These are the Readings for next Sunday, July 10th.....
The
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Lectionary: 105
Il-15-il Ħadd matul is-Sena
Messalin C pp338
Reading 1 DeuTeronomy 30:10-14
Moses said to the
people: "If only you would heed the
voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are
written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all
your heart and all your soul. "For this command that I enjoin on you today
is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you
should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that
we may carry it out?' Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, 'Who will
cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?'
No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your
hearts; you have only to carry it out."
This is the Word of the Lord.
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari
mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 30, 10-14
Mose' kellem lill-poplu u
qal: "Il-Mulej jifraħ bik u jagħmel
il-ġid miegħek, jekk int tisma' l-kelma
tal-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, u tħares
l-ordnijiet tiegħu u l-liġijiet miktuba fil-ktieb ta' din il-liġi, jekk terġa'
lejn il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, b'qalbek
kollha u b'ruħek kollha. Din il-liġi li qiegħed nagħtik illum, mhijiex tqila
għalik u anqas 'il bogħod minnek.
Mhijiex fis-sema biex int tgħid: "Min se jitlgħalna s-sema
jġibhielna u jsemmagħhielna u nagħmluha? U anqas ma hi 'l hemm mill-baħar biex int
tgħid: "Min se jmur 'l hemm mill-ibħra u jġibielna u jsemmagħhielna, u
nagħmluha?" Imma din il-ħaġa hi
qribek sewwa f'fommok u f'moħħok, biex tagħmilha." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness:
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness:
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
I am afflicted and in pain;
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
let your saving help, O God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not."
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
For God will save
and rebuild the cities of
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.
Salm Responsorjali SALM 68 (69)
Tagħmlu l-qalb, intom li tfittxu lil Alla
Jien lilek nitlob, Mulej;
meta jogħġbok, o Alla,
weġibni,
fil-kobor ta' tjubitek
u skont il-wegħda
tas-salvazzjoni tiegħek.
Weġibni, Mulej, għax
mill-aħjar tjubitek;
dur lejja fil-kobor
tal-ħniena tiegħek. R/
Imma jiena msejken u batut;
terfagħni, o Alla,
is-salvazzjoni tiegħek!
Infaħħar l-isem ta' Alla
bl-għana,
inkabbru b'għana
Hekk jaraw l-imsejkna u
jifirħu;
u tagħmlu l-qalb, intom li
tfittxu lil Alla.
Għax jisma' l-fqajrin
il-Mulej,
ma jistmellx l-imjassrin
tiegħu. R/
Għax Alla jsalva 'l Sijon,
u jibni l-bliet ta' Ġuda;
u huma jerġgħu lura u
jgħammru fiha.
Jirtuha wlied il-qaddejja
tiegħu;
dawk li jħobbu lil ismu
joqogħdu fiha. R/
Reading 2 COLossians 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all
things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the
church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he
himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of
his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven. This is the Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ittra
lill-Kolossin 1, 15-30
Ħuti, Kristu hu x-xbieha ta'
Alla li ma jidhirx, il-kbir fost il-ħlejjaq kollha, għax fih kien maħluq
kollox, fis-sema u fl-art, dak kollu li jidher u dak kollu li ma jidhirx, Troni
u Ħakmiet, Prinċipati u Setgħat. Kollox bih u għalih kien maħluq, hu li hu
qabel kollox, u kollox fih qiegħed iżomm. Hu r-Ras tal-Ġisem, li hu l-Knisja. Hu
li hu l-bidu, il-kbir li qam mill-imwiet, sabiex ikun hu l-ewwel f'kollox. Hekk
Alla għoġbu li tgħammar fih il-milja
kollha; bih Alla għoġbu jerġa' jħabbeb kollox miegħu; bid-demm tiegħu, imxerred
fuq is-Salib, ġieb is-sliem permezz tiegħu fis-sema u fl-art. Il-Kelma tal- Mulej
Gospel LuKe 10:25-37
There was a
scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must
I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in
the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with
all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your
neighbour as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered
correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify
himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem
to Jericho
L-Evanġelju
- Qari
skont San Luqa 10, 25-37
F'dak iż-żmien, iqum wieħed
għaref fil-Liġi u, biex iġarrab lil
Ġesu', staqsieh: "Mgħallem,
x'nagħmel biex niret il-ħajja ta'
dejjem? Qallu Ġesu': "Fil-Liġi x'hemm miktub?
Inti x'taqra fiha? U dak wieġbu:
"Int għandek tħobb il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, b'qalbek kollha, b'ruħek
kollha, bil-qawwa tiegħek kollha, u b'moħħok kollu, u lill-proxxmu tiegħek
bħalek innifsek." Qallu Ġesu':
"Sewwa weġibt, agħmel hekk u tgħix." Iżda dak, biex juri li
kellu raġun, qal lil Ġesu': "U l-proxxmu tiegħi min hu?" Qallu Ġesu'" "Wieħed raġel kien
nieżel Ġeriko minn minn minn minn Minn Mur ,
u agħmel hekk int ukoll." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
………………
Commentary
by Fr Thomas Rosica csb
Loving Means Acting
Like the Good Samaritan
The
story of the Good Samaritan in today’s Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) is one of the
most treasured parables of the Bible. During my studies in the Holy Land, no
matter how many times I traveled that perilous yet spectacular highway from Jerusalem to Jericho
Luke’s
story is powerful, for it speaks of the power of love that transcends all
creeds and cultures and “creates” a neighbor out of a complete stranger. The
parable is personal, for it describes with profound simplicity the birth of a
human relationship that has a personal, physical touch, transcending social and
cultural taboos, as one person binds the wounds of another. The parable is a
pastoral one, for it is filled with the mystery of care and concern that is at
the heart of what is best in human beings. The story is primarily practical,
for it urges us to cross all barriers of culture and community and to go and do
likewise!
Let
us look closely at Luke’s parable. The legal expert who responds to Jesus’
counter-question is certainly a good and upright man. The words, “wished to
justify himself” may often be understood to mean that the lawyer was looking
for some loophole to demonstrate his worthiness. In fact, the lawyer wishes to
be sure that he understands just what “love your neighbor” really implies. In
response to a question from this Jewish legal expert about inheriting eternal
life, Jesus illustrates the superiority of love over legalism through the
parable.
The
priest and Levite (vv 31-32) are religious representatives of Judaism who would
have been expected to be models of “neighbor” to the victim they would pass by
on the road. Levites were expected to have a special dedication to the law. The
identity of the “neighbor” requested by the legal expert turns out to be a
Samaritan, the enemy of the Jew. Samaritans were hated by the lawyer’s racial
group. In the end, the lawyer is even unable to say that it was the Samaritan
who showed compassion. He resorts to the description, “The one who treated him
with compassion.”
Spectator
sport
To
show compassion is to suffer with the wounded and the suffering, to share their
pain and agony. Compassion does not leave us indifferent or insensitive to
another’s pain but calls for solidarity with the suffering. This is how Jesus,
the Good Samaritan par excellence, showed compassion. At times we can be like
the priest and the scribe who, on seeing the wounded man, passed by on the
other side. We can be silent spectators afraid to involve ourselves and dirty
our hands.
Compassion
demands that we get out of ourselves as we reach out to others in need. It
means that we get our hands and even our reputations dirty. Indifference is
worse than hostility. The hostile person at least acknowledges the presence of
the other while reacting violently to it; the indifferent person, on the other
hand, ignores the other and treats him as if he did not exist. That was the
kind of indifference and insensitivity shown by the priest and the Levite who
passed by on the other side, leaving the wounded and waylaid traveler
completely alone.
The
Good Samaritan shows us what compassion and commitment are all about. He could
have easily passed by on the other side. He could have closed his heart and
refused to respond to a genuine need. But he stopped and knelt down beside the
stranger who was hurting. At that moment, a neighbor was born. Everyone who
stops beside the suffering of another person, whatever form it may take, is a
Good Samaritan. This stopping and stooping, this pausing and kneeling down
beside the suffering, is not done out of curiosity but out of love. The
Samaritan’s compassion brings him to perform a whole series of actions. First
he bandaged his wounds, then he took the wounded man to an inn to care for him,
and before leaving, he gives the innkeeper the necessary money to take care of
him (vv 34-35).
Loving
means acting like the Good Samaritan. We know that Jesus himself is the Good
Samaritan par excellence; although he was God, he did not hesitate to humble
himself to the point of becoming a man and giving his life for us. More than
2,000 years after this story was first told, it continues to move people
deeply. It teaches us what authentic compassion, commitment and communion with
others are all about.
Concept
of neighbour
In
his 2005 encyclical letter “Deus Caritas Est” (On Christian Love), Benedict XVI
wrote in #15:
The parable of the Good Samaritan
offers two particularly important clarifications. Until that time, the concept
of ‘neighbour’ was understood as referring essentially to one’s countrymen and
to foreigners who had settled in the land of Israel; in other words, to the
closely-knit community of a single country or people. This limit is now
abolished. Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbour. The
concept of ‘neighbour’ is now universalized, yet it remains concrete. Despite
being extended to all mankind, it is not reduced to a generic, abstract and
undemanding expression of love, but calls for my own practical commitment here
and now.
“The Church has the duty to interpret
ever anew this relationship between near and far with regard to the actual
daily life of her members. Lastly, we should especially mention the great
parable of the Last Judgment (cf. Matthew 25:31-46), in which love becomes the
criterion for the definitive decision about a human life’s worth or lack
thereof. Jesus identifies himself with those in need, with the hungry, the
thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. “As you did it
to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
Love of God and love of neighbor have become one: In the least of the brethren
we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God. ////////////////////////////////
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