You are worth more than many sparrows

The Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 94

It-Tnax- il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena A

Reading 1 –

JEREMIAH 20:10-13

Jeremiah said: “I hear the whisperings of many: Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him! All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him; But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.  O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked! This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI I

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġeremija 20, 10-13

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġeremija qal: Ma nismax ħlief taqsis il-kotra; biża’ madwari kollu!  “Ixluh! Ħa nixluh!”. Jgħajtu saħansitra ħbiebi kollha, ifittxu l-qerda tiegħi: “Għandu mnejn jitqarraq u negħlbuh; ta’ kollox nitħallsu minnu!”. Il-Mulej miegħi bħal raġel qalbieni, għalhekk dawk li jagħmlu għalija jogħtru, ma jagħmlu xejn, jitħawdu bis-sħiħ, għax ħsiebhom ma jseħħx; għajb għalihom li ma jintesa qatt. Int, Mulej tal-eżerċti, li ġġarrab il-ġust, li tara l-ġewwieni u l-qalb, ħallini nara l-vendetta tiegħek kontrihom, għax f’idejk ħallejt il-kawża tiegħi. Għannu lill-Mulej, faħħru lill-Mulej, għaliex ħajjet l-imsejken ħelisha minn id il-ħżiena. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm  –

PS 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,

and shame covers my face.

I have become an outcast to my brothers,

a stranger to my children,

Because zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.  R/

I pray to you, O LORD,

for the time of your favour, 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/

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.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

the seas and whatever moves in them!        R./

SALM RESPONSORJALI

Salm 68 (69), 8-10.14.17.33- 35

R/. (14ċ): Fil-kobor ta’ tjubitek weġibni, O Alla 

Minħabba fik qiegħed nilqa’ t-tmaqdir,

u l-mistħija tiksili wiċċi.

Sirt barrani għal ħuti,

ulied ommi ma jagħrfunix.          

Għax il-ħeġġa għal darek fnietni,

it-tagħjir ta’ min jgħajjar lilek waqa’ fuqi.    R/.

Imma jien lilek nitlob, Mulej;

meta jogħġbok, o Alla, weġibni,

fil-kobor ta’ tjubitek

u skond il-wegħda tas-salvazzjoni tiegħek.

Weġibni, Mulej, għax mill-aħjar tjubitek;

dur lejja fil-kobor tal-ħniena tiegħek.          R/.

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.

Ifaħħruh is-sema u l-art,

l-ibħra u kull ma jitħarrek fihom.                 R/.

Reading 2  –

ROMANS 5:12-15

Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI II

Qari mill-ittra ta’ San Pawl Appostlu lir-Rumani 5, 12-15

 Ħuti, kien permezz ta’ bniedem wieħed li fid-dinja daħal id-dnub, u permezz tad-dnub il-mewt, u hekk il-mewt laħqet il-bnedmin kollha, għax kollha dinbu. Kienet għadha ma waslitx il-Liġi, id-dnub kien ġa fid-dinja: imma d-dnub ma kienx magħdud, ladarba Liġi ma kienx hemm.  Madankollu l-mewt saltnet ukoll minn Adam sa Mosè, mqar fuq dawk li ma waqgħux fid-dnub li fih kien waqa’ Adam, li kien xbieha ta’ dak li kellu jiġi. Imma d-don mhuwiex bħall-ħtija. Għax jekk permezz ta’ ħtija waħda mietet il-kotra, aktar u aktar issa l-grazzja ta’ Alla u d-don mogħti bil-grazzja ta’ bniedem wieħed li hu Ġesù Kristu, xterdu bil-bosta fuq il-kotra. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  –

MATTHEW 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve: Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father. This is the Word of the Lord.

EVANĠELJU

Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Mattew 10, 26-33

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lill-Appostli tiegħu: “La tibżgħux millbnedmin. Għax xejn ma hu mgħotti li ma jinkixifx, u xejn ma hu moħbi li ma jsirx magħruf. Dak li jien ngħidilkom fid-dlam għiduh fid-dawl, u dak li ngħidilkom f’widnejkom xandruh minn fuq il-bjut. U tibżgħux minn dawk li joqtlu l-ġisem bla ma jistgħu joqtlu r-ruħ; imma aktar ibżgħu minn dak li jista’ jeqred kemm ir-ruħ u kemm il-ġisem flinfern.

Żewġ għasafar tal-bejt mhux b’ħabba jinbiegħu? U b’danakollu anqas wieħed minnhom ma jaqa’ fl-art mingħajr ir-rieda ta’ missierkom. Intom imbagħad sax-xagħar ta’ raskom kollu hu magħdud. Mela xejn la tibżgħu; intom aqwa minn ħafna għasafar tal-bejt. Kull min jistqarr quddiem il-bnedmin li hu miegħi, jien ukoll nistqarr li jiena miegħu quddiem Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet. Iżda min jiċħad lili quddiem il-bnedmin, jien ukoll niċħad lilu quddiem Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Reflection on next Sunday’s Gospel by Fr Andy Alexander, S.J. , Director of Creighton University's Collaborative Ministry Office

Taking away our fear

Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. ... And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul ... So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ... Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."

It is wonderful that the first thing Jesus does, after calling his apostles to follow him, is to try to take away their fear? Jesus knows that fear is the enemy of generous, heroic service. If Jesus is to call others to follow in the path before him, he must first en-courage them. He gives courage to replace fear. The courage he gives comes from a confidence in his promises. Isn't this the dynamic that's operative in our lives, too? When I reflect on what keeps me from a greater and deeper commitment to service of others, the answer is always: because of some fear. Fear is complicated. If I open up the various "excuses" or "things that keep me from" a greater surrender of myself in love and service of others, somewhere underneath I always discover some fear.

Self-preservation is a good instinct. Without it, we would have no natural defenses to predators or enemies. Self-care is a good thing. Without it, we risk squandering the gifts of life God has given us. However, in a world in which there is no transcendent reality - no reality beyond the day to day battle for survival - self becomes the ultimate concern. The ultimate imbalance in life is to see everything and everyone in relation what is best for me. Fear of losing oneself - or any part oneself - can lead one to wake up in the morning and go through the entire day wrapped up in self. 
How do I look? How am I coming across? How is this a slight to me? How can I win here? I'm not going to be the one to give in here. I really need to score here. I deserve a little attention that I'm not getting. What about me? Nobody's paying attention to my needs here. They're not going to get the best of me. Watch me manipulate my way around this. It's either him or me. I can't do that; I need to take care of myself. I'm already over-committed. I can only do so much. I don't have time. I have my priorities. I have my boundaries. You can't let people take advantage of you. I'm not my sister's keeper. 

This is not a happy way of life. Can this be what Jesus meant when he said, "If you try to save your life, you will lose it"?

When Jesus says, "Don't be afraid," he is telling us that we can place our lives in his hands. He is telling us that he has already taken care of the ultimate "self-preservation." No one can ever take that away. We will live forever. We are only here on this earth, in this life, for a brief time. In helping us keep our ultimate goal and meaning in perspective, Jesus is empowering us with great freedom. Our hearts need not be occupied with ourselves. If we are liberated from this debilitating self-pre-occupation, we are freed to give our lives away, in great and heroic acts of love and service.

Imagine how different our lives could be, if in the face of self-centering fear, we would pause and say, "Courage my soul; I don't need that fear; be brave; be free; trust in Jesus' care." Imagine if I "tuned out" or "turned off" the inner voice of self-absorption, and became absorbed in the needs of others today. Can this be what Jesus meant when he said, "If you lose your life for my sake, you will find it"?

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