Twenty-fourth Sunday
in Ordinary Time
L-24 Ħadd matul is-sena
Messalin C pp 390
Reading 1 EXODUS 32:7-11, 13-14
The
LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of
the land of Egypt Israel
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari
mill-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 32, 7-11; 13-14
F'dak iż-żmien, il-Mulej qal
lil Mose': "Mur
u inżel, għaliex tħassar il-poplu tiegħek, li inti tellajt mill-Eġittu.Malajr
warrbu mit-triq li jien wrejthom; għamlu għalihom għoġol tal-metall imdewweb,
niżlu wiċċhom fl-art iqimuh,u offrewlu sagrifiċċju u qalu: "Dawn huma l-allat tiegħek, Iżrael, li
tellgħuk mil-art tal-Eġittu." U l-Mulej issokta jgħid lil Mose': "Jien ħarist lejn dan il-poplu u rajt
lihu poplu ta' ras iebsa. Ħallini
waħdi, issa, ħalli nixgħel il-korla
tiegħi għalihom u neqridhom. U lilek
nagħmlek ġens kbir." Mose' mbagħad talab bil-ħniena quddiem il-Mulej, Alla
tiegħu, u qal: "Għaliex, Mulej,
tixgħel bil-korla tiegħek għall-poplu
tiegħek, li int, b'ħila kbira u b'id qawwija, ħriġtu mill-art
tal-Eġittu? Ftakar f'Abraħam, f'Iżakk u f'Iżrael, il-qaddejja
tiegħek, li int ħliftilhom bik innifsek
u għedtilhom: "Inkattar in-nisel
tagħkom bħall-kwiekeb tas-sema, u din l-art kollha,li jien wegħedt, nagħtiha
lil nisilkom bħala wirt għal dejjem." U l-Mulej nidem mill-ħsara li qal li
kien se jagħmel lill-poplu tiegħu. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PS 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
R. (Lk 15:18) I will rise and go to my father.
Have
mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. R/
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. R/
A
clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R/
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R/
O
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. R/
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. R/
Salm Responsorjali - Salm50
(51)
R/ Inqum u mmur għand missieri.
Ikollok ħniena minni, o Alla,
fi tjubitek,
fil-kobor tal-ħniena tiegħek
ħassar ħtijieti.
Aħsilli kollni mill-ħtija
tiegħi;
naddafni mid-dnub tiegħi. R/
Oħlaq fija qalb safja, O
Alla,
u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija.
La twarrabnix minn
tneħħix minni l-ispirtu
qaddis tiegħek. R/
Iftaħli xufftejja, Sidi,
u fommi jxandar it-tifħir
tieghek.
Is-sagrifiċu tiegħi, o Alla,
hu qalb niedma;
qalb
maqsuma u sogħbiena ma twarrabhiex, o Alla. R/
Reading 2 1 TiMothy 1:12-17
Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he
considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was
once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully
treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been
abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This
saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of
these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as
the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for
those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To
the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen. . This is the
Word of the Lord.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni - Qari
mill-Ewwel Ittra lil Timotju 1, 12-27
Għażiż, niżżi ħajr lil Kristu Ġesu' Sidna, li
tani l-qawwa għal dan ix-xogħol u li deherlu li kienet tistħoqqli l-fiduċja
tiegħu u għamilni ministru tiegħu, lili
li qabel kont dagħaj, persekutur u
żeblieħi tiegħu. Iżda sibt il-ħniena, għax dak li għamilt għamiltu bla ma kont
naf, billi kont għadni bla fidi. Anżi
lili l-grazzja ta' Sidna kienet mogħtija
bil-kotra, flimkien mal-fidi u mal-imħabba, li hi fi Kristu Ġesu'. Din hija
kelma ta' min jemminha u jilqagħha għalkollox; li Kristu Ġesu' ġid fid-dinja
biex isalva l-midinbin; u fosthom, lili l-ewwel wieħed. Iżda jien minħabba f'hekk sibt il-ħniena,
biex bija, bħala l-ewwel wieħed, Kristu Ġesu' juri s-sabar kollu tiegħu,
b'eżempju għal dawk li kienu għad iridu jemmnu fih biex ikollhom il-ħajja ta'
dejjem. Lis-Sultan ta' dejjem, li ma jmutx u li ma jidhirx, lil Alla waħdu, ġieħ u glorja għal dejjem ta'
dejjem! Ammen. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Gospel LuKe 15:1-32
Tax
collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the
Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and
eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable. “What
man among you having a hundred sheep and
losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after
the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his
shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found
my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who
have no need of repentance. “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would
not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And
when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to
them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the
same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one
sinner who repents.” Then he said, “A
man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the
share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the
property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his
belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance
on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a
severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he
hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend
the swine. And
he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave
him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired
workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I
shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat
one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While
he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled
with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His
son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no
longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly
bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on
his feet. Take
the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because
this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has
been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the
field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music
and dancing. He
called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The
servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered
the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and
when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He
said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once
did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on
with my friends. But when your son
returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter
the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My
son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But
now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come
to life again; he was lost and has been found.’” . This
is the Word of the Lord.
L-Evanġelju - Qari
skont San Luqa
15, 1-32
F'dak iż-żmien,
il-pubblikanti u l-midinbin kienu jersqu lejn Ġesu' bi ħġarhom biex jisimgħuh.
U kemm il-fariżej u kemm il-kittieba kienu jgemgmu u jgħidu: "Nies midinba jilqa' għandu jilqa'
għandu dan u jiekol magħhom." Ġesu'
qabad u qalilhom din il-parabbola: "Min hu dak fostkom li jkollu mitt
nagħġa u jitlef waħda minnhom, u ma
jħallix id-disgħa u disgħin l-oħra fid-deżert biex imur wara l-mitlufa sa ma
jsibha? U meta jsibha, jifraħ biha u jerfagħha fuq spallejh, imur id-dar,
isejjaħ għandu lil ħbiebu u l-ġirien, u jgħidlhom: "Ifirħu miegħi, għax sibt in-nagħġa li
kienet intilfitli." Nghidilkom li
l-istess jiġri fis-smewwiet: ikun hemm aktar
ferħ għal midneb wieħed li jindem milli għal disgħa u disgħin bniedem tajjeb li ma kellux bżonn ta' ndiema.
Jew min hi dik il-mara li jkollha għaxar drakmiet u titlef waħda minnhom, li
mhijiex sejra tixgħel il-musbieħ u
tiknes id-dar, u tiknes id-dar, u tibqa' tfittex bil-għaqal sa ma ssibha? U
meta ssibha, issejjaħ għandha lil
ħbiebha u l-ġirien, u tgħidilhom: "Ifirħu miegħi, għax sibt id-drakma li kienet intilfitli. Ngħidilkom
jien li l-istess ferħ ikun hemm fost l-anġli ta' Alla għal mibneb wieħed li
jindem." Qalilhom ukoll: "Kien
hemm raġel li kellu żewġ ulied. Iż-żgħir qal lil missieru: "Missier, agħtini s-sehem li jmiss lili
mill-ġid." U dak qassmilhom il-ġid.
Ma kinux għaddew wisq ġranet,
meta ż-żgħir sarr kollox u telaq minn Meta ħela kulma kellu,
fuq dak il-pajjiż waqa' ġuħ kbir, u
beda jħoss ruħu fil-bżonn. U mar
daħal ma' wieħed minn
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COMMENTARY -
A
Love That Makes a Home for Both Sons
Chapter 15 of
Luke's Gospel is often referred to as the "lost and found" collection
of the New Testament. The chapter begins with the parable of lost sheep (1-7),
followed by the parable of lost coin (8-10), reaching its crescendo in the
masterpiece of the parable of the prodigal son (11-32), at the heart of Sunday's
Gospel.
The word
"prodigal" has two meanings: as an adjective it describes someone who
is excessive, extravagant, immoderate and wasteful -- the opposite of
"frugal." As a noun it is a synonym for the profligate, the
spendthrift, the squanderer, the wastrel. It is easy to understand why this
familiar and beloved story has been called the "parable of the prodigal
son." The boy certainly squandered his father's money and was wasteful of
his inheritance. But the story is about much more than a wayward boy.
We
have played each of the roles
At different times
in our lives, most of us have played each of the roles in this story: that of
the doting, loving, apparently overindulgent parent; that of the younger son
whose sinfulness and pride have brought them low, and desperately in need of
mercy; the older son, who is responsible and above reproach, and who is upset
at the generosity and leniency with which the weaknesses and sins of others are
understood.
We are told that the
younger boy "squandered his property." The son has obviously gone to
a pagan (Gentile) nation, since no self-respecting Jewish farmer would raise
pigs -- non-kosher animals. The son apparently travelled a long way, imagining
that he would find in some other country the happiness and excitement he had
apparently not found in his own land -- and the result was just the opposite:
He is reduced to slavery to foreigners, forced to tend to unclean animals, and
ill-fed, so that he is slowly starving to death.
True
repentance?
Although we often
point to the prodigal son as the example of appropriate Christian repentance,
the fact is that his motivations for returning home are less than noble. He is
desperately hungry, and finally realizes the extreme degradation in which he is
living -- a degradation that places him even below the household servants in
the home of his father. The young man is in
misery not because of a sense of sin that might lead to repentance, but from
his destitution. He came to realize how foolish he had been and so "came
to his senses." That is a prelude to repentance, even if not repentance
itself. The fact that he prepares and rehearses his speech in advance suggests
a certain lack of sincerity; he continues to be only interested in himself and
his own needs.
The
father's disproportionate response
In the story, the
father has evidently never given up hope on his son, and has continued to scan
the horizon for signs that he might return, and that they might once again be a
family. The father's reaction to his son's return is an overflowing of love,
compassion and tenderness: He "falls on his son's neck," hugging and
kissing him, and demands that the symbols of his freedom and of his status
within the family -- the best robe, sandals, the ring -- be restored to him, as
if nothing had happened!
To
see as God sees
The generous father
of both sons welcomes back the youth who squandered his inheritance but does
not repudiate the older son who protests the father's prodigality yet remains
faithful to the father. "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine
is yours" (31). The restoration of the son who "was dead and has come
to life," who "was lost and has been found" (32), does not
invalidate the fidelity of the older son.
In this parable,
Jesus overturns our expectations and categories and challenges us to see our
relationships from a radically new and different perspective -- "to see as
God sees." We must abandon the image -- all too common among people of
religious faith -- of God as the heavenly accountant, poised to pounce on the
slightest mistake. We must never forget the words of St. John Chrysostom:
"All that God looks for from us is the slightest opening and he forgives a
multitude of sins."
The
older brother's reaction
The reaction of the
elder son is one of righteous indignation: He has been the obedient,
responsible one, staying at home to manage the farm and take care of their
father after his younger brother's precipitous departure in search of
adventure. And yet the elder brother's words quickly make it clear that,
although he has done so, it has apparently not been out of any sense of love or
generosity; instead, he feels that he has been imposed upon, has "slaved
away" for years for his father without appropriate gestures of gratitude.
The bitterness, coldness and spite with which the elder son addresses his
father reveals a level of rudeness that is every bit as insulting as the earlier
actions of his younger brother. He focuses, not on what he has been given, but
on what he feels he has been deprived of. He suffers from the terrible disease
of entitlement that has reached pandemic proportions in our day!
The elder brother
is concrete in condemning his younger brother's behaviour; telling his father
how the younger brother has "devoured your money with prostitutes."
How does the elder brother know this? Perhaps he simply imagines the worst
about his brother, and describes him in the harshest possible terms. How easy
it is, when we are angry with someone, to imagine the worst about them, to
speculate about their faults and failings and magnify them to incredible
proportions!
Lingering
questions...
Does the elder son
finally make peace with his brother and welcome him back? Does he find it in
his heart to forgive, and to share in the father's rejoicing? Or does he find
himself even more alienated than his younger brother had been? We are left with
no answers, hoping for a conclusion that Jesus never provides. And yet perhaps
that is the key: that each person must write the conclusion for him/herself,
must decide whether they will respond with the type of love, mercy and
compassion that Jesus' story evidently demands.
We know what Jesus asks
of us; the challenge, of course, is whether we are willing to accept that
challenge and put it into practice in our own lives and relationships. We
probably side with the younger brother only because we know the outcome of the
parable ahead of time. In our heart of hearts, we grumble at love that makes a
home for both sons.
Pope John Paul II,
in his 1984 apostolic exhortation "Reconciliatio
et Pænitentia," wrote about this magnificent story: "The parable
of the prodigal son is above all the story of the inexpressible love of a
Father -- God -- who offers to his son when he comes back to him the gift of
full reconciliation. [...] It therefore reminds us of the need for a profound
transformation of hearts through the rediscovery of the Father's mercy and
through victory over misunderstanding and over hostility among brothers and
sisters."
The parable of
"the prodigal son" or "the prodigal father" or the
"indignant elder brother" can cause much grief for us, as we see
ourselves and our motives exposed for what they really are. Let us not forget
the parting words of Pope John Paul II at the closing Mass of World Youth Day
2002 in Toronto
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