Leave it a while, it may bear fruit next year!

Third Sunday of Lent

It-Tielet Ħadd tar-Randan

Messalin Ċ 156

Reading 1                             Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed.  So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,  God called out to him from the bush, Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet,  for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued,  “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt  and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,  so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,  a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:  I AM sent me to you.”  God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:  The LORD, the God of your fathers,  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,  has sent me to you. “This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”  This is the Word of The Lord..

L-Ewwel Qari    -    mill-Ktieb ta' l-Eżodu 3, 1-8a. 14-15)

F'dak iż-żmien, Mose' kien jirgħa l-merħla ta' ħatnu Ġetru, qassis ta' Midjan, u ħa l-merħla 'l hemm fid-deżert, u wasal sa ħdejn il-Ħoreb, il-muntanja ta' Alla. Hawn deherlu l-anġlu tal-Mulej f'ħuġġieġa nar qalb l-għollieq, Mose' ħares u ra l-għollieq jaqbad bin-nar bla ma jintemm. Mose' qal: "Ħa nersaq u nara din id-dehra tal-għaġeb: għala mhux jinħaraq l-għollieq?" Il-Mulej rah riesaq biex jara, u Alla sejjaħlu minn qalb l-għollieq u qallu: "Mose', Mose'!"  U Mose' wieġeb:  "Hawn jien!" U l-Mulej qallu:  "La tersaqx 'l hawn.  Neħħi l-qorq minn riġlejk, għax  il-post li inti fuqu hu art qaddisa."    U sskota jgħidlu: "Jien hu Alla ta' missirijietek:  Alla ta' Abraħam,  Alla ta' Iżakk u Alla ta' Ġakobb." Mose' għatta wiċċu, għax beża' jħares lejn Alla. U l-Mulej qallu:  "Jien ħarist u rajt it-tbatija tal-poplu tiegħi fl-Eġittu. U jien smajt il-karba tagħhom minħabba fl-argużini tagħhom u għaraft l-uġigħ tagħhom.   Issa nżilt biex neħlishom minn idejn  l-Eġizzjani u biex intellagħhom minn dik l-art u neħodhom f'art tajba u wiesgħa, f'art tnixxi ħalib u għasel." Mose' reġa wieġeb:  "Ara, jien mmur għand ulied Iżrael u ngħidilhom: "Alla ta' missirijietkom bagħatni għandkom." Huma jistaqsuni:  "X'jimsu?'  Jien xi ngħidilhom?" Alla wieġbu:  "Jien li Jien."  U kompla jgħidlu: "Hekk għidilhom lil ulied Iżrael:  "JIENA-HU bagħatni għandkom." U Alla kompla jgħidlu:  "Hekk għandek tgħidilhom lil uliex Iżrael: "Jaħweh, Alla ta' missirijietkom, Alla ta' Abraħam, Alla ta' Iżakk, Alla ta' Ġakobb, bagħatni għandkom." Dan ikun ismi għal dejjem u dan l-isem ifakkarhom  fija minn nisel għal nisel." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm           PSALM 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.                                  R/

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.  R/

The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.  R/

.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.            R/

Salm Responsorjali             Salm 102 (103)

                R/   Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej

Bierek, ruħ tiegħi. il-Mulej!

B'qalbi kollha nbierek l-isem qaddis tiegħu.

Bierek, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej,

u la tinsiex il-ġid kollu li għamel miegħek.         R/

Hu li jaħfer dnubietek kollha;

ifejjaq il-mard tiegħek kollu;

jifdi lil ħajtek mill-qabar;

iħaddnek bit-tjieba u l-ħniena.                 R/

Il-Mulej jagħmel is-sewwa,

u l-ħaqq mal-maħqurin kollha.

Hu għarraf lil Mose' l-ħsieb tiegħu,

l-għemejjel tiegħu lil ulied Iżrael.                           R/

Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej,

idum ma jagħdab u kollu mogħdrija.

Daqskemm huma s-smewwiet 'il fuq mill-art,

hekk hi kbira tjubitu ma' min jibża' minnu.        R/

Reading 2                             1 Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,  that our ancestors were all under the cloud  and all passed through the sea,  and all of them were baptized into Moses  in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food,  and all drank the same spiritual drink,  for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,  and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them,  for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us,  so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.  Do not grumble as some of them did,  and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example,  and they have been written down as a warning to us,  upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure  should take care not to fall. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -   mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 10, 1-6, 10-12

Ma rridkomx ma tkunux tafu, ħuti, li missirijietna  lkoll kienu taħt is-sħaba, ilkoll qasmu l-baħar,  ilkoll kienu mgħammda f'Mose' fis-sħaba u fil-baħar,  ilkoll kielu mill-istess ikel spiritwali – xorbu tassew mill- blata spiritwali li kienet timxi magħhom, u  din il-blata kienet Kristu – madankollu  l-biċċa l-kbira minnhom lil Alla ma  għoġbuħx għax ilkoll waqgħu mejta fid-deżert. Dan ġara b'eżempju għalina, biex ma nixxennqux  għal ħwejjeġ ħżiena, bħalma xxennqu huma. Anqas ma għandkom tgergru, kif għamlu xi  wħud minnhom, u qeridhom il-Qerried.   Dan kollu ġralhom b'eżempju, u  nkiteb bi twiddiba għalina li fuqna wasal tmiem  iż-żminijiet. Min jidhirlu li hu wieqaf, joqgħod attent li ma jaqax.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                       Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply,  “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way  they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed  when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty  than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable:  “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,  and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree  but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also,  and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;  it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”  

L-Evanġelju  -  Qari skond San Luqa 13, 1-9

F'dak iż-żmien, ġew xi wħud għand Ġesu' u qalulu b'dawk il-Galilin li Pilatu kien ħallat demmhom mad-demm tal-vittmi tas-sagrifiċċju tagħhom.  U Ġesu' qabad u qalilhom:  "Taħsbu intom li dawn  il-Galatin kienu iżjed midinbin mill-Galilin l-oħra biex sofrew dan kollu?  "Le, ngħidilkom, imma jekk ma tindmux,  ilkoll tintilfu bħalhom.   Jew dawk it-tmintax-il ruħ li  fuqhom waqa' t-torri ta' Silwam u qatilhom,  taħsbu intom li kienu iżjed ħatja min-nies l-oħra ta' Ġerusalemm?  Le, ngħidilkom, imma jekk ma tindmux, ilkoll tintilfu xorta waħda." U qalilhom din il-parabbola:   "Wieħed kellu siġra tat-tin imħawla fl-għalqa.   Mar ifittex il-frott fiha, u ma sabx.   Għalhekk qal lil dak li kien jaħdimlu l-għalqa:   'Ara, ili tliet snin niġi nfittex il-frott f'din is-siġra tat-tin, u qatt ma sibtiha.   Mela aqlagħha!    Għax għalfejn se tibqa' tkidd l-art?" Iżda dak wieġbu:  "Inti ħalliha, sinjur, għal  din is-sena, sa ma nagħżqilha madwarha u  nagħtiha d-demel.   Id-dieħla għandha mnejn tagħmel  il-frott, jekk le, aqlagħha."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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The Right to Convert  

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday’s liturgy.

The Gospel for the Third Sunday of Lent offers us an example of Jesus’ preaching. He takes his cue from some recent news (Pontius Pilate’s execution of some Galileans and the death of twelve persons in the collapse of a tower) to speak about the necessity of vigilance and conversion.

In accord with his style he reinforces his teaching with a parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard….” Following the program that we have set out for this Lent, we will move from this passage to look at the whole of Jesus’ preaching, trying to understand what it tells us about the problem of who Jesus was.

Jesus began his preaching with a solemn declaration : “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). We are used to the sound of these words and we no longer perceive their novelty and revolutionary character. With them, Jesus came to say that the time of waiting is over; the moment of the decisive intervention of God in human history, which was announced by the prophets, is here; now is the time! Now everything is decided, and it will be decided according to the position that people take when they are confronted with my words.

This sense of fulfillment, of a goal finally reached, can be perceived in different sayings of Jesus, whose historical authenticity cannot be doubted. One day, taking his disciples aside, he says: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23-24).

In the sermon on the mount Jesus said among other things: “You have heard that it was said (by Moses!) … but I say to you.” The impression that these words of Christ had on his contemporaries must have been fairly uniform. Such claims leave us few options for explanation: Either the person was crazy or simply spoke the truth. A lunatic, however, would not have lived and died as he did, and would not have continued to have such an impact on humanity 20 centuries after his death.

The novelty of the person and preaching of Jesus comes clearly to light when compared to John the Baptist. John always spoke of something in the future, a judgment that was going to take place; Jesus speaks of something that is present, a kingdom that has come and is at work. John is the man of “not yet”; Jesus is the man of “already.”

Jesus says: “Among those born of woman there is none greater than John and yet the littlest one of the kingdom of God is greater than him” (Luke 7:28); and again: “The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached and everyone enters it violently” (Luke 16:16). These words tell us that between the mission of John and Jesus there is a qualitative leap: The littlest one in the new order is in a better position than the greatest one of the old order.

Here we see how historically indefensible is the thesis of those who want to enclose Jesus in the world of the Judaism of his time, making him a Jew just like the others, one who did not intend to make a break with the past or to bring anything substantially new. This would be to set back the historical research on Jesus to a stage that we left behind quite some time ago.

Let us go back, as we usually do, to this Sunday’s Gospel passage to glean some practical guidance. Jesus comments on Pilate’s butchery and the collapse of the tower thus: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” We deduce a very important lesson from this. Such disasters are not, as some think, divine castigation of the victims; if anything, they are an admonition for others.

This is an indispensable interpretive key which allows us to see that we should not lose faith when we are confronted with the terrible events that occur every day, often among the poorest and most defenseless. Jesus helps us to understand how we should react when the evening news reports earthquakes, floods, and slaughters like that ordered by Pilate. Sterile reactions like, “Oh those poor people!” are not what is called for.

Faced with these things we should reflect on the precariousness of life, on the necessity of being vigilant and of not being overly attached to that which we might easily lose one day or the next.

The word with which Jesus begins his preaching resounds in this Gospel passage: conversion. I would like to point out, however, that conversion is not only a duty, it is also a possibility for all, almost a right. It is good and not bad news! No one is excluded from the possibility of changing. No one can be regarded as hopeless. In life there are moral situations that seem to have no way out. Divorced people who are remarried; unmarried couples with children; heavy criminal sentences … every sort of bad situation.

Even for these people there is the possibility of change. When Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, the apostles asked: “But who can be saved?” Jesus’ answer applies even to the cases I have mentioned: “For men it is impossible, but not for God.”    

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Second Sunday of Lent

It-Tieni Hadd tar-Randan   

Messalin C 150

Reading 1                 -           Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

The Lord God took Abram outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.  Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.He then said to him, I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.” “O Lord GOD,” he asked, “how am I to know that I shall possess it?”He answered him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up.Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them.As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”

L-Ewwel Qari   -    mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi15, 5-12, 17-18

F'dak iż-żmien:  Il-Mulej ħareġ lil Abram 'il barra u qallu: Ħares sewwa lejn is-smewwiet u għodd il-kwiekeb, jekk għandek ħila tgħoddhom."  U żied jgħidlu:  "Hekk għad ikun nislek."  U Abram emmen fil-Mulej, u dan għaddhulu b'ġustizzja. U qallu: "Jiena l-Mulej li ħriġtek minn Ur tal-Kaldin, biex nagħtik din l-art  b'wirt." U qallu Abram:  "Sidi Mulej, kif inkun naf li se niritha?" U wieġbu:  "Ħudli għoġla ta' tliet snin, mogħża ta' tliet snin, muntun ta' tliet snin, gamiema u ħamiema." U ħadlu dawn kollha, u qasamhom min-nofs, u kull nofs qiegħdu biswit l-ieħor, imma l-għasafar ma qasamhomx.   U niżlu l-għasafar tal-priża għal fuq l-iġsna mejtin, imma Abram gerrixhom lura. Hi u nieżla x-xemx waqa' fuq Abram ngħas qawwi, u waqgħu fuqu biża' u dalma kbira. Meta x-xemx kienet niżlet u kien dalam, kenur idaħħan u lsien nar iżiġġ qasmu minn bejn il-bċejjeċ tal-laħam. Dakinhar il-Mulej għamel patt ma' Abram u qallu: "Lil nislek nagħti din l-art, mix-xmara tal-Eġittu sax-xmara l-kbira, ix-xmara tal-Ewfrat." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm     -     PSALM 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?                                       R/

Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.       R/

Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.                           R/

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.                  R/

Salm Responsorjali    -    SALM  26 (27).

                R/           Il-Mulej id-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.

Il-Mulej d-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi,

minn min għandi nibża'?

Il-Mulej hu l-kenn tiegħi,

quddiem minn għandi nitwerwer?                 R/

Isma', Mulej, leħen l-għajta tiegħi,

ħenn għalija u weġibni.

"Ejja" għidt f'qalbi, "fittex 'il-wiċċi!"

Jien wiċċek infittex, Mulej.                             R/

La taħbix wiċċek minni,

la twarrabx bl-herra l-qaddej tiegħek.

Inti l-għajnuna tiegħi

tħallinix u titlaqnix,

Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi.                             R/

Nemmen li għad nara t-tjieba tal-Mulej

f'art il-ħajjin.

Ittama fil-Mulej, żomm  sħiħ u qawwi qalbek,

ittama fil-Mulej.                                               R/

Reading 2                             Philippians 3:17—4:1

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us.For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction.Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things.But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.He will change our lowly bodyto conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari   -   mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 3, 17-21;4,1

Ħuti, ixbħu lili, u ħarsu lejn dawk li jimxu  skont l-eżempju li rajtu fina.     Għaliex hawn ħafna – dan għedthulkom bosta drabi, imma issa ntennihulkom bid-dmugħ f'għajnejja – li jġibu ruħhom bħal għedewwa tas-Salib ta' Kristu.  It-telfien għad ikun tmiemhom; alla tagħhom hu żaqqhom, jiftaħru b'dak li jmisshom jistħu minnu, u moħħhom biss fil-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja. Imma aħna pajżani tas-sema; minn hemm bil-ħerqa nistennewh jiġi, is-Salvatur tagħna Sidna Ġesu' Kristu. Hu għad irid ibiddlilna l-ġisem imsejken tagħna fis-sura tal-ġisem glorjuż tiegħu, bil-qawwa tas-setgħa li għandu li jġib kollox taħtu. Għalhekk, intom, ħuti li intom l-għożża u x-xewqa tiegħi, ferħ u kuruna tiegħi, żommu sħiħ fil-Mulej, maħbubin tiegħi.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                   Luke 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James  and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

L-Evanġelju   -    skont San Luqa 9,, 28b-36

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' ħa miegħu lil Pietru, lil Ġwanni u lil Ġakbu, u tala' fuq il-muntanja biex jitlob. U ġara li huwa u jitlob, id-dehra ta' wiċċu tbiddlet u l-ilbiesi tiegħu saru ta' bjuda li tgħammex. U kien hemm żewġt irġiel jitħaddtu miegħu, Mose' u Elija,   li dehru fil-glorja, jitħaddtu fuq it-tmiem ta' ħajtu li kellu jseħħ f'Ġerusalemm. Pietru u sħabu kienu mejtin bin-ngħas,  imma baqgħu mqajmin sewwa,  u raw il-glorja tiegħu u ż-żewġt irġiel li kienu miegħu. X'ħin dawn it-tnejn kienu se jinfirdu minnu, Pietru qal lil Ġesu': "Mgħallem, kemm hu sew li aħna hawn!  Ħa ntellgħu tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mose' u  waħda għal Elija!"   Ma kienx jaf x'inhu jgħid. Waqt li kien qiegħed jgħid dan, ġiet sħaba u għattiethom u huma beżgħu kif daħlu fis-sħaba. U minn ġos-sħaba nstama' leħen igħid:  "Dan hu Ibni l-maħtur,lilu isimgħu!" Malli nstama' l-leħen Ġesu' sab ruħu waħdu. Huma żammew is-skiet,u għal dawk il-jiem ma qalu xejn lil ħadd minn dak li kienu raw. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary by Larry Broding

Looking to the Future in a Rearview Mirror

What do people fear about the future? Why do they harbour such fears?

As much as we are focused on the present moment, we like to peer into the future. To see visions of what can be, to dream about what is possible. To let go of the baggage from the past, to feel the freedom of tomorrow. Of course, change means the instability of the unknown. So, we may no longer want to rush to the future. We may want to conserve what we have and what we understand.

The stress we feel in our culture is the tussle between the rocky rush to the future and the comfort the past gives. We might be pulled between the fresh and the stale. But, we stand between the uncertainty of the unknown and the certainty of the already known.

Thisd Sunday’s Gospel takes us with Peter and his partners as they followed Jesus up the mountain to pray. There, they experienced a vision that gave them a choice. What was to be vs what they relied on. Personal change may be reflected in past experience, but it can be of an unknown origin, or even the promise of the future. We need trust in God's will to cope with such change. And we find God's will in prayer.

Jesus invited his earliest disciples and closest friends to pray with him. Several verses earlier in Luke, Jesus revealed the type of Messiah he would be; he predicted his death and resurrection. Now it was time for the power and meaning of the prediction to set in; so, Jesus prayed and shared his prayer time with Peter, James, and John.

The power and meaning of Christ's prediction revealed themselves as a heavenly vision. Glorified, Jesus discussed his coming death with the two pillars of the Jewish faith: Moses, the Law giver, and Elijah, the first of the prophets [29-31]. The presence of both represented the two divisions of the Jewish Scripture, the Law and the Prophets. Hence, the discussion between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah symbolized the Passion as the fulfillment of Scripture.

Did Peter, James, and John fully understand the implications of Jesus' prediction and its meaning? Hardly. They were asleep; not only were they in slumber (the literal meaning of sleep), they didn't understand (the figurative meaning of being asleep). This scene would be repeated when Jesus took these same disciples with him to pray at the Agony in the Garden.

From his slumber and lack of understanding, Peter wanted to build three booths or tents. Tents built on the side of a mountain were references to the Festival of Booths, when the Jews had a post-harvest celebration. During the multi-day festival, people lived in temporary shelters around Jerusalem. At one point they carried palm branches into a procession. In the centuries before the birth of Jesus, the festival took on Messianic overtones:

The symbols were all here: the light, the central focus on Jesus, climbing the mountain to worship (just as Jerusalem was built on a mountain). But Peter wanted to celebrate a past revelation (i.e., Moses and Elijah as the Law and the Prophets: the Jewish Scripture) and a past understanding of the Messiah (i.e., Jesus as the political and religious Messiah).

Peter failed to realize Jesus was speaking about a future event and a future revelation. The past meant no change, but the future meant uncontrollable change. The past merely required certainty; the future required faith. In his fear, Peter lacked faith; he just didn't know what he was saying.

To confirm the revelation, the cloud and the voice from heaven (both symbols of God's presence) appear. From the cloud the Father affirms his Son's prediction with the words: "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." The word of God given through the Law and the Prophets was now given through Jesus. The focus of the past now became the focus on the future.

We may take comfort in the past, in the Tradition of Faith. And so we should. But that comfort should not mask the possibilities the future holds. Ultimately, change lies in the hands of God, in divine providence.

What is divine providence? Divine Providence is the wise and loving act of God which guides all creation from its origin to its ultimate end. We take part in divine providence by freely cooperating with God's plan for our lives, to trust in God's will. Even when we place our trust in God, we can still experience the results of sin. After all, evil lurks in the world.

Why does God permit evil in the world? When we ask this question, we can also ask, "Why did the Son of God die on the cross?" The answer to both questions is the same: to allow a greater good to come from the evil. Christ died in order to rise from the dead. The faith that believes in the risen Lord will also give us hope that a greater good comes from an evil act.

At the Transfiguration, Peter, John, and James experienced the living tradition of the past and the promise of salvation in the future. But, that promise came at a price. The death of the Master they loved.

What challenges to faith have you experienced? How did God guide you through them? Did your experience of divine providence increase your faith in God? Why or why not?

We Christians may not be immune from the stresses of future promise. But, we have a unique perspective on the future. We look forward to God's will and the coming of the Lord in glory through the eyes of a faith two millennium old. We are, in effect, looking at the future through a rearview mirror. Such a view should not blind us to the possibilities of the future. It should just give our view perspective.

How should we cope with future shock? How did Jesus? In prayer. Prayer is time with God's will and our future. How we spent that time is a clear measure of our trust in God and his ways that change us.

The challenge of the future should give us pause. And a chance to pray. What challenges lie on your horizon this week? How have you placed them in prayer?

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He was tempted by the devil

First Sunday of Lent

L-Ewwel Ħadd tar-Randan          

Messalin C 144 

Reading 1                      Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying: “The priest shall receive the basket from you  and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,  ‘My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to  Egypt with a small household  and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,  imposing hard labor upon us,  we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,  and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil  which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And having set them before the Lord, your God,  you shall bow down in his presence.” This is the Word of The Lord.

 L-Ewwel Qari   -    mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 26, 4-10

Mose' kellem lill-poplu u qal:  "Il-qassis imbagħad jilqa' minn idejk il-qoffa, u  jqegħedha quddiem l-artal tal-Mulej, Alla tiegħek.    Inti mbagħad tgħid hekk quddiem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek. "Missieri kien minn Aram, jiġġerra minn post għal ieħor; imbagħad niżel l-Eġittu u għammar hemm.   Żgħir kien l-għadd ta'  niesu, iżda hemmhekk sar poplu kbir,  qawwi u  kotran.    L-Eġizzjani ħaqruna, għakksuna,  għabbewna b'xogħol iebes; imma aħna għajjatna lill-Mulej Alla  ta' missirijietna, u l-Mulej sama' l-għajta tagħna, ra t-tgħakkis u  t-tbatija u d-dwejjaq tagħna, u ħariġna l-Mulej mill-Eġittu,  b'id qawwija, bi driegħ merfugħ, b'biża kbir, b'sinjali u  b'għeġubijiet, u daħħalna f'dan il-post,  tana din l-art, art tnixxi  ħalib u għasel.  U issa, ara, jiena ġibt l-ewwel frott tal-art li  tajtni int, Mulej."  U int tqiegħdu quddiem il-Mulej Alla tiegħek, u tadura lill-Mulej Alla tiegħek.     Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm     PSALM 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (cf. 15b)      Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”                                            R/

No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.                           R/

Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.        R/

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.                                 R/

 Salm Responsorjali                       SALM 90 (91)

            R/    Kun miegħi, Mulej, fid-dwejjaq.

Int li tgħix għall-kenn ta' l-Għoli,

li tgħammar għad-dell ta' dak li  jista' kollox,

għid lill-Mulej: "Kenn tiegħi u qawwa tiegħi int,

Alla tiegħi, jien fik nittama.                                           R/

Ebda deni  ma jiġrilek,

ebda ħsara ma tersaq lejn darek.

Għax l-anġli tiegħu hu jibgħatlek,

u jħarsuk fi triqatek kollha.                                           R/

Fuq idejhom jefgħuk,

li ma taħbatx ma' xi ġebla riġlek.

Fuq l-iljun u l-lifgħa int timxi,

ferħ ta' ljun u serp int tirfes.                                         R/

La tħabbeb miegħi, jien neħilsu;

la għaraf ismi, jiena nħarsu.

Hu jsejjaħli, u jiena nwieġbu;

miegħu nkun fid-dwejjaq tiegħu,

neħilsu u nerfagħlu ġieħu.                                           R/

Reading 2                      Romans 10:8-13

Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart —that is, the word of faith that we preach—,  for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord  and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,  you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified,  and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says,  No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;  the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the Word of The Lord.

 It-Tieni Qari   -    mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 10, 8-13

Ħuti, xi tgħid l-Iskrittura?  "Il-kelma qiegħda ħdejk, f'fommok u qalbek";  jiġifieri, il-kelma tal-fidi li aħna nxandru.   Għax  jekk  inti tistqarr b'fommok, "Ġesu' hu l-Mulej!"  u temmen b'qalbek li  Alla qajmu mill-imwiet,inti ssalva.  Wieħed jemmen f'qalbu biex  ikollu l-ġustizzja u jistqarr b'xufftejh biex ikollu s-salvazzjoni. L-Iskrittua tgħid:  "Kull min jemmen fih ma jintilifx." Ma hemmx għażla bejn Lhudi u Grieg, hu s-Sid ta' kulħadd u  għani ma' dawk kollha li jsejħulu.Għax:  "Kull min isejjaħ isem il-Mulej isalva." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                 Luke 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan  and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,  to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days,  and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,  command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him,  “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory;  for it has been handed over to me,  and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem,  made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation,  he departed from him for a time.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -    skont San Luqa  4, 1-13

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu', mimli bl-Ispirtu s-Santu, raġa' lura mill-Ġordan u l-Ispirtu ħadu fid-deżert. Hemm għal erbgħin jum Ġesu' kien imġarrab mix-Xitan. Matul dawk il-jiem ma kiel xejn; u mbagħad, meta għaddew  dawk il-jiem, ħadu l-ġuħ.  U x-Xitan qallu: "Jekk inti Bin  Alla, għid lil din l-ġebla ssir ħobż."  Wieġbu Ġesu': "Hemm miktub, "Il-bniedem mhux bil-ħobż biss jgħix." Imbagħad ix-Xitan ħadu fl-għoli u wrieh is-saltniet tad-dinja  kollha f'daqqa.   Qallu x-Xitan:  "Nagħtik is-setgħa fuq dawn kollha,  bil-glorja tagħhom ukoll għax hija ngħatat lili,  u jiena nagħtiha lil min  irrid.  Jekk tinxteħet quddiemi tagħtini qima, kollha tiegħek tkun." Ġesu' wieġbu u qallu: "Hemm miktub:  "Lill-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, tadura, u lilu biss taqdi." Imbagħad ix-Xitan ħadu Ġerusalemm,  qiegħdu fuq il-quċċata tat-tempju, u qallu: "Jekk inti Bin Alla,  inxteħet minn hawn għal isfel. Għax hemm miktub:  "Lill-anġli tiegħu jordnalhom biex jieħdu  ħsiebek sewwa," u li:  "fuq idejhom jerfgħuk, ħalli ma taħbatx  riġlek  ma' xi ġebla." Wieġbu Ġesu' u qallu:  "Jingħad:  "Iġġarrabx lill-Mulej  Alla tiegħek." Imbagħad ix-Xitan meta temm dan it-tiġrib kollu, telaq minn ħdejh sa  ma wasal il-waqt. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Father Raniero Cantalamessa ofm cap on EVIL:   

He was tempted by the devil

The Gospel of Luke, which we read this coming Sunday was written, as he says in the introduction, so that the believing reader would be able to “know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.” This purpose is quite relevant today. Faced as we are with attacks on the historical veracity of the Gospels from every quarter and with the continual manipulation of the figure of Christ, it is more important than ever that the Christian and the honest reader of the Gospel know the truth of the teachings and reports that the Gospel contains.

I have decided to use my commentaries on the Gospels from the beginning of Lent to the Sunday after Easter for this purpose. Taking each Sunday Gospel as our point of departure, we will consider different aspects of the person and the teaching of Christ to determine who Jesus truly is, whether he is a simple prophet and great man, or something more and different than these.

I have decided to use my commentaries on the Gospels from the beginning of Lent to the Sunday after Easter for this purpose. Taking each Sunday Gospel as our point of departure, we will consider different aspects of the person and the teaching of Christ to determine who Jesus truly is, whether he is a simple prophet and great man, or something more and different than these.

In other words, we will be doing some religious education. Such phenomena as Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code,” with the imitators and discussions it has given rise to, have shown to us the alarming religious ignorance that reigns in our society. This ignorance provides ideal terrain for every sort of unscrupulous commercial venture. Sunday’s Gospel, for the first Sunday of Lent, treats of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Following the plan I have announced, I would like to begin from this Gospel and expand the discussion to focus on the general question of Jesus’ attitude toward demonic forces and those people possessed by demons.

It is one of the most historically certain and undeniable facts that Jesus freed many people from the destructive power of Satan. We do not have the time here to refer to each of these episodes. We will limit ourselves to throwing light on two things: The first is the explanation that Jesus gave about his power over demons; the second is what this power tells us about Jesus and his person.

Faced with the clamorous liberation of one possessed person which Jesus had performed, his enemies, unable to deny the fact, say: “He casts out demons in the name of Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Luke 11:15). Jesus shows that this explanation is absurd. If Satan were divided against himself, his reign would have ended long ago, but instead it continues to prosper. The true explanation is rather that Jesus casts out demons by the finger of God, that is, by the Holy Spirit, and this shows that the kingdom of God has arrived on earth.

Satan was “the strong man” who had mankind in his power, but now one “stronger than him” has come and is taking his power away from him. This tells us something quite important about the person of Christ. With his coming there has begun a new era for humanity, a regime change. Such a thing could not be the work of a mere man, nor can it be the work of a great prophet.

It is essential to note the name or the power by which Jesus casts out demons. The usual formula with which the exorcist turns to the demon is: “I charge you by…,” or “in the name of … I order you to leave this person.” He calls on a higher authority, generally God, and for Christians, Jesus. But this is not the case for Jesus himself: His words are a dry “I order you.”

I order you! Jesus does not need to call upon a higher authority; he is himself the higher authority.  The defeat of the power of evil and of the demons was an integral part of the definitive salvation (eschatological) proclaimed by the prophets. Jesus invites his adversaries to draw the conclusions of what they see with their eyes. There is nothing more to wait on, to look forward to; the kingdom and salvation is in their midst.

The much discussed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has its explanation here. To attribute to the spirit of evil, to Beelzebul, or to magic that which is so manifestly the work of the Spirit of God meant to stubbornly close one’s eyes to the truth, to oppose oneself to God himself, and therefore to deprive oneself of the possibility of forgiveness.

The historical approach that I wish to take in these commentaries during Lent should not keep us from seeing also the practical importance of the Gospel we are treating. Evil is still terribly present to us today. We witness manifestations of evil that often exceed our ability to understand; we are deeply disturbed and speechless when faced with certain events reported by the news. The consoling message that flows from the reflections we have made thus far is that there is in our midst one who is “stronger” than evil.

Some people experience in their lives or in their homes the presence of evil that seems to be diabolical in origin. Sometimes it certainly is — we know of the spread of satanic sects and rites in our society, especially among young people — but it is difficult in particular cases to determine whether we are truly dealing with Satan or with pathological disturbances. Fortunately, we do not have to be certain of the causes. The thing to do is to cling to Christ in faith, to call on his name, and to participate in the sacraments.

Sunday’s Gospel suggests a means to us that is important to cultivate especially during the season of Lent. Jesus did not go into the desert to be tempted; his intention was to go into the desert to pray and listen to the voice of the Father.  Throughout history there have been many men and women who have chosen to imitate Jesus as he withdraws into the desert. But the invitation to follow Jesus into the desert is not made only to monks and hermits. In a different form it is made to everyone.

The monks and hermits have chosen a place of desert. We have chosen a desert time. To pass time in the desert means to create a little emptiness and silence around us, to rediscover the road to our heart, to remove ourselves from the noise and external distractions, to enter into contact with the deepest source of our being and our faith. 

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