Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is-Sbatax- il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
1 KINGS 3:5, 7-12
The LORD
appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me
and I will give it to you”; Solomon answered: “O LORD, my God, you have
made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth,
not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom
you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or
counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge
your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to
govern this vast people of yours”. The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this
request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this—not for a
long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but
for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you
requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has
never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no
one to equal you.” This is the Word of the Lord.
QARI I
1 Slaten 3, 5.7-12
F’dak
iż-żmien f’Gibgħon il-Mulej deher lil Salamun fil-ħolm bil-lejl. “Itlobni
x’nagħtik”, qallu Alla. U wieġbu Salamun: “Mulej, Alla tiegħi, lili, qaddej
tiegħek, għadek kemm qegħedtni
sultan flok David missieri. Iżda jiena għadni daqsxejn ta’ żagħżugħ, bla ma naf
mnejn għandi ngħaddi. Il-qaddej tiegħek sab ruħu f’nofs dan il-poplu li int
għażilt, poplu hekk kotran li ħadd ma jista’ jgħoddu jew iqisu. Agħti,
għalhekk, lill-qaddej tiegħek moħħ ħafif biex jifhem, biex jista’ jmexxi
l-poplu tiegħek, u jagħraf it-tajjeb mill-ħażin; għax inkella min jasal biex
imexxih, dan il-poplu tiegħek ta’ kotra hekk kbira?”. Il-Mulej ħa gost li
Salamun talab dil-ħaġa. Għalhekk qallu Alla: “Ladarba tlabt din il-ħaġa, u ma
tlabtnix għomor twil, jew għana
Responsorial Psalm PS 119
R. (97a) Lord, I love your
commands.
I have
said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep
your words.
The law of
your mouth is to me more precious
than
thousands of gold and silver pieces. R
Let your
kindness comfort me
according
to your promise to your servants.
Let your
compassion come to me that I may live,
for your
law is my delight. R.
For I love
your command
more than
gold, however fine.
For in all
your precepts I go forward;
every false
way I hate. R.
Wonderful
are your decrees;
therefore I
observe them.
The
revelation of your words sheds light,
giving
understanding to the simple. R.
SALM RESPONSORJALI
Salm 118 (119), 57.72.76-77.127-
128.129-130
R/. (97a): Kemm inħobbha l-liġi
tiegħek, Mulej
Mulej,
dan hu sehmi,
li nħares
il-kelma tiegħek.
Aħjar
għalija l-liġi ta’ fommok
mill-eluf
ta’ flejjes tad-deheb u l-fidda. R/.
Tkun
it-tjieba tiegħek il-faraġ tiegħi,
skond
il-wegħda li għamilt mal-qaddej tiegħek.
Tiġi fuqi
tjubitek, biex ikolli l-ħajja;
għax
il-liġi tiegħek hi l-għaxqa tiegħi. R/.
Għalhekk
inħobb il-kmandamenti tiegħek,
aktar
mid-deheb, mid-deheb l-aktar fin.
Għalhekk
jien nimxi dritt fuq il-preċetti tiegħek,
u nobgħod
kull triq qarrieqa. R/.
Tal-għaġeb
huma l-preċetti tiegħek,
għalhekk
tħarishom qalbi.
It-tifsir
ta’ kelmtek jagħti d-dawl,
ifiehem lil
min ma jafx. R/.
ROMANS 8:28-30
Brothers
and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are
called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also
predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he
called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified. This is the Word of the Lord.
QARI II
Rumani 8, 28-30
Ħuti, aħna
nafu li Alla, ma’ dawk li jħobbuh, ma’ dawk li huma msejħin skond il-providenza
tiegħu, f’kollox jaħdem id f’id għall-ġid tagħhom. Għax lil dawk li hu
għarafhom mill-bidu, ippredestinahom ukoll biex jieħdu s-sura fuq ix-xbieha ta’
Ibnu, ħalli dan
ikun il-kbir fost ħafna aħwa; lil dawk li ppredestinahom, sejħilhom ukoll; lil
dawk li sejħilhom, iġġustifikahom ukoll; lil dawk imbagħad li ġġustifikahom, igglorifikahom
ukoll.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel
MATTHEW 13:44-52
Jesus said
to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a
person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and
buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching
for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells
all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net
thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full
they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is
bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Do
you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has
been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who
brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” This is the Word of the Lord.
EVANĠELJU
Mattew 13, 44-52
IF’dak
iż-żmien Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet tixbah lil
teżor moħbi f’għalqa, li wieħed raġel isibu u jaħbih, u kollu ferħan imur ibigħ
kull ma jkollu u jixtri dik l-għalqa. Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet lil
wieħed neguzjant ifittex ġawhar fin; meta sab ġawhra tiswa ħafna, mar biegħ
kull ma kellu u xtara lilha. Tixbah ukoll is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet lil
xibka mitfugħa l-baħar li fiha jinġabar minn Meta timtela jtellgħuha x-xatt, u
joqogħdu bilqiegħda, jiġbru fil-kannestri dak li jkun tajjeb u jarmu l-ħażin. Hekk
jiġri fi tmiem id-dinja: l-anġli ikun hemm il-biki u t-tgħażżiż tas-snien
Kollu fhimtuh dan?” “Iva”, qalulu. U hu qalilhom: “Għalhekk kull kittieb li
jkun sar dixxiplu tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet jixbah lil wieħed sid li, mill-ħażna
tiegħu, joħroġ sew il-ġdid u sew il-qadim”.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
////////////////////////////////
Commentary
by Fr Thomas Rosica
When we ask for wisdom
It is important to know the historical background for Sunday’s first
reading from the First Book of Kings 3:5-12. Solomon had just been installed as
the third king of Israel
The beginning of wisdom is the recognition that one needs wisdom. What
did Solomon ask of his God? First he asked for an “understanding heart” (3:9),
which means to “hear intelligently” – often with the implication of attention
and obedience. This could mean to give ear, listen, obey, perceive, or
understand. Solomon also asked that he might be able to “discern,” that is: to
separate mentally, to understand, or deal wisely. The Lord repeated this word
in his answer as recorded in verse 12, but added yet another word: “I have
given you a wise and discerning heart,” literally “a wise, intelligent, skilful
or artful” heart. Solomon wanted to receive wisdom by carefully listening and
obeying the Lord.
This wisdom Solomon asked for was related to the role he was assigned.
God was pleased with his prayer, and gave him not only what he has asked but
also that for which he had not asked: riches, honour, and glory. The story goes
on to show how Solomon’s wisdom was such that Israel
The unique moment in the life of one of the great kings of Israel
Conformed to the Son’s image
Sunday’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans (8:28-30)
outlines the Christian vocation as it was designed by God: to be conformed to
the image of his Son, who is to be the first born among many brothers (8:29).
God's redemptive action on behalf of the believers has been in process before
the beginning of the world. Those whom God chooses are those he foreknew (8:29)
or elected. While man and woman were originally created in God's image (Genesis
1:26-27), it is through baptism into Christ, the image of God (2 Corinthians
4:4; Colossians 1:15), that we are renewed according to the image of the
Creator (Colossians 3:10). Those who are called (Romans 8:30) are predestined
or predetermined. These expressions do not mean that God is arbitrary. Rather,
Paul uses them to emphasize the thought and care that God has taken for the
Christian’s salvation.
How will we recognize the kingdom?
Jesus used a variety of images to refer to the kingdom of heaven.
Throughout the New Testament, we read about a shepherd who has lost sheep, a
woman who has lost a silver coin, a father who has lost a son. In these and
many more stories, Jesus is saying that the Kingdom comes for us when we find
what we have lost. Jesus started his ministry with the proclamation of the
Gospel: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But his disciples, then and now,
keep on asking: “When is the kingdom coming? How will we recognize it?” His
usual reply indicated the difficulties of seeing the kingdom where we are
blinded by earthly images. Jesus spoke of the kingdom as being near, “at hand,”
and coming unexpectedly. He revealed the kingdom in two ways. His
miracle-working deeds revealed present power over evil; his parables contained
messages of what the kingdom could and should be like.
Parables about the kingdom
The historical backdrop of the parables is very important in our
understanding of these marvellous stories. In the unsettled conditions of Palestine
Since Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve (13:52)
this saying about the Christian scribe cannot be taken as applicable to all who
accept the message of Jesus. The scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven
knows both the teaching of Jesus (the new) and the law and prophets (the old)
and provides in his own teaching both the new and the old as interpreted and fulfilled
by the new.
Conceptions of the Kingdom
The Kingdom
of God
In the Lineamenta (“preparatory document”) for the Synod
of Bishops on the New Evangelization convened in October 2012, two particular
passages and their references to the Kingdom struck me in light of next Sunday’s
Gospel reading. Under section #24, “The ‘New Evangelization’: A Vision for the Church of Today
“We are facing
situations which are signs of massive changes, often causing apprehension and
fear. These situations require a new vision, which allows us to look to the
future with eyes full of hope and not with tears of despair. As “Church,” we
already have this vision, namely, the Kingdom to come, which was announced to
us by Christ and described in his parables. This Kingdom is already
communicated to us through his preaching and, above all, through his death and
resurrection. Nevertheless, we oftentimes feel unable to enflesh this vision,
in other words, to “make it our own” and to “bring it to life” for ourselves
and the people we meet everyday, and to make it the basis for the Church’s life
and all her pastoral activities.”
In section #25, “The Joy of Evangelizing,” we read:
“A new evangelization
means to share the world’s deep desire for salvation and render our faith
intelligible by communicating the logos of hope (cf. 1 Pt 3:15). Humanity needs hope to live in these present times. The content
of this hope is “God, who has a human face and who ‘has loved us to the end.’”
For this reason, the Church is, by her very nature, missionary. We cannot
selfishly keep for ourselves the words of eternal life, which we received in
our personally encountering Jesus Christ. They are destined for each and every
person. Each person today, whether he knows it or not, needs this proclamation.
“To be unaware of this
need creates a desert and an emptiness. In fact, the obstacles to the new
evangelization are precisely a lack of joy and hope among people, caused and
spread by various situations in our world today. Oftentimes, this lack of joy
and hope is so strong that it affects the very tenor of our Christian communities.
This is the reason for renewing the appeal for a new evangelization, not simply
as an added responsibility but as a way to restore joy and life to situations
imprisoned in fear.
“We therefore approach
the new evangelization with a sense of enthusiasm. We will learn the sweet and
comforting joy of evangelizing, even at times when proclamation might seem like
a seed sown among tears (cf. Ps 126:6). “May it mean for us – as it did for John the Baptist, for Peter
and Paul, for the other apostles and for a multitude of splendid evangelizers
all through the Church’s history – an interior enthusiasm that nobody and
nothing can quench. May it be the great joy of our consecrated lives. And may
the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes
with hope, be enabled to receive the Good News not from evangelizers who are
dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel
whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the joy of Christ, and
who are willing to risk their lives so that the Kingdom may be proclaimed and
the Church established in the midst of the world.”
///////////////////////////////
No comments:
Post a Comment