We are called to give witness

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

IL-33 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C pp 444

Reading 1                           

Malachi 3:19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stumble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni -

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profet Malakija 3,19-20

Ara, jiġi l-Jum, jaqbad qisu forn, u l-kburin kollha u  dawk kollha li jagħmlu l-ħażen ikunu tiben,  u  l-jum li ġej għad jaħraqhom,  igħid il-Mulej tal-eżerċti: hekk li ma jħallilhom la għerq u lanqas fergħa. Imma għalikom li  tibżgħu minn ismi  titla' x-xemx  tal-ġustizzja, bis-salvazzjoni fuq ġwenħajha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm              

Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

R. (cf. 9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.         R/

Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.           R/

Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.                           R/

Salm Responsorjali                Salm 97 (98)

            R/        Il-Mulej jagħmel ħaqq mill-popli.

Għannu lill-Mulej biċ-ċetra,

biċ-ċetra u bil-ħlewwa tal-għana,

bit-trombi u bid-daqq tat-trumbetti;

għajtu bil-ferħ quddiem il-Mulej is-sultan!       R/

Ħa jriegħed il-baħar u kulma fih,

id-dinja u kulma jgħammar fiha.

Ħa jċapċpu x-xmajjar idejhom,

u l-muntanji flimkien jgħajtu bil-ferħ

quddiem il-Mulej.                                             R/

Għax il-Mulej ġej

biex jagħmel ħaqq mill-art;

hu jagħmel ħaqq mid-dinja bil-ġustizzja,

u mill-popli bis-sewwa.                                   R/

Reading 2                  

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us.  For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone.  On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.  Not that we do not have the right.  Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.  In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.  Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni -

Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 3, 7-12

Ħuti, intom stess tafu kif jeħtieġ li timxu fuq l-eżempju tagħna. Aħna ma tgħażżiniex meta konna fostkom; il-ħobż li kilna, ħadd ma tahulna b'xejn;  imma lejl u nhar ħdimna, tħabbatna u batejna  biex ma nkunu ta' piż għal ħadd minnkom. Imxejna hekk mhux għax ma għandniex dritt li  żżommuna intom,  imma ridna nagħtukom  eżempju biex timxu fuqu.   Meta konna fostkom aħna ordnajnielkom li jekk xi ħadd ma  jridx jaħdem, dan anqas ma għandu jiekol. Issa aħna smajna li hemm xi wħud fostkom li qegħdin jitgħażżnu;  mhumiex jaħdmu, imma qegħdin jinħlew  fix-xejn.  Lil dawn in-nies nardanwlhom u nwissuhom, f'isem il-Mulej Ġesu' Kristu, biex jaħdmu sewwa u għaxienhom jaqilgħuh. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.    

GOSPEL  -  

LUKE 21: 5-19

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,’ and 'The time has come.’ Do not follow them!  When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."  Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues  from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.  It will lead to your giving testimony.  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju -

Qari skont San Luqa 21, 5-19

F'dak iż-żmien, kien hemm xi wħud li bdew jgħidu fuq  kemm  it-tempju kien imżejjen b'ġebel sabiħ u għotjiet; iżda Ġesu' qalilhom:  "Kulma qegħdin taraw, għad jiġi żmien li ma tibqax ġebla fuq oħra  minnu li ma tiġġarrafx." U huma staqsewh u qalulu: "Mgħallem, issa dan meta  għad jiġri?   U se jkunu is-sinjali li dawn il-ħwejjeġ ikunu waslu biex iseħħu?"Qalilhom:  "Araw li ma titqarrqux.  Għax għad jiġu ħafna f'ismi u jgħidu:  "Jien hu" u "Iż-żmien wasal,"  Tmorrux  warajhom! Meta tisimgħu min jitkellem fuq gwerer u taqlib fil-pajjiżi, tinħasdux għax jeħtieġ li l-ewwel jiġri dan, iżda t-tmiem ma jasalx minnufih." Imbagħad qalilhom: " Għad iqum ġens kontra ġens u saltna kontra saltna, l-art titheżżeż bil-kbir,f'ħafna bnadi  jkun hemm il-ġuħ u mard li jittieħed, u fis-sema jidhru ħwejjeġ tal-biża' u sinjali tal-għaġeb. Imma qabel dan kollu jixħtu jdejhom fuqkom u jippersegwitawkom, jagħtukom f'idejn il-mexxejja tas-sinagoga u jitfgħukom il-ħabs, u jeħdukom quddiem  slaten u gvernaturi minħabba f'ismi.   Dan ikun  jiswielkom biex tistgħu tagħtu xhieda.  U żommu  sewwa moħħkom: toqogħdux taħsbu minn qabel kif se tiddefendu ruħkom,  għax jien nagħtikom kliem u għerf li kull min ikun kontra tagħkom ma jkunx jista' jiqaflu jew imerih. U jittradukom saħansitra l-ġenituri tagħkom u ħutkom u qrabatkom u ħbiebkom, u lil xi wħud minnkom joqtluhom,  u kulħadd isir jobgħodkom minħabba f'ismi. Imma xagħra  waħda minn raskom ma tintilifx.  Jekk tibqgħu sħaħ sal-aħħar issalvaw ħajjitkom!" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY…..

Viewing History in the Larger Context of God

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

As we come to the end of the Church's liturgical year, our Sunday Scripture readings are filled with apocalyptic images that may well terrify us with their intensity, honesty, realism and practicality. Apocalyptic writing was popular in Christian circles for a millennium. Major historical crises most often triggered apocalyptic thinking.

Sunday's Gospel scene came at a moment late in Jesus' ministry, and the disciples stood with him on Jerusalem's holiest ground and stared at the majestic temple of Jerusalem, the centre of Jewish culture and religion, Herod's masterpiece of appeasement of the Jews. It was clearly a sight to stir the soul! And yet this group outing to the Temple Mount suddenly turned serious. What began with architectural admiration became a prophetic glimpse of what discipleship would cost those who would bear his name. It would bring public persecution and betrayal by those closest in the circle of family and friends. Now the long-promised Messiah-prophet had come and taken his place in a temple rebuilt for the third time. His very presence was the visitation of God.

Jesus spoke about the earth-shattering catastrophes including the seizure, persecution, deliverance and betrayal of the disciples. He also spoke about the many who will come in his name to bring quick fixes to the great dilemmas of his and our time. Jesus is clearly no stranger to the horrific forces still on the prowl in our world. Their terror, whether cosmic or personal, is overcome by the assurance that he knows his own, even the number of the hairs on their heads. He went to the cross to make that assurance trustworthy. It is not stoic determination that gets us "gain of soul," but faithful reliance on his promise of grace sufficient in weakness, a grace that works in everything for the gain of the soul.

To reject the divine reign Jesus brought would be to bring down the judgment of God. To endure under his gracious reign would be "to gain your souls." Remember that Jesus spoke of the soul not as fixed but "gained." The soul is that inward capacity in which the divine and human connect in a lifelong process of anchoring and maturing and enduring--enduring that will not flinch in the face of suffering.

What's in a name?

If apocalyptic literature shocks us, it may well be for good reasons. Maybe we need to be lulled out of our complacent faith and beliefs, our way of living and acting, and realize that time is short, that the Lord truly does come like a thief in the night, that we must radically change our ways today, not tomorrow. The theme of Jesus' words in today's Gospel is that his "name" (which is the equivalent of his mission and his person) will be the cause of disruption.

And yet we often remain so uncourageous, shunning any form of conflict and struggle. We hide our Catholic Christian identity for fear of "offending" others or of being labeled Christian or Catholic. Have we ever stopped to realize that maybe some things in this world are truly worth fighting for, and even dying for? Have we forgotten that those associated with "the Name" will endure persecution?

A lesson

There is also an important message for us in today's second reading from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12). St. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians about a specific problem in their community that has grown out of the intense eschatological speculation, namely, not to work but to become instead disorderly busybodies (6-15). Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here had apparently ceased to work for a living. They allowed themselves to be overcome with fear and paralysis about the future, and longed for imminent deliverance from the present struggles and suffering. They effectively gave up and used the parousia as an excuse to cease transforming the society in which they lived by their faithful and courageous witness. They busied themselves with all the wrong things!

 As we near the end of the liturgical year and are confronted with ultimate things in next Sunday's Scripture readings, let us never forget that we are called to give witness through our daily living. Amid painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven not only for a revelation of God's will but also for a vision of the end of the present misery and the beginning of the age to come. That thought alone is a cause of consolation, joy and hope in the midst of the storms of our times.

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