan-Numri 6, 22-27

Il-Mulej kellem lil Mose’ u qallu: “Kellem lil Aron u lil uliedu u għidilhom: "Meta tbierku lil ulied Israel,  hekk għandkom tgħidulhom: ‘Ibierkek il-Mulej u jħarsek! Jixħet il-Mulej id-dija ta’ wiċċu fuqek  u jurik il-ħniena! Iħares lejk il-Mulej bi mħabba, u jagħtik is-sliem!” Hekk huma jsejħu ismi fuq ulied Iżrael, u jiena nberikhom.” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                                   PSALM 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.                                     R/

May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.                                  R/

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,

and may all the ends of the earth fear him!                   R/

Salm Responsorjali     -     Salm 66 (67)  

                Iħenn għalina Alla, u jberikna.

Iħenn għalina Alla, u  jberikna;

idawwar għal fuqna d-dija ta’ wiċċu!

Biex jingħarfu fuq l-art triqatek,

fost il-ġnus kollha s-salvazzjoni tiegħek.        R/

Jithennew il-ġnus u jgħannu bil-ferħ,

għax trieġi l-popli bis-sewwa,

u l-ġnus fuq l-art inti tmexxihom.                        R/

Ifaħħruk il-popli o Alla,

ifaħħruk il-popli kollha.

Iberikna Alla, u tibża minnu

l-art kollha minn tarf għall-ieħor!                        R/

Reading 2                         Galatians 4:4-7

Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to ransom those  under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his  Son into our hearts,  crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son,  and if a son then also an heir, through God. This is the Word of Thje Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -   mill-Ittra lill-Galaltin 4, 4-7

Ħuti, meta waslet il-milja taż-żmien,  Alla bagħat lil Ibnu, imwieled minn mara, imwieled taħt il-Liġi,  biex jifdi lil dawk li kienu taħt il-Liġi,  biex ikollna l-adozzjoni ta’ wlied. U għax intom ulied,  Alla bagħat  l-Ispirtu ta’ Ibnu f’qalbna jgħajjat” “Abba Missier!” U hekk m’intix iżjed ilsir, iżda iben, werriet ukoll bil-grazzja ta’ Alla. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.When they saw this, they made known  the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it  were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,  just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision,  he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.  This is the Word of Thje Lord.

Evanġelju   -  Qari skond San Luqa  2, 16-21

F’dak iż-żmien: ir-rgħajja marru jgħaġġlu, u  sabu lil Marija u lil Ġużeppi, bit-tarbija mimduda f’maxtura. Kif raw dan, bdew igħarrfu b’kulma kien   intqal lilhom dwar dik it-tarbija, u  kull min semgħhom baqa’ mistagħġeb b’dak li qalulhom ir-rgħajja.    Marija, min-naħa tagħha,  baqgħet tgħożż  f’qalbha dawn  il-ħwejjeġ kollha u taħseb  fuqhom bejnha u bejn ruħha. Ir-rgħajja mbagħad reġgħu lura,  isebbħu u jfaħħru lil Alla  għal kulma  kienu raw u semgħu,  kif l-anġlu kien qalilhom. Meta wasal it-tmien jum biex lit-tifel  jgħmlulu ċ-ċirkonċiżjoni, semmewh Ġesu’, bl-isem li kien tah l-anġlu qabel ma tnissel fil-ġuf. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Mary Treasured These Words In Her Heart

What memories do you cherish? Why are these memories so special?

The New Year is upon us. A time to cherish last year’s events and a time to look forward to new challenges. In the midst of the parades and bowl games, we take time to take stock and plan.

In the verses from Luke which we will read on January 1, the mother of Jesus took the time to reflect on the events of her Son’s birth. In doing so, she cherished the memories mothers have of their first experience of child birth. And she cherished the message that her Son would be the Messiah and Lord of all.

Luke had an interest in the low and the outcast. The audience for the message would be the lowly, confirmation of the message would be a common (even overlooked) sight. The audience for the message were the least in society: shepherds. Despite their scriptural and pastoral image, shepherd were held in disdain, for most were hired to watch the flocks of the rich. Without personal financial investment, these hired hands had the reputations as cowards in the face of trouble; many were hired because they lacked any other employable skills. And how would the message be confirmed? The shepherds would see a young family with a newborn. These images were antithetical to common expectations. Many Jews anticipated the Messiah to be born in the midst of luxury; many expected the news of the Messiah would be confirmed by the leadership in Jerusalem (i.e., the Sanhedrin or the Temple priests) and spread from the leaders to the people. Luke painted a much different picture. (Compare the birth of Moses in Exodus to the birth of Jesus for similarities and differences.)

The shepherds spread the Good News to the household; all responded in awe, but one. Mary reacted in a way expected for a Semite woman: silence. But she “treasured up these words, pondering them together in her heart.” Even in her silence, Mary believed the message of the angel. She bore Messiah and Lord into the world. She would add the words of the shepherds to the memories in her heart.

The gospel ended with a transitional verse about the circumcision of Jesus (2:20). His circumcision would lead to the next scene in the infancy narrative: the presentation of the Lord in the Temple (2:22-40).

How do we react to Good News? Do we glorify God? How do we reflect on his goodness in our hearts?