Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
L-Erbatax- il Ħadd matul is-Sena
Missalin A p
321
ZECHARIAH
9:9-10
Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O
daughter Zion , shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem Jerusalem
L-Ewwel
Lezzjoni
Qari
mil-Ktieb tal-Profeta Żakkarija 9, 9-10
Dan igħid il-Mulej:Ifraħ
kemm tiflaħ, bint Sijon, għajjat bil-ferħ, bint Ġerusalemm. Ara, is-sultan
tiegħek ġej għandek; ġust u rebbieħ, umli u riekeb fuq ħmar, fuq felu ta’
ħmara. Hu jeqred il-karru minn minn minn
Responsorial
Psalm
PSALM
145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my
God.
I will extol you, O my
God and King,
and I will bless your
name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless
you,
and I will praise your
name forever and ever. R.
The LORD is gracious and
merciful,
slow to anger and of
great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward
all his works. R.
Let all your works give
you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful
ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the
glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R.
The LORD is faithful in
all his words
and holy in all his
works.
The LORD lifts up all who
are falling
and raises up all who are
bowed down R.
Salm
Responsorjali
Salm 144
(145)
R/ Mulej, inbierek ismek għal dejjem.
Ħa nkabbrek, Alla tiegħi,
sultan,
u nbierek ismek għal
dejjem ta’ dejjem.
Kuljum irrid inbierkek,
u nfaħħar ismek għal
dejjem ta’ dejjem. R/
Twajjeb u ħanin il-Mulej,
idum biex jagħdab u kollu
tjieba.
Twajjeb ma’ kulħadd
il-Mulej,
tjubitu fuq kull ma
għamel. R/
Kull ma għamilt iroddlok
ħajr, Mulej;
iberkuk il-ħbieb tiegħek
kollha.
Is-sebħ tas-saltna
tiegħek, ixandru,
fuq is-setgħa tiegħek
jitkellmu. R/
Ta’ kelmtu l-Mulej
fil-wegħdiet tiegħu kollha,
twajjeb f’dak kollu li
għamel.
Iwieżen il-Mulej lil kull
min se jaqa,
iqajjem lil kull minhu
mitluq. R/
ROMANS
8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters: 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. 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 that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and
sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the
flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
It-Tieni
Lezzjoni
Qari
mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 8, 9-11,13
Ħuti, 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 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.
Hekk mela, ħuti, aħna maħniex midjunin mal-ġisem biex ngħixu skond il-ġisem.
Għax jekk tgħixu skond il-ġisem, tmutu; imma jekk tmewtu l-għemil tal-ġisem
bl-Ispirtu, tgħixu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
MATTHEW
11:25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I
give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have
hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to
little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have
been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son
wishes to reveal; Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble
of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and
my burden light.”
L-Evanġelju
Qari skond
San Mattew 11, 25-30
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesu
qabad u qal: “Infaħħrek, Missier, sid tas-sema u l-art, għax inti dawn
il-ħwejjeġ ħbejthom lil min għandu l-għerf u d-dehen u wrejthom liċ-ċkejknin.
Iva, Missier, għax lilek, hekk għoġbok. Kollox kien mogħti lili minn
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Easy
Yokes, Light Burdens and a Gentle, Smiling Lord
A reflection on Sunday’s Gospel by Fr.
Thomas Rosica, CSB
During one of my summer undergraduate study programs in France , I recall visiting the Abbey of
Saint-Honorat on the Îles de Lérins in southern France Abbey Church
I have often wondered why we in our own time don’t depict Jesus smiling
or laughing. Yes, there are some well-known prints or depictions of a smiling
Christ, but they are few and far between. I dare say that many of our
depictions of Christ specialize in capturing the rather bleak, serious, and sad
images of Christ that are reflective of the late Middle Ages – a period when
the Dance of Death and the Black Plague haunted Europe.
While it is true that the New Testament is silent about Jesus smiling,
laughing, or enjoying himself and those around him, the Scriptures are not
afraid to tell us that he did express other human emotions. We know that he
wept bitter tears at his friend Lazarus’ death. He was not afraid to show his
anger in the Temple
What did Jesus look like when he stared at Zacchaeus hiding in that Jericho
Jesus’ prayer of rejoicing
Throughout his life, Jesus experienced that the humble of heart found it
easier to accept his revolutionary doctrine than did those who were full of
their own self-importance. In today’s Gospel, Matthew’s Jesus offers an
exultant prayer of praise that defines for us more clearly who he is and with
whom he wishes to be identified (11:25-30).
There are three movements in Sunday’s section of Matthew’s Gospel
(11:25-30). In the first movement, Jesus addresses himself to the Father,
rejoicing that the Father’s special love for the poor and lowly is being
manifested in his ministry. In the second movement, Jesus addresses himself in
a kind of self-definition. Jesus is the Son to whom full knowledge of the
Father is given. The heart of the Son’s mission is to reveal the Father to us.
Finally in the third movement, Jesus speaks directly to all those who long for
relief, consolation, and refreshment. I cannot help but think that in each
moment, Jesus smiled, breathed deeply, and was filled with joy at what was
happening among his own disciples. He smiled with compassion as he invited the
broken and lowly to find peace.
Priority over relationships
Though this particular message does provide rest and encouragement to
the downtrodden, Matthew’s Gospel as a whole is not always so comforting or
easy to receive. In Matthew 10:37 we read: “They who love father and mother,
son or daughter, more than me are not worthy of me.” Jesus takes priority over
the relationships between even parents and children! These texts must be
understood in their original context – the losses incurred by first-century
Christians who joined the Christian movement and who, in doing so, left behind
everything that had given them comfort and strength – parents, siblings,
children, indeed all family ties and all possessions, however great or meagre.
Today’s Gospel responds directly to those who lost everything or gave up
everything – it is Jesus, the great comforter, the one who opens his arms in
welcome to those beaten down by their experience, those who find themselves
ostracized and rejected, overburdened and crushed. The saying found in 11:25-26 is identical with
Luke 10:21-22 except for minor variations, and introduces a joyous note into
this section, so dominated by the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the
learned, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected Jesus’ preaching and the
significance of his mighty deeds, the childlike have accepted them.
Accepting the Lord’s yoke
To accept the yoke of Christ upon our shoulders is to be assured of a
gentle and humble master; any burden given and accepted in mutual love will
seem light. Today’s Gospel also contains one of the most well-known and popular
passages from all of the Christian Scriptures. Who of us cannot be moved in
some way by the consolation that Jesus offers when he says (11:28-30):
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The word “yoke” is used metaphorically to describe those things that
control the lives of people. Peasants always had a yoke. For the most part,
their lives as tenant farmers were governed by the wills and whims of the
landowners. Their lives were also controlled by religious leaders who grew fat
on tithes that they hoarded in the Temple
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives himself as a model for his listeners and
invites them to “learn from me” (11:29). His invitation echoes that offered by
Wisdom in Sirach (51:23, 26): “Draw near to me, you who are uneducated, and
lodge in the house of instruction […] Put your neck under her yoke, and let
your souls receive instruction.” In place of the yoke of the law, complicated
by scribal interpretation, Jesus invites the burdened to take the yoke of
obedience to his word, under which they will find rest (cf. Jeremiah 6:16).
Jesus demonstrates a way of life, a yoke, that differs markedly from the
one taught by the other religious leaders of his day. He promises a yoke that
is easy and a burden that is light. No wonder many poor people found his words
enormously appealing! Spiritual elitism repels many more than it attracts. The
best guides are those who practice what they preach. Jesus walked his talk, and
gives us a wonderful and challenging example to embrace and imitate each day.
And I cannot help but imagine Jesus uttering these words of consolation with a
gentle smile.
Why Jesus is still attractive today
Jesus was attractive then, and still is attractive now, to millions upon
millions. The Messiah came among us, not as a conquering warrior, but in
lowliness and peace. Not like the last kings of Judah Jerusalem
Jesus of Nazareth attracted townspeople and country people, poor and
rich, fishermen and tax collectors, women like Mary of Magdala and her cohort
who provided for him and so many others. He had the ability to wow simple and
sophisticated souls alike. I am sure he did it with his powerful words, but
also with a gentle smile, with humour, kindness, and just plain love.
His divine origins, despite the utter seriousness of his mission towards his
Cross and Resurrection, made him an extraordinary human being who was able to
bond with others. How could he not have smiled when he uttered the words of
today’s Gospel: “Come to me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” These are hardly admonitions that
necessitate a stern gaze and heavy voice! They are words that flow from one who
is a lover and a friend.
Constant challenge of Christian living
After his warning in Romans 7 against the wrong route to fulfilling the
objective of holiness expressed in Romans 6:22, Paul points his addressees to
the correct way. Christians still retain their flesh, but it is alien to their
new being, which is life in the spirit, namely the new self, governed by the
Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 11-13). Under the direction of the Holy Spirit,
Christians are able to fulfil the divine will that formerly found expression in
the law (Romans 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 life of the spirit (8:13). This life in the spirit is a life lived
“bearing the yoke of the reign of God.” It is living life with the easy yoke,
light burden, and great affection of a gentle, smiling Lord.
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