Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Il-11-il Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C 316

Reading 1     -  2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13

Nathan said to David:  Thus says the LORD God of Israel:  ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.  Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah  to be your wife.’  Then David said to Nathan,“I have sinned  against the LORD.” Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his  part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.” This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari               -    mit-2 Ktieb ta' Samwel 12, 7-10,13

F'dak iż-żmien, Natan qal lil David: "Dan jgħid il-Mulej, Alla ta' Iżrael: Jien dliktek sultan fuq Iżrael,  jien ħlistek minn idejn Sawl; u tajtek id-dar ta' sidek u n-nisa ta' sidek fi ħdanek, tajtek id-dar ta' Iżrael u ta' Ġuda, u jekk dan  kien  għadu ftit, kont inżidlek daqshekk ieħor. Għaliex mela stmerrejt il-kelma tal-Mulej u  għamilt il-ħażin f'għajnejh?   Drabt lil Urija  l-Ħiti bix-xabla, ħadtlu 'l martu b'martek, u lili qtiltu bix-xabla tal-Għammorin. U issa ma titwarrab qatt ix-xabla mill-familja  tiegħek    talli int stmerrejtni, u ħadt lil mart Urija l-Ħiti biex  tkun martek." U David qal lil Natan: "Jiena dnibt kontra l-Mulej!" U Natan  wieġbu:  "Il-Mulej ukoll ħafirlek dnubek; int ma tmutx." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm          PSALM, 5, 7, 11

      R. (cf. 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.            

Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.                                                                              R/.

I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.                  R/

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.         R..

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart                                                    R/.

Salm Responsorjali  -  SALM 31

                R/           Aħfirli, Mulej, il-ħażen ta' dnubi.

Ħieni l-bniedem li ħtijietu maħfura,

li għandu d-dnub tiegħu mistur!

Ħieni l-bniedem li ebda ħażen ma jgħoddlu l-Mulej,

u ma għandu ebda qerq f'qalbu.                                              R/

Id-dnub tiegħi jien stqarrjetlek,

u l-ħażen tiegħi ma ħbejtulekx.

Jien għedt "Quddiem il-Mulej nistqarr ħtijieti."

U inti ħfirtli l-ħażen tad-dnub tiegħi.                                     R/

Int kenn għalija, mit-taħbit tħarisni,

iddawwarni u tferraħni bil-ħelsien tiegħek.

Ifirħu, twajbin, u thennew fil-Mulej;

għajtu bil-ferħ, intom ilkoll ta' qalbkom safja.                   R/

Reading 2     -  Galatians 19-21

Brothers and sisters: We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus hat we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; nsofar as I now live in the flesh,  live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari  -   mill-Ittra lill-Galatin 2,16-19,21

Ħuti, aħna li nafu li l-bniedem ma jkunx iġġustifikat bl-opri tal-Liġi imma bil-fidi f'Ġesu' Kristu, aħna  wkoll emminna f'Ġesu' Kristu, sabiex inkunu ġġustifikati  bil-fidi fi Kristu u mhux bl-opri tal-Ligi, għaliex bl-opri  tal-Liġi ebda bniedem ma jkun iġġustifikat. Imma jien permezz tal-Liġi mitt għal-Liġi biex ngħix  għal Alla; issallabt ma Kristu.  Ngħix, imma mhux  iżjed jien, iżda jgħix fiha Kristu.   Il-ħajja li issa ngħix  fil-ġisem qiegħed ngħixha bil-fidi  fl-Iben ta' Alla, li  ħabbni u ta lilu nnifsu għalija. M'iniex inġib fix-xejn il-grazzja ta' Alla; għax kieku l-ġustifikazzjoni kellha tiġi mil-Liġi, Kristu kien ikun miet għal xejn. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  -  Luke 36-50'#;8,1-3

A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that  he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.  Bringing an  alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet  weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she  wiped them with her hair,  kissed them, and anointed them  with the ointment.  When the Pharisee who had invited him  saw this he said to himself,  “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is  touching him,that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say  to you.” “Tell me, teacher, ” he said. “Two people were in  debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages  and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the  debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this  woman?  When I entered your house, you did not give me water  for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them  with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss,but she has not ceased  kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head  with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.   So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”  He said to her,  “Your sins are forgiven.”  The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of  God.  Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women  who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called  Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna,  the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others  who provided for them out of their resources. This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju   -   skont San Luqa  7, 36-50; 8,1-3)

F'dak iż-żmien, wieħed mill-fariżej stieden lil Gesu' biex  jiekol miegħu.   Ġesu' daħal għand il-fariżew u qagħad għall-ikel.Issa fil-belt kien hemm midinba magħrufa.   Din saret  taf li kien qiegħed għall-ikel fid-dar tal-fariżew;  ġiebet vażett tal-alabastru biż-żejt ifuħ; u marret qagħdet  warajh ħdejn riġlejh, tibki u xxarrablu riġlej bi dmugħha  tixxuttahomlu b'xuxitha; imbagħad  bisitlu riġlejh u  dilkithomlu biż-żejt ifuħ. Kif ra hekk il-fariżew li stiednu qal bejnu u bejn ruħu: "Dan, li kien profeta, kien ikun jaf min hi u x'mara hi  din liqiegħda tmissu; kien ikun jaf, għax hi midinba!" Imma Ġesu' qabad u qallu:  "Xmun, għandi ħaġa xi  ngħidlek.  "Qallu dak:  "Għid, mgħallem."   "Tnejn  min-nies kellhom id-dejn ma' wieħed li jislef il-flus; wieħed kellu jagħtih ħames mitt dinar u l-ieħor ħamsin. Minn fejn iħallsu dejnhom ma kellhomx, u hu  ħafrilhom  it-tnejn.  Min minnhomse jħobbu l-iżjed?    Wieġbu Xmun u qal: "Jidhirli jien li dak li ħafirlu  l-iżjed."   "Ħsibtha tajjeb."qallu Ġesu'. Imbagħad dar lejn il-mara u qal lil Xmun: "Qiegħed taraha  lil din il-mara?   Dħalt għandek, u ilma għal riġlejja ma tajtniex, iżda hi riġlejja xarrbithomli bi dmugħha u xxuttthomli b'xuxitha.    Bewsa ma tajtniex, iżda hi minn x'hin daħlet ma waqfitx tbusli  riġlejja.  Rasi ma dlikthilix biż-żejt, imma hi dilkitli riġlejja  b'żejt ifuh.   Għalhekk ngħidlek li dnubietha, li kienu ħafna, inħafrulha, għax ħabbet ħafna, imma min jinħafilu ftit, ftit iħobb." Imbagħad qal lilha: "Dnubietek maħfura."  Dawk li kienu fuq  il-mejda miegħu bdew jgħidu fihom infushom:  "Dan min hu  biex jaħfer id-dnubiet ukoll?"   Iżda hu qal lill-mara:   "Il-fidi tieghek salvatek, mur bis-sliem!" Wara dan hua qagħad idur l-ibliet u r-rħula, jippriedka u jxandar  l-Evanġelju tas-Saltna ta' Alla.   Kellu miegħu t-Tnax u xi nisa li kien fejjaqhom mill-ispirti ħżiena u mill-mard:    Marija, li kienu jgħidulha ta' Magdala, li minnha kien ħarġu seba' xjaten,   Ġwanna, mart Ħuża, prokuratur ta' Erodi,  Susanna, u ħafna  oħrajn,  li kienu jaqduhom minn ġidhom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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COMMENTARY by Fr Thomas Rosica CSB

Love as Consequence of Authentic Forgiveness

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus dines with sinners and takes the opportunity to teach some very important lessons about discipleship and holiness.  As with so many things he did, Jesus’ befriending such types of people and eating with them angered his opponents, especially the religious leaders of his day. They murmured against him: “He has gone in to be a guest of a man who is a sinner,” or “Look at him who eats with tax-collectors and prostitutes!” But where others saw only sinners, people on the fringe, public pariahs to be hated and isolated, Jesus saw human beings cowering in the shadows, often trapped in their own failure, desperately trying to be something better, awkwardly trying to make amends for a life of injustice.

It was so often at meals that Jesus seemed to show most clearly that he reconciled sinners. How can we not recall the stories of Zacchaeus, Levi, the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, the disillusioned disciples at Emmaus, and Peter at the lakeside? Even the Last Supper, which we think of instinctively as a very sublime occasion, was a meal shared with sinners. Jesus’ table includes Judas (his betrayer), Peter (who denied him), and the squabbling and obtuse disciples. The early Church founded its understanding of the Eucharist on the basis of the dangerous memory of Jesus’ table fellowship.

The woman party crasher

In Sunday’s Gospel story of the pardoning of the sinful woman, a Pharisee, suspecting Jesus to be a prophet, invites Jesus to a festive banquet in his house, but the Pharisee’s self-righteousness leads to little forgiveness by God and consequently little love shown toward Jesus. The sinful woman, on the other hand, manifests a faith in God that has led her to seek forgiveness for her sins, and because so much was forgiven, she now overwhelms Jesus with her display of love. The whole episode is a powerful lesson on the relation between forgiveness and love.

Why did this nameless woman approach Jesus and anoint him at the risk of ridicule and abuse by others? Her action was motivated by one thing: her love for Jesus and her gratitude for his forgiveness. She did something a Jewish woman would never do in public: She loosed her hair and anointed Jesus with her tears. She also did something that only love can do: She took the most precious thing she had and spent it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but lavish and extravagant.

Jesus recounts what he saw the woman do. The purpose of this recitation is not so much to accuse Simon for what he did not do. Does Simon persist in seeing the woman as a sinner, or is he able to reinterpret her actions? If Simon is still not able to come up with a different evaluation of what he saw, Jesus tries to persuade Simon to see as he sees: She has been forgiven much and now shows great love.

The sinful woman exemplifies one who responds properly to Jesus, and whose actions mirror his own. The key question her story poses, not only to Simon, but to us is, “Do you see this woman?” Not to see the woman and her actions properly is not to perceive Jesus and his identity correctly. The story is open-ended: there is yet hope that Simon’s perception, understanding and vision can be corrected. What about ours?

Christian reconciliation

Sunday’s Gospel invites us to reflect on the mystery and obligation of forgiveness and reconciliation in our Christian tradition. There is a widespread misunderstanding that in any conflict a Christian should be a peacemaker who avoids taking sides and tries to bring about a reconciliation between the opposing forces. This makes reconciliation an absolute principle that must be applied in all cases of conflict. In some conflicts one side is right and the other side is wrong, one side is being unjust and oppressive and the other is suggesting injustice and oppression. As Christians, we are never asked to reconcile good and evil, justice and injustice. Rather we are to do away with evil, injustice and sin.

Second, neutrality is not always possible, and in cases of conflict due to injustice and oppression neutrality is totally impossible. If we do not take sides with the oppressed, then we end up taking sides with the oppressor. “Bringing the two sides together” in such cases can end up being beneficial to the oppressor, because it enables the status quo to be maintained; it hides the true nature of the conflict, keeps the oppressed quiet and passive and it brings about a kind of false reconciliation without justice. The injustice continues and everybody is made to feel that the injustice does not matter because the tension and conflict have been reduced.

Third is the commonly held view that Christians should always seek a “middle way” in every dispute. Those who are afraid of conflict or confrontation, even when it is nonviolent, are usually convinced of the need for change. Their caution hides an un-Christian pessimism about the future, a lack of authentic, Christian hope. Or they use the Christian concern for reconciliation to justify a form of escapism from the realities of injustice and conflict.

Such mistakes about Christian reconciliation are not simply a matter of misunderstandings, but come from a lack of real love and compassion for those who are suffering or who have been victimized, or from a lack of appreciation of what is really happening in serious conflicts. The pursuit of an illusory neutrality in every conflict is ultimately a way of siding with the oppressor. This is not the reconciliation and forgiveness that Jesus taught through his life and ministry.

In the conflict between Pharisees and the so-called “sinners,” Jesus sided with the sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors against the Pharisees. And in the conflict between the rich and the poor, he sided with the poor. Jesus condemns the Pharisees and the rich in no uncertain terms, and he forgives the sinners and blesses the poor. Jesus makes no attempt to compromise with the authorities for the sake of a false peace of reconciliation or unity. The reconciliation, peace and forgiveness that God wants are based on truth, justice and love.

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