"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. " (John 12)
Photo copyright : John R Portelli

Wednesday 29 March 2017

Jesus Christ - Our Resurrection


Fifth Sunday of Lent


Il-Ħames Ħadd tar-Randan

     Messalin A pp 157

Reading 1         
Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves  and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 37, 12-14
Hekk qal Sidi l-Mulej:  "Ara, jiena niftaħ l-oqbra tagħkom, poplu tiegħi, u nġibkom lura 'art Iżrael. Imbagħad tkunu tafu li jiena l-Mulej, meta niftaħ l-oqrba  tagħkom u ntelagħkom m ill-oqrba tagħkom, poplu tiegħi. U jiena nqiegħed ruħi fikom, u terġgħu tieħdu l-ħajja. Inqegħedkom f'artkom u tkunu tafu li jiena l-Mulej. Hekk għedt, u hekk nagħmel."  Oraklu tal-Mulej. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                   
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.                  
R/  With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
LORD, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.                                 
R/  With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn,
let Israel wait for the Lord=.                            
R/  With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

For with the LORD is kindness
and with him is plenteous redemption;
And he will redeem Israel
from all their iniquities.                        
R/  With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Salm Responsorjali
Salm 29(30)
Minn qiegħ l-art insejjaħlek, Mulej;
isma', Sidi, il-leħen tiegħi!
Ħa jkunu widnejk miftuħa,
jiena u nitolbok bil-ħniena.                                 
R/    Għand il-Mulej hemm it-tjieba.

Jekk tal-ħtijiet int tagħti kas, Mulej,
Sidi, min jista' jżomm sħiħ?
Imma għandek hemm il-maħfra,
biex hekk inqimuk fil-biża tiegħek.                      
R/    Għand il-Mulej hemm it-tjieba.

 Jien lill-Mulej nistenna,
ruħi f'kelmtu tittama.
Tistenna ruħi lil Sidi,
aktar milli l-għassiesa s-sebħ.                
R/    Għand il-Mulej hemm it-tjieba.

Jistenna Iżrael lill-Mulej!
Għax għand il-Mulej hemm it-tjieba,
u l-fidwa għandu bil-kotra.
Hu li jifdi lil Iżrael
minn ħtijietu kollha.                                           
R/    Għand il-Mulej hemm it-tjieba.

reading 2                   
Brothers and sisters:Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh;  on the contrary, you are in the spirit,  if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead  will give life to your mortal bodies also,  through his Spirit dwelling in you.  This is the Word of The Lord.
               
It-Tieni Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ittra ta' San Pawl Appostlu lir-Rumani  8, 8-11
Ħuti, dawk li jgħixu skond il-ġisem ma jistgħux jogħġbu lil Alla. Issa intom  ma intomx taħt il-ħakma tal-ġisem, imma ta' l-Ispirtu, ladarba hemm l-Ispirtu ta' Alla jgħammar fikom. Jekk xi ħadd ma għandux fih l-Ispirtu ta' Kristu, dan m'huwiex tiegħu. Jekk Kristu jgħammar fikom, għalkemm il-ġisem hu mejjet minħabba d-dnub, imma l-Ispirtu hu ħajjitkom minħabba l-ġustizzja.   Jekk l-Ispirtu  ta' dak li qajjem lil Ġesu' mill-imwiet jgħammar fikom, Alla stess li qajjem lil Kristu mill-imwiet iqajjem għall-ħajja wkoll il-ġisem mejjet tagħkom,bis-saħħa ta' l-Ispirtu li jgħammar fikom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                        
Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair;  it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to him saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death,  but is for the glory of God,  that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples,  “Let us go back to Judea.” The disciples said to him,  “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you,  and you want to go back there?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles,  because the light is not in him.” He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death,  while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples,  “Let us also go to die with him.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus  had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary  to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him,“I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” When she had said this,  she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her  saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her,  presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him,  she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping,  he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said,  “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man  have done something so that this man would not have died?” So Jesus,  perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench;  he has been dead for four days.  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice,  “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands,  and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews  who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. This is the Word of The Lord.

Evanġelju
Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Ġwann 11, 1-45
Ff'dak iż-żmien, kien hemm wieħed marid, Lazzru minn Betanja, ir-raħal ta' Marija u oħta Marta.  Marija kienet dik li dilket il-Mulej b'żejt ifuħ u xxuttatlu riġlej b'xuxitha; u Lazzru, il-marid, kien ħuha. Iż-żewġ nisa bagħtu jgħidu lil Ġesu':  "Mulej, ara ħabibek marid." Meta sama'  l-aħbar Ġesu' qal:  "Din m'hijiex marda tal-mewt, iżda hi għall-glorja ta' Alla, biex  biha tingħata glorja lill-Iben ta' Alla."  Ġesu' kien iħobbhom lil Marta u lil oħtha u lil Lazzru.  Meta sama' li dan marad, baqa' jumejn oħra fejn kien, u mbagħad qal lid-dixxipli: "Ejjew nerġgħu mmorru l-Lhudija."  Qalulu d-dixxipli:  "Rabbi,  il-Lhud  għadhom kemm kienu qegħdin ifittxu li jħaġġruk, u int rieġa sejjer hemm?" Weġibhom Ġesu':  "Mhux tnax-il siegħa fiha l-ġurnata?  Sakemm wieħed jimxi bi nhar, ma jitfixkilx, għax ikun qiegħed jara d-dawl ta' din id-dinja. Imma min jimxi bil-lejl, jitfixkel, għax ma jkollux dawl." qalilhom hekk u mbagħad issokta jgħidilhom: "Ħabbibna Lazzru rieqed,  iżda ħa mmur u  nqajmu."   Qalulu d-dixxipli: "Mulej, jekk inhu rieqed, jiġifieri se jfiq." Iżda Ġesu' kien tkellem mill-mewt tiegħu, u huma ħaduha li kien qalilhom ċar u tond:  "Lazzru miet.  U jiena nifraħ minħabba fikom li ma kontx hemm, ħalli temmnu.  Iżda ejjem immorru sa ħdejh."  Tumas, imlaqqam it-Tewmi, qal lid-dixxipli:  "Immoru aħna wkoll ħa mmutu miegħu." Meta wasal, Ġesu' sab li Lazzru kien ġa ilu erbat ijiem fil-qabar. Betanja kienet qrib Ġerusalemm, xi ħmistax-il stadju 'l hemm minnha. Ħafna Lhud kienu ġew għand Marta u Marija biex ifarrġuhom minħabba Ħuhom.  Kif, mela, semgħet li kien ġej Ġesu', Marta ħarġet tilqgħu, iżda Marija baqgħet id-dar.  Marta qalet lil Ġesu': "Mulej, kieku kont hawn,  ħija ma kien imut.  Imma wkoll isisa, jiena naf li kull ma int titlob lil Alla,  Alla jagħtihulek."  Ġesu' qalilha:  "Ħuk jerġa jqum!"   Qaltlu Marta:  "Jiena naf li jerġa' jqum, fil-qawmien mill-imwiet fl-aħħar jum."  Qalilha Ġesu': "Jiena hu l-qawmien u l-ħajja.  Kull min jemmen fija, ukoll jekk imut, jgħix; u kull min jgħix u jemmen fiha, dan ma jmut qatt.  Temmnu inti dan?" Weġbitu:  "Iva, Mulej, jiena nemmen li inti l-Messija, l-Iben ta' Alla, dak li ġie fid-dinja."    Kif qalet dan, marret issejjaħ lil oħtha Marija u minn taħt l-ilsien qalitilha:"L-Imgħallem hawn, u qiegħed isejjaħlek."  Dik, malli semgħetha, qamet minnufih u marret ħdejh.  Ġesu' kien għadu ma daħalx fir-raħal, imma baqa' fejn kienet ġiet tiltaqgħa miegħu Marta.  Il-Lhud li kienu d-dar ta' Marija biex ifarrġuha, kif rawha tqum malajr u toħroġ, marru warajha, għax stħajluha sejra lejn il-qabar biex toqgħod tibki hemm. Meta Marija waslet fejn kien Ġesu' u ratu nxteħtet f'riġlejh, tgħidlu:  "Mulej, kieku kont hawn  ħija ma kienx imut."  Ġesu', kif ra lilha tibki u  l-Lhud, li ġew magħha, jibku  ukoll, ħass ruħu mqanqal, u tħawwad ħafna.  "Fejn qegħedtuh?" staqsiehom.  Humaweġbuħ:  "Mulej, ejja u ara."  U Ġesu' beka.  Għalhekk il-Lhud qalu: "Ara kemm kien iħobbu!"  Iżda xi wħud minnhom  qalu:  "Ma setax dan il-bniedem, li fetaħ l-għajnejn l-agħma, jagħmel ukoll li dam ma jmutx? Ġesu' ħass ruħu mqanqal għal darb'oħra u resaq lejn il-qabar.  Dan kien għar maqgħluq bi blata fuqu.  Ġesu' qal: "Neħħu l-blata."  Marta, oħt il-mejjet, qaltlu:  "Mulej issa beda jrejjaħ; ġa ilu erbat ijiem mejjet."  Qalilha Ġesu':  "Ma għedtlekx li jekk inti temmen, taral-glorja ta' Alla?"  Imbagħad neħħew il-blata.  Ġesu' rafa' għajnejh 'il fuq u qal:  "Missier, 0irroddlok ħajr li smajtni.  Kont naf li inti dejjem tismagħni, imma għidt dan minħabba n-nies li hawn madwari, biex huma jemmnu li inti bgħattni."  Kif qal hekk, għajjajt b'leħen għoli:  "Lazzru oħroġ!"   U dak li kien mejjet ħareġ,  b'idejh u riġlejħ infaxxiti u b'maktur ma' wiċċu.  Ġesu' qalilhom:  "Hollulu l-faxed u ħalluh imur."Ħafna mil-Lhud, li kienu ġew għand Marija u raw dak li għamel Ġesu', emmnu fih. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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 Commentary by: Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

“I will open your graves and have you rise from them”

Ezekiel’s dramatic vision and ours

The historical background of Sunday’s first reading from Ezekiel 37:12-14 is the great vision of the valley of the dry bones, one of the most spectacular panoramas in the whole of biblical literature. It dates back to the early sixth century BC when the hand of God came upon Ezekiel while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. For about 150 years the political fortunes of the Jewish people had been in decline. The turning point came in 587 BC with the final catastrophic defeat and the beginning of the great exile for the Jewish people who were in deep despair, powerless over the situation which befell them. It is against this bleak background that Ezekiel’s dramatic vision unfolds – where the dead withered into whitened skeletons as the birds of prey had long finished destroying their flesh. What an incredible battlefield of unburied corpses! What a stench of death and decay!

The reluctant prophet Ezekiel was commanded by God to prophesy to these bones, to revive them. With the help of a massive earthquake, the bones rushed together with an eerie clamour. Sinews knitted them together, flesh and then skin clothed the corpses. The breath, “ruah,” Spirit of God came from the four extremities of the earth, as the limp bodies came “to life again and stood up on their feet, a great and immense army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Whereas we now understand this incident as a pre-figuration of the resurrection of the dead, the Jews of Ezekiel’s time did not believe in such a conception of the afterlife. For them the immense resurrected army represented all the Jewish people, those from the northern kingdom who had previously fled to Assyria; those at home and those in exile in Babylon. They were to be reconstituted as a people in their own land and they would know that the one true God alone had done this.

Through the centuries, Christians have proclaimed this text during the liturgy of Easter night as we welcome new members into the Church. Ezekiel’s powerful words offer a stirring image of the God of Israel’s regenerative, restorative, renewing power for this life and for all eternity. Through the centuries, believers in the God and father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus have taken heart in Ezekiel’s vision, because we believe it to be our story as well. We believe in the power of God’s forgiveness, the capacity of Christ, and the Catholic tradition to revive us and bring us to life even when all around us seems to announce night, darkness, death, dissolution, and despair.

Christian life is a constant challenge

Through St. Paul’s writing to the community in Rome (8:8-11), we learn that through the Cross of Jesus Christ, God broke the power of sin and pronounced sentence on it (8:3). Christians still retain the flesh, but it is alien to their new being, which is life in the spirit, namely the new self, governed by the Holy Spirit. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Christians are able to fulfil the divine will that formerly found expression in the law (8:4). The same Spirit who enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day (8:11). Christian life is therefore the experience of a constant challenge to put to death the evil deeds of the body through the life of the spirit (8:13).

Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death

Sunday’s pathos-filled Gospel story – the raising of Lazarus – is the longest continuous narrative in John’s Gospel (11:1-44) outside of the passion account and the climax of the signs of Jesus. The story is situated shortly before Jesus is captured, tried, and crucified. It is the event that most directly results in his condemnation by those seeking to kill him. Johannine irony is found in the fact that Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death. Jesus was aware of the illness of his friend Lazarus and yet did not go to work a healing. In fact, he delayed for several days after Lazarus’ death, meanwhile giving his disciples lessons along the way about the light – lessons incomprehensible in the face of grave illness and death but understandable in the light shed by Lazarus’ and Christ’s resurrections.

Jesus declared to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, he will live; whoever lives and believes in me, will never die” (11:25-26). Then he adds: “Do you believe this?” (11:26) The Lord urges us to respond just as Martha did, “Yes, Lord! We too believe, despite our doubts and our darkness; we believe in you, because you have the words of eternal life; we want to believe in you, who gives us a trustworthy hope of life beyond life, of authentic and full life in your kingdom of light and peace.”

Lord, if only you had been here…

How often have we, like Martha and Mary, blurted out those same words of pain and despair: “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother (or sister or mother or father or friend) would not have died” (11:32). And yet today’s emotionally-charged story from John’s Gospel tells us what kind of God we have: a God who “groaned in spirit and was troubled” (11:33). The Greek word used here to describe Jesus’ gut sentiment tells us that he became perturbed. It is a startling Greek phrase that literally means: “He snorted in spirit,” perhaps in anger at the presence of evil (death). We witness the Lord weeping at the tomb of his friend Lazarus; a Saviour deeply moved at the commotion and grief of so many friends of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. The shortest line in the whole bible is found in this Gospel story: “Jesus wept” (11:35).

Jesus reveals to us God who is one with us in suffering, grief and death: a God who weeps with us. God doesn’t intervene to prevent the tragedies and sufferings of life. If we had a god who simply swooped down as some “deus ex machina” to prevent human tragedy and sinfulness, then religion and faith would simply be reduced to some form of magic or fate, and we would be helpless pawns on the chessboard of some whimsical deity. Where is God in the midst of human tragedies? God is there in the midst of it all, weeping. This is our God who stands in deep, human solidarity with us, and through the glory of the Incarnation, embraces fully our human condition.

Death of the heart and spirit

The story of the raising of Lazarus also speaks to us about another kind of death. We can be dead, even before we die, while we are still in this life. This is not only the death of the soul caused by sin but rather a death that manifests itself through the absence of energy, hope, and a desire to fight and to continue to life. We often refer to this reality as death of the heart or spiritual death. There are many people who are enchained in this kind of death every day because of the sad and tragic circumstances of their lives. Who can possibly reverse this situation and revive us, stir us back to life, free us from the tombs that enchain us? Who can perform the spiritual cardio-pulmonary resuscitation that will reverse such desperate situations?

For certain afflictions, there exists no human remedy. Words of encouragement often fail to effect any change. Many times people in these situations are not able to do anything, not even pray. They are like Lazarus in the tomb. They need others to do something for them. Jesus once spoke these words to his disciples: “Heal the sick, raise the dead” (Matthew 10:8). Among the corporal works of mercy – feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners – the last one is burying the dead. Today’s Gospel tells us that in addition to this corporal work of mercy, we must also “raise the dead.”

Only the One who has entered death’s realm and engaged death itself in battle can give life to those who have died. John recounts the raising of Lazarus as a sign that transforms tragedy into hope. Lazarus’ illness and death are an occasion for the manifestation of God’s glory. As Christians we do not expect to escape death; but we approach it with faith in the resurrection.
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Friday 24 March 2017

Jesus is the Light of our life

Fourth Sunday of Lent 

Ir-Raba' Ħadd tar-Randan
Messalin A pp 150


Reading 1                   
1 samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The LORD said to Samuel: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him;  we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,  anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. This is the Word of the Lord.
………
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ewwel Ktieb ta' Samwel  16, 1b, 6-7,10-13a
F'dak iż-żmien,  il-Mulej qal lil Samwel:  Imla l-qarn biż-żejt u itlaq.   Jien se nibagħtek għand Ġesse l-Betlemita, għaliex minn fost uliedu  jien għażilt għalija sultan." Ġara li malli wasal, Samwel ra lil Elijab u qal:  " Hawn quddiem il-Mulej il-midluk tiegħu?  U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: "Tħarisx lejn is-sura tiegħu, jew it-tul ta' persuntu,għax jiena diġa warrabtu.  Għax il-Mulej ma jarax bħalma jara l-bniedem, dak biss li jidher fl-għajn, imma l-qalb." Ġesse ressq quddiem Samwel sebgħa minn uliedu; imma Samwel qallu:  "Il-Mulej ma ħatar lil ħadd  minnn dawn."U ssokta jgħidulu:  "Dawn huma  t-tfal kollha?"  Ġesse wieġbu:  "Għad fadal iż-żgħir, qiegħed jirgħa n-nagħaġ."U Samwel qal lil Ġesse:  "Ibgħat għalih u ġibu, għax ma noqogħdux fuq  il-mejda qabel ma jiġi hawn."  U bagħat għalih u ġiebu.Kien żgħażugħ ruxxan, għajnejh ħelwin, u sabiħ fis-sura tiegħu. U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: "Qum u idilku, għax dan hu."  Samwel ħa f'idejh il-qarn biż-żejt, u dilku quddiem ħutu. Minn dak inhar 'il quddiem niżel fuq David u ħakmu l-ispirtu tal-Mulej. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 
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Responsorial Psalm
psALM 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.                                        R/
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.                                        R/
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.                                            R/
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.


Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.                                            R/.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
…………
Salm Responsorjali                                                                          
Salm  22(23)
Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,
xejn ma jonqosni,
f'mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni.
Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;
hemm hu jrejjajqni.                                R/
 Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni.

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa
minħabba l-isem tiegħu.
Imqar jekk  nimxi f'wied mudlam,
ma nibżax  mill-ħsara, għax inti miegħi.
Il-ħatar tiegħek u l-għasluġ tiegħek,
huma jwennsuni.                                   R/
Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni.

Inti tħejji mejda għalija
quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.
Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,
u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli.                        R/
 Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni.

Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena
il-jiem kollha ta' ħajti.
U ngħammar f'dar il-Mulej
Sakemm indum ħaj.                                R/
Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni.
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reading 2                   
ephesians 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;  rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention  the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” This is the Word of the Lord.
……………
It-Tieni Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ittra ta' San Pawl Appostlu lill-Efesin  5, 8-14
Ħuti, intom kontu darba dlam, imma issa intom dawl fil-Mulej, għixu ta' wlied id-dawl li intom; frott id-dawl jinsab f'kull ma hu  tjieba,  f'kull ma hu ġustizzja, 'kull ma hu verita'. Fittxu li tagħrfu dak li jogħġob lill-Mulej, u tissieħbux fl-għemejjel tad-dlam bla frott,  imma  ikxfuhom bil-beraħ. Għax dak li qegħdin jagħmlu huma fil-moħbi, tistħi mqar jekk issemmih:  imma meta wieħed joħroġhom fil-beraħ, id-dawl juri kollox, għax kull ma jidher hu dawl;  għalhekk jingħad:  "Stenbaħ  int, li int rieqed, u qum mill-imwiet,  ħa jiddi fuqek Kristu." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Gospel                        
john 9:1-41
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,  that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned;  it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,  “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” Now the Jews did not believe  that he had been blind and gained his sight  until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed  that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.” So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said,  “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses,  but we do not know where this one is from.” The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.” They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said,  “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see,  and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this  and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains. This is the Word of the Lord.
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L-Evanġelju
Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Ġwann  9, 1-41
F'dak iż-żmien, kif kien għaddej, Ġesu'  lemaħ raġel agħma minn twelidu, u d-dixxipli tiegħu staqsewh:  "Rabbi, dan twieled agħma għax dineb hu stess, jew għax dinbu l-ġenituri tiegħu?"  Ġesu' wieġeb: "Mhux  għax dineb hu jew il-ġenituri tiegħu, imma ġralu hekk biex l-għemil ta' Alla jidher fih.  Sakemm għadu bi nhar, jeħtiġilna nagħmlu x-xogħol ta' dak li bagħatni, għax jasal il-lejl meta ħadd ma jkun jista' jaħdem.  Sakemm għadni fid-dinja, jien hu d-dawl tad-dinja. Kif qal dan, beżaq fl-art, għamel minnu qisu tajn, u dilek bih għajnejn  ir-raġel agħma  u qallu:  "Mur inħasel fil-menqgħa ta' Silwan."  Din tfisser "il-Mibgħut".  Mela dak mar, inħasel u ġie jara. Il-ġirien u dawk li s-soltu kienu jarawh, għax hu kien tallab, qalu:"Dan m'huwiex dak li kien joqgħod bilqiegħda jittallab?"  Xi wħud qalu:"Iva, hu."  Oħrajn qalu:  "Le, imma jixbħu."  Iżda hu qalilhom: "Jien hu."Qalulu:  "Mela kif infetħulek għajnejk?"  Weġibhom:  "Wieħed raġel,jgħidulu Ġesu', għamel ftit tajn, dilikli għajnejja bih, u qalli:  "Mur fis-Silwan u nħasel hemm."   Mort, inħsilt, u ġejt nara."  Qalulu: "Fejn  huwa dan ir-raġel?"  Qalilhom: "Ma nafx." Lil dan il-bniedem li fl-imgħoddi kien agħma ħaduh għand il-Fariżej. Issa dak in-nhar li Ġesu' għamel it-tajn u fetaħ għajnejn l-agħma nzerta  kien is-Sibt.  Il-Fariżej ukoll staqsew mill-ġdid lill-agħma kif sar jara. U hu qalilhom:  "Qegħedli ftit tajn fuq għajnejja, mort ninħasel, u issa qiegħed jara." Xi wħud mill-Fariżej qalu:  "Dan il-bniedem m'huwiex ġej mingħand  Alla, għax ma jħarisx is-Sibt."  Iżda oħrajn qalu:  "Kif jista' wieħed midneb  jagħmel sinjali bħal dawn?"   U ma qablux bejniethom.  U reġgħu qalu lill-agħma: "Inti x'jidhirlek minnu, issa li fetaħlek għajnejk?"  Qalilhom: "Dak profeta." Il-Lhud ma ridux jemmnu li hu kien agħma u ħa d-dawl qabel ma  bagħtu għall-ġenituri  ta' dak li sar jara, u staqsewhom:  "Dan, li intom qegħdin tgħidu li twiled agħma, dan binkom?  Mela issa kif ġie jara?"  Il-ġenituri tiegħu wieġbu u qalulhom: "Nafu li dan hu t-tifel tagħna u li twieled agħma, imma kif issa ġie jara, dan ma nafuħx, u anqas ma nafu min fetaħlu għajnejh.  Staqslu lilu: żmien għandu, ħa jitkellem hu għalih innifsu."  Il-ġenituri tiegħu wieġb hekk għaliex beżgħu  mil-Lhud, għax il-Lhud kienu ġa ftiehmu bejniethom li jekk xi ħadd jistqarr li Ġesu' hu l-Messija, isib ruħu barra mis-sinagoga.  Kien għalhekk li l-ġenituri wieġbu:  "Zmien għandu, staqsu lilu." Għal darb'oħra reġgħu bagħtu għal dak li kien agħma u qalulu: "Agħti glorja lil Alla!  Aħna nafu li dan il-bniedem huwa midneb."  Dak  weġibhom:  "Jekk hux midneb ma nafx.  Ħaġa waħda naf:  li jien kont agħma u issa qiegħed nara."Qalulu: "Imma hu x'għamillek? Kif fetaħhomlok għajnejk?"  U hu weġibhom:"Ġa għedtilkom u ma smajtux"  Xi tridu tisimgħu iżjed?  Jaqaw tridu intom ukoll issiru dixxipli tiegħu?"   U qabdu jgħajruh u qalulu:  "Dak int dixxiplu tiegħu!  Aħna ta' Mose'  dixxipli!  Aħna nafu li lil Mose' kellmu Alla, imma dan ma nafux minn fejn hu!"   Weġibhom ir-raġel u qalilhom:  "Sewwa"  Hawn qiegħed l-għaġeb, li intom  ma tafux  minn fejn inqala', u madankollu lili fetaħli għajnejja!  Aħna  nafu  li Alla  mhux se jisma' lill-midinbin;  iżda mbagħad jekk wieħed ikun iqim lil Alla u jagħmel ir-riedu tiegħu, lil dan jisimgħu.  Qatt fid-dinja ma nstema'  li xi ħadd fetaħ għajnejn wieħed agħma mit-twelid.  Li kieku dan ma kienx ġej mingħand Alla, xejn ma kien ikollu ħila jagħmel."   Imbagħad qabżu u qalulu:  "Int se tgħallem lilna, int li twelidt dnubiet waħdek."  U keċċewh 'il barra. Ġesu' sema' li keċċewħ 'il barra; sabu u qallu:  "Temmen int f'Bin il-bniedem?" Dak  wieġeb u qallu:  "Min hu, Mulej, biex nemmen fih?"  Qallu Ġesu'  "Mhux biss rajtu, imma huwa dak stess li qiegħed ikellmek."   Qallu:  "Nemmen, Mulej!"  U nxteħet għarkobbtejh quddiemu.  Imbagħad Ġesu' qal:  "Jien ġejt fid-dinja biex nagħmel ħaqq, biex min ma jarax isir jara, u min jara  jagħma."  Xi wħud mill-Fariżej li kienu hemm madwaru semgħuh jgħid dan u staqsewh:  "Aħna wkoll għomja?"  Weġibhom Ġesu':  "Li kieku  kontu għomja, ma kontux tkunu ħatja ta' dnub.  Imma issa qegħdin tgħidu:  "Aħna naraw." mela d-dnub tagħkom għadu fuqkom." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Dispelling blindness: Seeing in the light of Christ

A reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent by Julian Paparella, member of the editorial team of Fr Thomas Rosica’s “Salt and Light TV” project.

It can be difficult to imagine what life would be like if we were born blind. How would we function? How would we perceive the world? But is physical blindness the only form of blindness? Is it the worst form of blindness?

The Fourth Sunday of Lent shows us otherwise. We are presented with the Gospel of the poor man born blind (John 9:1-41). The drama unfolds as Jesus arrives on the scene and is immediately interrogated by the Pharisees. In typical Pharisee fashion they ask, “Whose sin caused the man to be born blind – his own or his parents’?” Neither, Jesus responds. Rather, it is so that God’s power can be manifested through him. Jesus concludes, “I am the light of the world.” He then spits on the ground, makes some clay, places it on the man’s eyes, and sends him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. Miraculously the man returns, able to see.

His neighbours are sceptical, “How could this be?” The man simply replies, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” Unconvinced, they take him back to the Pharisees. There he recounts once more what Jesus did for him. Their strategy is to discredit Jesus as a sinner. A back-and-forth ensues in which even the man’s parents are questioned as to whether he was truly born blind. Doubt upon doubt upon doubt.

Jesus returns to the man, who proclaims his simple faith, unaffected by the cynicism that swirls around him: “I do believe, Lord.” The meddling Pharisees make yet another cameo. They ask Jesus, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus’ reply is the punch line that culminates the whole story: “If you were born blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.’”

What are we to make of all of this?

From the very start, the Pharisees show us something about our human nature. Their favourite pastime is pointing their fingers. Surely it is someone’s fault that the man was born blind, so who is the guilty party – the man or his parents? The man’s neighbours then join in the same chorus. Rather than rejoicing that their neighbour can finally see after years of blindness, they are suspicious. Finding no other way of explaining the situation, the Pharisees resort to accusing Jesus, dismissing Him as a fraud.

How easy it is to fall into the same trap. We do not understand, we do not have a hold on the situation, we feel threatened, and so we resort to being suspicious, accusing others, making up stories. We get caught up in our own perspective and forget to see the big picture. We think of our own good at the expense of the good of others. Why can it be so difficult to rejoice and appreciate the good things others receive? Why can the gifts and success of others make us feel inadequate or uneasy? What blinds us from seeing the goodness around us? How can we overcome this blindness?

Jesus gives the Pharisees the secret to healing their own blindness before He even begins healing the man born blind. He tells them: “I am the light of the world.” This is the remedy to their blindness. The man born blind manifests God’s power by revealing who is the remedy to our blindness, who enables us truly to see. It is Jesus.

The blindness of the Pharisees is rooted in their insecurity. They could not accept that Jesus could do any good for fear that this might jeopardize their status and stature in society. Their vision was so clouded by their determination to be right that they could not rejoice when the man born blind was finally healed. They became so engrossed in trying to be superior to others that their systems could not take the shock of God’s goodness. Clinging to their own perspective clouded them from seeing things from God’s perspective.

Jesus is the true light by which we are able to see ourselves and our neighbour. The way God sees things is as they truly are. Jesus reveals God’s perspective. He is the antidote to our cynicism, our disbelief, our doubt and suspicion. These do not allow us to see reality clearly. They fog our vision and cause us to stumble. When we doubt the goodness of God, we too can become insecure. We can resort to projecting our insecurity onto others, trying to put them down so we can come out on top. We can dismiss them to reassure ourselves. We can fail to see where our true value lies. Pride and selfishness come from not seeing ourselves as God sees us, and trying to compensate by being better than others, putting them down to reassure ourselves. Like the Pharisees, our blindness to seeing the truth about others comes from our blindness to the truth about ourselves.

The cure is the simple faith of the man born blind: "I do believe, Lord." This cure allows us to see the truth about ourselves, to see ourselves in the light of Jesus. In His light, we see ourselves for who we truly are. We see ourselves as God sees us. We see that God truly loves us, that God has created us, and that in Jesus He has come to save us from our sins. We see that God is truly merciful, that God delights in forgiving us. We see that God's forgiveness is not just for all of humanity in general, but for each of us, for me personally. We see that God truly wants what is good for us, that He never tires of welcoming us back with open arms. We do not see that we are good in His eyes. When we see in the light of Christ, we begin to truly see.

What threat did the man born blind pose to the Pharisees? Why couldn’t his neighbours accept his healing? The healing of the blind man threatened the blindness of the Pharisees. This blindness clouded them from seeing with the light that comes from Jesus. Their eyes remained closed to the truth about themselves, and so they could not accept the truth about God and about others. Jesus comes to illumine our vision so that we can see the goodness of God – at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. He opens our eyes so that we may truly see.

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