Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Christ: The Light of the World
It-Tielet Ħadd matul is-Sena
A
Messalin
A pp 261
Kristu: id-Dawl tad-Dinja
First
the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land
of Naphtali ; but in the end he has
glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ktieb
tal-Profeta Isaija. 8, 23b- 9,3
Alla, bħalma qabel fl-imgħoddi kien mela bl-għajb l-art
ta' Żebulun u l-art ta' Naftali,
hekk issa fl-ahħar isebbaħ it-triq tal-baħar
'l hemm mil-Ġordan,
il-Galilija tal-ġnus.
Il-poplu li kien miexi fid-dlam ra
dawl kbir; in-nies li joqogħdu fl-art id-dlam dawl idda fuqhom. Int kattart il-ġens,
kabbart l-hena; huma ferħu quddiemek, bħalma jifirħu fi żmien il-ħsad,
bħalma jifirħu fi qsim il-priża. Għax
il-madmad li kien itaqqlu, u l-ħatar ta' fuq spallejh, u
l-bastun ta' l-argusżom. int kissirthom bħal f'jum Midjan. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm
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. 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. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
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. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Salm
Respomsorjali
Salm 26(27)
Il-Mulej id-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi,
minn min għandi nibża?
Il-Mulej hu l-kenn tiegħi
quddiem min għandi nitwerwer?
R/ Il-Mulej id-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.
Ħaġa waħda tlabt lill-Mulej,
ħaġa waħda nfittex:
li ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej
tul il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti;
biex nigħaxxaq bil-ħlewwa tal-Mulej
jien u nħares lejn it-tempju tiegħu.
R/ Il-Mulej id-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.
Nemmen li għad nara t-tjieba tal-Mulej
f'art il-ħajjin.
Itttama fil-Mulej, żomm sħiħ u qawwi qalbek;
Ittama fil-Mulej.
R/ Il-Mulej id-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.
I
urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all
of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but
that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. For it has been
reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that
there are rivalries among you. I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to
Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I
belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul
crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not
send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human
eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. This is the Word of The Lord.
Qari mill-Ewwel
Ittra ta' San Pawl Appostlu lill-Korintin 1, 10-13,17
Nitlobkom, ħuti, f'isem Sidna Ġesu' Kristu, biex tkun taqblu fi kliemkom u ma jkunx hemm firdiet fostkom. Kunu maqgħduin
kif imiss, ħsieb
wieħed
u fehma waħda.
Ħuti,
in-nies ta' Kloji qaluli fuqkom li
fostkom hemm it-tilwim: irrid ngħid
jien, li kull wieħed
minnkom qiegħed jgħid: "Jiena ta' Pawlu" u
"jien ta' kefa,""U jiena ta' Kristu." Jaqaw Kristu mifrud? Forsi Pawlu kien li
ssallab għalikom jew f'isem Pawlu tgħammidtu?
Kristu ma bagħatnix biex ngħammed iżda
biex inxandar l-Evanġelu, mhux bi kliem l-għerf
sabiex ma jiġix fix-xejn is-salib ta' Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel
When
Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee .
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of
Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been
said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to
the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in
darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by
death light has arisen. From
that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.” As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee ,
he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting
a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I
will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of
Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee,
mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and
their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee ,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness
among the people. This is the Word of The
Lord.
L-Evanġelju
Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Mattew 4, 12-23
//////////////////////////////////////
In Jesus
of Nazareth
Both
next Sunday’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah [Is 8:23-9:3] and the
Gospel passage [Mt 4:12-23] keep alive the memory of Christmas for us.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who
lived in a land of deep darkness– on them a light has shined."
The choral section from the Nativity cycle of Handel’s Messiah never ceases to
move me each time I listen to Isaiah’s prophecy set to hauntingly beautiful
music… words that reach their crescendo in the announcement of the birth of a
child who will be called: “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Isaiah’s
prophecy forms the first reading that we hear proclaimed each year at the
Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
The powerful words
of consolation were addressed to those who were in darkness and anguish, those
who lived in the Galilean areas of Zebulun and Naphtali, lands located between
the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. In today’ Gospel, Isaiah's
prophecy of the light rising upon Zebulun and Naphtali (Isaiah 8:22-9:1) is
fulfilled in Jesus' residence at Capernaum. Since so much of Jesus' ministry
takes place in Galilee, and around the Sea of Galilee, it is important for us
to have some historical and geographical understanding of the whole
region. We must know something about the Old Testament history of the
land that Jesus made his own.
A
land of deep darkness
Immediately
preceding chapter 9, Isaiah's testimony has built up a frightening picture of
the darkness and distress about to descend upon both Judah and the northern
kingdom. What is this terrible fate and darkness of the people and why? After
King Ahaz and his people have clearly rejected the Word of God (cf. Is 7:10-12;
8:6a) the Lord declares that he will hide his face from the house of Jacob
(8:17) as an indication of his dismay and anger. In a time of anguish and panic
due to the wrath of God, people have taken recourse only too easily to mediums
and wizards (8:19). But Isaiah observes that it is ridiculous to consult the
dead on behalf of the living. In chapter 8:16-22 we read of the terrible fate
that could overtake the people: "there is no dawn for this people"
(8:20). Instead there is hunger, thirst and misery showing itself in physical
as well as spiritual deprivation. People's hearts are darkened and their
spirits are greatly disturbed. They get enraged and curse their sinful
king and the God whom they have forsaken. They live without hope and any
consolation. Whether they turn their faces upward or cast their eyes down to
the earth, they will see only distress and darkness while they themselves will
be thrust into thick darkness (cf. Exodus 10:22; Deuteronomy 28:29).
Such darkness
penetrates right into the heart and soul and renders the continuation of human
life impossible. But that darkness and distress were not Isaiah's last
words. Precisely upon this land has shone a great light. A
recurring theme in the scriptures is the fact that God acts in the unexpected
context, in the unexpected place, in the unexpected time, in the unexpected
way.
Isaiah’s
hope for the northern peoples
Chapter 9 of
Isaiah’s book stands in total contrast to chapter 8. The opening line of
9:1 forms a transition from the darkness of 8:22. The prophet proclaims a
message of hope and consolation as darkness and gloom give way to light and
joy. The great light comes decisively into this profound darkness. It tears
people away from their confusion and emptiness, from the violence and tyranny
of the oppressor. The message of 9:1-7 is directed to those people who
were in anguish. The darkness and
gloom that had settled over the land penetrates right into the heart and soul
and renders the continuation of human life impossible. But this darkness
and distress were not Isaiah's last words. The prophet proclaims a
message of hope and consolation as darkness and gloom give way to light and
joy. On the inhabitants of a country in the shadow dark as death, light
has blazed forth!
The first result of
this great light over the peoples will be the fall of the oppressor- Assyria,
who must be defeated no less decisively than Midian had been (Judges 6).
Only after such a decisive defeat can disarmament take place and peace reign.
The symbols of the Assyrian oppression: the yoke of their burden, the bar
across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, shall be broken (9:4). The
garments of war shall feed the flames (9:5). The destruction of war-like
equipment heralds an age of peace...symbolically described in 2:4 "they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more."
Jesus’
ministry along the Sea of Galilee
In order to
accommodate Jesus' move to Capernaum to Isaiah’s prophecy, Matthew speaks of
that town as being "in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali" (Matthew
4:13), whereas it was only in the territory of the latter, and he understands
the sea of the prophecy, the Mediterranean, as the sea of Galilee. As
Jesus moved along the shore of Sea of Galilee, and on the Sea itself, he shed
light onto the lives of many people who had experienced the ravages of war,
invasion, occupation and violence in the whole area of Zebulon and Naphthali.
In the gospels of
Mark and Matthew, that first encounter with disciples is told very briefly
(Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18-22). Walking along the shore, Jesus meets
Simon and his brother Andrew. They are casting their nets from the shore,
probably hoping to catch some of the fish hovering about the warm springs that
empty into the sea. He summons them: "Come follow me and I
will make you fishers of men." Immediately, we are told, they leave
their nets and follow him. A little further along, he sees James and
John, Zebedees' sons. They are sitting in their boats, mending the
nets. Wearied, perhaps, after a nightlong bout with the sea. Jesus
calls them in the same way; they leave their father and the rest of the crew
and follow him. For Jesus and for those whom he called, the Sea was a
place and a moment of conversion. It is along the sea that Jesus calls others
to join him in his prophetic ministry and outreach to the poor and the
sick. Pastoral ministry that is authentic and prophetic enters those
areas acquainted with strife, pain, anguish, war and violence, and always
reaches out and invites others to follow.
Even though the call to follow
Jesus was a privilege beyond imagination, there is no attempt to pretend the
disciples were ideal people. They were very real people - contentious,
weak at times, often baffled by Jesus. Even when they understood Jesus
and his teaching, the disciples were capable of rejecting and failing
him. The gospel portrayal of the disciples is compassionate because it
makes a place for people who struggle to reach their dreams, for people who at
times forget their call to greatness. People like us! Following
Jesus is a risk, as every new way of life is. Each of us is called to
teach as Jesus taught and to heal boldly and compassionately as he did.
Questions for our
reflection this week:
This week, in light of these rich
biblical texts, take a few moments and ask yourself: What have been your
own moments of conversion? What experiences or people in your life have
been instrumental in deepening your faith? Who have been the instrumental
people in you conversion? What concrete actions have you taken after a
moment of conversion? How have you invited other people into
conversion? In what ways can we, as disciples of Jesus, share in his
mission of teaching and healing today?
No comments:
Post a Comment