Loving God and neighbour

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 148

 

It-Tletin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1                                                                                                                                EXodus 22:20-26                                                                                                                    Thus says the LORD: "You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens  yourselves in the land of Egypt.  You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.  If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.  My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans. "If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him.  If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.  What else has he to sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

Qari 1

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Eżodu Eż 22, 20-26

 Dan jgħid il-Mulej: “La taħqarx il-barrani, u la tgħakksux, għax intom ukoll kontu barranin fl-art tal-Eġittu. La taħqrux l-armla jew l-iltim, għax jekk taħqruhom, u huma jsejħuli, jien żgur nismagħha l-għajta tagħhom; u l-qilla tiegħi tixgħel, neqridkom bix-xabla; u n-nisa tagħkom jormlu u wliedkom jisfaw iltiema. Jekk inti tislef lil xi fqir mill-poplu tiegħi, iġġibx ruħek miegħu bħal wieħed sellief, u teħodlux imgħax. Jekk lil għajrek teħodlu l-libsa tiegħu b’rahan, agħtihielu lura qabel inżul ix-xemx; għax hu dik biss għandu biex jitgħatta, dik biss l-għata ta’ ġismu; inkella fiex tridu jorqod? Għax jekk isejjaħli, jiena nisimgħu, għax jien ħanin”.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                                                                                                                          PSalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47,  51                                                                                                       I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

The LORD lives and blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Salm Responsorjali

Salm 17 (18), 2-3a.3bc-4.47.51ab

Inħobbok, Mulej, qawwa tiegħi!

Il-Mulej blata tiegħi,

fortizza u ħellies tiegħi. R/.

 R/. (2): Inħobbok, Mulej, qawwa tiegħi

Alla tiegħi, sur tal-kenn tiegħi u tarka tiegħi,

qawwa tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi u kenn tiegħi!

Insejjaħ lill-Mulej, li hu ta’ min ifaħħru,

u nkun meħlus mill-għedewwa tiegħi. R/.

R/. (2): Inħobbok, Mulej, qawwa tiegħi

Ħaj il-Mulej! Imbierek hu, il-blata tiegħi!

Ikun imfaħħar Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi!

Hu jkabbar ir-rebħ lis-sultan tiegħu,

juri mħabbtu mal-midluk tiegħu. R/.

R/. (2): Inħobbok, Mulej, qawwa tiegħi

Reading 2                                                                                                                                              1 THESsalonians 1:5C-10                                                                                          Brothers and sisters: You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.  For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Qari 2

Mill-Ewwel Ittra lit-Tessalonkin - 1, 5c-10 

Ħuti, intom tafu kif ġibna ruħna meta konna fostkom għall-ġid tagħkom. Intom sirtu tixbhu lilna u l-Mulej, billi lqajtu l-kelma fost ħafna taħbit bil-ferħ tal-Ispirtu s-Santu. Hekk intom sirtu mudell għal dawk kollha li emmnu fil-Maċedonja u l-Akaja. Mhux biss il-kelma tal-Mulej ħarġet minn għandkom u xterdet fil-Maċedonja u l-Akaja, imma l-fidi li għandkom f’Alla xterdet ma’ kullimkien b’mod li aħna ma għandna għalfejn ngħidu xejn. Huma stess jgħidu x’laqgħa kellna għandkom, u kif dortu lejn Alla u tlaqtu l-idoli biex taqdu lil Alla ħaj u veru u tistennew ġej mis-sema lil Ibnu, li hu qajjem mill-imwiet, Ġesù li ħelisna mill-korla li ġejja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                                                                                                                  MatThew 22:34-40                                                                                            When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"  He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Evanġelju 

Mattew 22, 34-40 

F’dak iż-żmien, il-Fariżej, meta semgħu kif lis-Sadduċej kien saddilhom ħalqhom, inġabru madwaru, u wieħed minnhom, għaref fil-Liġi, għamillu din il-mistoqsija biex iġarrbu: “Mgħallem, liema hu l-kmandament il-kbir, fil-Liġi?”.Qallu Ġesù: ““Ħobb lill-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, b’qalbek kollha, b’ruħek kollha, u b’moħħok kollu”. Dan hu l-kmandament il-kbir u l-ewwel wieħed. U t-tieni jixbhu: “Ħobb lil għajrek bħalek innifsek”. Dawn iż-żewġ kmandamenti huma l-qofol tal-Liġi kollha u tal-Profeti”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Being Christian is not the Result of an Ethical Choice

Commentary by Fr Thomas Rosica csb

Sunday’s first reading from Exodus (22:21-27) and Matthew’s Gospel story about the greatest commandment (22:34-40) challenge us in the ways that we love God and neighbour. The Exodus reading relates some specific provisions of the Law regarding widows, orphans, and the poor. The Lord reminds his people that they themselves were once strangers in a foreign land. To the strangers, widows, orphans, and the poor we must show justice and compassion. If not, the Lord himself will punish wrongdoers and defend the helpless.

The Lord deals severely with our negative attitudes and action towards others, particularly the poor, strangers, the disadvantaged, and those different from us. The authenticity of our faith, our love of God, and our relationship with Christ is measured by the way we treat others.

The readings challenge us to seek repentance and forgiveness for our negative attitudes towards others and the way we tend to treat them. This Gospel contains the fundamental prayer of the Shema – the Hebrew profession of faith, always prayers with your hand covering your eyes so you can "listen"  better. (photo): “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Just as we profess our faith with the Creed in Christian worship, the Jewish people profess their faith with the Shema in their synagogue services. The Shema - Isma in Maltese - is a summary of true religion: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (6:4-5).

Matthew 22:34-40 has a Marcan parallel (12:28-34) which is an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way Jesus has conducted himself in the previous controversy, and compliments him for the answer he gives him. Jesus responds by saying he is, “not far from the kingdom of God” (12:34). Matthew has further developed that scene.

The scholarship of the Pharisees was the knowledge of the Law, which they regarded as the sum of wisdom and the only true learning. The position of scribe in the Jewish community was a respected place of leadership. At first glance, the scholar’s question to Jesus appears to be very honest.

The teachers of the Torah (scribes and Rabbis) had always argued about the relative importance of the commandments in the Old Testament. Scribes were the scholars and intellectuals of Judaism. The Pharisees identified 613 commandments in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Of those 613: 248 were positive, “you shall” commandments, while 365 were negative, “you shall not” commandments. The fundamental question, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” offers Jesus an important teaching moment as he is “put to the test.”

In his response, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and the Shema, recited daily by the Jews. Even though Jesus is asked for one commandment, he provides two in his response. In combining the two commandments, Jesus goes beyond the extent of the question put to him and joins to the greatest and the first commandment, a second: love your neighbour (Leviticus 19:18). The double commandment is the source from which the whole law and the prophets are derived. Jesus does not discard other commandments. He explicitly adds: “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40). The remarkable thing about the Marcan parallel is that the “scholar” expresses agreement with Jesus by paraphrasing him without any hint of hostility or irony (Mark 12:33-34).

Love of God and neighbour not an original idea of Jesus

Love of God and love of neighbour as the fulfilment of the law is not an original idea of Jesus. It exists very early in the Hebrew Scriptures. There is something unique, however, in Jesus’ assertion that they are alike. Jesus teaches that we cannot have one without the other.

Motivation to love our neighbour springs from our love of God; our love of God is demonstrated and strengthened by our love of neighbour. Love of neighbour is not only a love that is demanded by the love of God, an achievement flowing from it; it is also in a certain sense its antecedent condition. There is no real love for God that is not, in itself, already a love for neighbour; and love for God comes to its own identity through its fulfilment in a love for neighbour.

Teaching of Moses and Jesus

Moses teaches in the Shema (cf. Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:34) – and Jesus reaffirms in Sunday’s Gospel – that all of the commandments are summed up in the love of God and loving-kindness towards one’s neighbour. Every time that Jews recite the “Shema Israel” and when Christians recall the first and second great commandments, we are, by God’s grace, brought closer to each other. Whenever we make the sign of the Cross, we are tracing the Shema upon our bodies as we touch our head, heart, and shoulders and pledge them to God’s service.

God is Love

In light of these Scripture readings, let us reflect on two texts this week. The first is #42 of Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church from the Second Vatican Council:

“God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in Him.” But, God pours out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Who has been given to us; thus the first and most necessary gift is love, by which we love God above all things and our neighbour because of God. Indeed, in order that love, as good seed may grow and bring forth fruit in the soul, each one of the faithful must willingly hear the Word of God and accept His Will, and must complete what God has begun by their own actions with the help of God’s grace. These actions consist in the use of the sacraments and in a special way the Eucharist, frequent participation in the sacred action of the Liturgy, application of oneself to prayer, self-abnegation, lively fraternal service and the constant exercise of all the virtues. For charity, as the bond of perfection and the fullness of the law, rules over all the means of attaining holiness and gives life to these same means. It is charity which guides us to our final end. It is the love of God and the love of one’s neighbour which points out the true disciple of Christ.”

The second text is from the opening paragraphs of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s first encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est (“God is Love”), published in 2005, and beautifully summarizes the message of these Scripture readings:

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction […] In acknowledging the centrality of love, Christian faith has retained the core of Israel’s faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth. The pious Jew prayed daily the words of the Book of Deuteronomy which expressed the heart of his existence: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might” (6:4-5). Jesus united into a single precept this commandment of love for God and the commandment of love for neighbour found in the Book of Leviticus: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (19:18; cf. Mk 12:29-31). Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere “command”; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us.”

The right garment for the feast

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 142

It-Tmienja u għoxrin Ħadd matul is-Sena

Missalin A  p 390

 

Reading 1_____________________ ISaiah 25:6-10A                                                               On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. This is the Word of The Lord.                                          

Qari I                                           Isaija 25, 6-10a                                                                       Jaghmel il-Mulej ta’ l-ezerçti ghall-popli kollha fuq din il-muntanja, mejda b’ikel fin, mejda bi nbejjed helwa, b’laham imsemmen bil-mudullun, u nbejjed fini. U jçarrat minn fuq din il-muntanja il-velu li kien jghatti wiçç il-popli kollha, ghata li kien jahbi kollha kemm huma l-gnus. Jeqred il-mewt ghal dejjem, jixxotta Sidi l-Mulej id-dmug˙ minn fuq kull wiçç, u jhassar l-ghajb tal-poplu tieghu minn wiçç l-art kollha: ghax il-Mulej tkellem. U dakinhar jghidu: «Dan hu Alla taghna: fih ittamajna li jsalvana; dan hu l-Mulej li fih ittamajna: nifirhu u nithennew bis-salvazzjoni tieghu. Ghax id il-Mulej tinzel fuq din il-muntanja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

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. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

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. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Salm Responsorjali              Salm 22 (23), 1-3a.3b-4.5-6                                                                 Il-Mulej hu r-raghaj tieghi, xejn ma jonqosni; f’merghat kollha ˙dura jqeghedni. Hdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieh, jehodni; hemm hu jrejjaqni.                                                                                                                                      R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!

Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa minhabba l-isem tieghu. Imqar jekk nimxi f’wied mudlam, ma nibzax mill-hsara, ghax inti mieghi Il-hatar tieghek u l-ghaslug tieghek, huma jwennsuni.                                                                     R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!                                

Int thejji mejda ghalija quddiem l-ghedewwa tieghi. Biz-zejt tidlikli rasi, u l-kalçi tieghi tfawwarli.                                           R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!  

Mieghi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-hniena il-jiem kollha ta’ hajti.  U nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!                                                                                                                                                                                        R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!

Reading 2  _______________________ PHILlippians 4:12-14, 19-20                         Brothers and sisters: I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.  Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress. My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen. This is the Word of The Lord.

Qari II                           mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4, 12-14.19-20                                                               Huti, naf nghix fl-ghaks; u naf nghix fil-gid; kollox drajt u noqghod ghal kollox: ix-xaba’ u l-guh, il-gid u l-ghaks. Ghal kollox niflah bis-sahha ta’ dak li jqawwini. Ghamiltu sewwa hafna meta qsamtu mieghi tbatijieti. Jimliekom Alla tieghi b’kull gid fil-htiega taghkom, skond l-ghana tal-glorja fi Kristu Gesù. Lil dan Alla u Missierna, glorja ghal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Amen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  _______________________ MatThew 22:1-14                                                      Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people  in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.  The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."  This is the Word of The Lord.  

Evangelju                 Mattew 22, 1-14                                                                                                    F’dak iz-zmien, lill-qassisin il-kbar u lix-xjuh tal-poplu Gesù raga’ qabad ikellimhom bil-parabboli u qalilhom: «Is-saltna tas-smewwiet tixbah lil wiehed sultan li ghamel festa ghat-tieg ta’ ibnu. U baghat ghall-mistednin mal-qaddejja tieghu biex jigu ghall-festa; imma dawk ma ridux jigu. U rega’ baghat qaddejja ohra, u qalilhom: “Ghidu lill-mistednin: Ara, il-mejda tieghi lesta; il-barrin u l-ghogiela msemmna diga’ maqtula u kollox lest; ejjew ghall-festa.” Izda dawk ma tawx kas; min mar l-ghalqa, min ghan-negozju tieghu, u l-bqija qabdu lill-qaddejja tas-sultan, Zebilhuhom u qatluhom. Is-sultan inkorla hafna, u baghat is-suldati tieghu, qered lil dawk il-qattiela, u harqilhom il-belt taghhom. Imbaghad qal lill-qaddejja tieghu: “Il-festa mhejjija, imma lil dawk ma kienx ta’ min jistedinhom ghaliha. Mela morru f’salib it-toroq u sejhu ghall-festa lil kull min issibu.” Dawk il-qaddejja hargu fit-triqat u gabru lil kull min sabu, ziena u tajba, u s-sala mtliet bin-nies ghall-mejda. Mela jidhol is-sultan halli jara min kien hemm fuq il-mejda, u hemmhekk lemah wiehed li ma kienx liebes ghall-festa tat-tieg; u qallu: “Habib, dan kif dhalt hawn m’intix liebes ghall-festa?” Dak tbikkem. Imbaghad is-sultan qal lil dawk li kienu qeghdin iservu: “Orbtulu riglejh u idejh u waddbuh ’il barra fid-dlam; hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u t-tghazziz tas-snien!” Ghax hafna huma l-imsejhin, imma ftit il-maghzulin!»  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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A commentary on Sunday’s Gospel by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB   
Dressing Properly for the Feast

Matthew’s parable of the wedding feast and the declined invitations (22:1-14) is the last of three successive parables of judgment (beginning in 21:28) against Israel, especially her leadership. There are obvious connections among the three parables. Each has an “authority figure” (father, landowner, and king respectively). “Sons” or “a son” appear in all three. The second and third parables share the two groups of slaves and the severe judgment against those who oppose the son.

In today’s parable, the king represents God; the son, Jesus; and the wedding banquet, the time of divine-human celebration symbolized by the kingdom. The beautiful spousal imagery of the Lord (YHWH) and Israel (Hosea 2:19-20; Isaiah 54:4-8; 62:5) provides a rich, biblical backdrop. Today’s story incorporates two favourite Old and New Testament images: a feast and a marriage.

Matthew has provided many allegorical traits to today’s story, e.g. the burning of the city of the guests who refused the invitation (22:7), which corresponds to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. It has similarities with the preceding parable of the tenants: the sending of two groups of servants (22:3, 4), the murder of the servants (22:6), the punishment of the murderers (22:7), and the entrance of a new group into a privileged situation of which the others had proven themselves unworthy (22:8-10). The parable ends with a section that is very peculiar to Matthew (22:11-14) which some take as a distinct parable on its own.

Matthew’s parable appears in significantly different form in Luke 14:16-24. Today’s story most likely comes from “Q,” a hypothetical written source for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. “Q” (short for the German Quelle or “source”) is defined as the “common” material found in Matthew and Luke but not in the Gospel of Mark. This ancient text supposedly contained the logia or quotations from Jesus.

The King’s Feast

In today’s story, the king has gone to great trouble preparing a wedding feast for his son, slaughtering enough oxen and fatted calves to feed several hundred people. It was not uncommon in Jesus’ day that invitations would be sent out in two instalments: first, a general invitation to a future event; then, on the day itself or just before, a “reminder” to come since everything was prepared for the celebration. Not only do the guests refuse, but some of them seize the king’s messengers and kill them. In response, the king sends his troops to burn their city. Then he sends out another invitation requesting that all persons – the “good” and the “bad” – be brought to the celebration.

The succession of invitations corresponds to God’s declaration of truth concerning his Kingdom and his Son – first to Israel and then to the Gentile nations. Matthew presents the Kingdom in its double aspect: already present and something that can be entered here and now (22:1-10); and something that will be possessed only by those present members who can stand the scrutiny of the final judgment (22:11-14).

Proper attire for the feast

Matthew’s addition of the guest without the wedding garment (22:11-14) can certainly leave the reader perplexed. I remember my first reaction to reading about this poor man without the proper vesture. Who is this king who dared to ask the poor man: “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” Was it not the king who commanded his slaves to go out to the highways and byways and bring in anyone they could find? How then could the king be so cold and harsh to someone who has been “rounded up” for the royal feast, without even having the time to procure clean and proper clothing?

It is important to recall that this story is an allegory and doesn’t necessarily follow normal ways of thinking and acting. Some scholars believe that the king provided the proper attire for his guests. It is not surprising then that the king becomes furious upon seeing a man improperly attired. This shows that this man deliberately refuses to receive the generous gesture of the king in providing proper attire.

The garment of righteousness and holiness

The parable of the wedding feast is not only a statement of God’s judgment on Israel but a warning to Matthew’s Church. As early as the second century, Irenaeus wrote that the wedding garment signified works of righteousness. The wedding garment signified repentance and a change of heart and mind. This is the condition for entrance into the Kingdom and must be continued in a life of good deeds.

The saying: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (22:14), should not be taken as a forecast of the proportion of the saved to the damned. Rather the saying is meant to encourage vigorous efforts to live the Christian life. The wedding feast is not the Church but the age to come. Matthew’s parable confronts us with the paradox of God’s free invitation to the banquet with no strings attached and God’s requirement of “putting on” something appropriate to that calling. Who are the many and the few concerning the wedding garment? Are there some people God doesn’t choose? How is being chosen different from being called?

The wedding garment of love

Let us consider the moving words of St. Augustine of Hippo in his sermon (#90) on this Sunday’s Gospel passage:

“What is the wedding garment that the Gospel talks about? Very certainly, that garment is something that only the good have, those who are to participate in the feast... Could it be the sacraments? Baptism? Without baptism, no one comes to God, but some people receive baptism and do not come to God... Perhaps it is the altar or what a person receives at the altar? But in receiving the Lord’s body, some people eat and drink to their own condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:29). So what is it? Fasting? The wicked also fast. Going to church often? The wicked go to church just like others...

“So what is this wedding garment? The apostle Paul tells us: “What we are aiming at... is the love that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). That is the wedding garment. Paul is not talking about just any kind of love, for one can often see dishonest people loving others... but one does not see among them this love “that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. ” Now that is the love that is the wedding garment.

“”The apostle Paul said: “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal... If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). He said that even if he had all that, without Christ “I am nothing.” It would be useless, because I can act in that way for love of glory... “If I have not love, it is of no use.” That is the wedding garment.

Examine yourselves: if you have it, then come to the Lord’s banquet with confidence.

Invite everyone to the banquet

Let us consider section #22, “Evangelizers and Educators as Witnesses,” of the Lineamenta for the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization:

“The formation and concern needed to sustain those already engaged in evangelization and recruiting new forces should not be limited simply to practical preparation, albeit necessary. Instead, formation and pastoral care is predominantly to be spiritual in nature, namely, a school of faith, enlightened by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and under the guidance of the Spirit, which teaches people the implications of experiencing the Fatherhood of God. People are able to evangelize only when they have been evangelized and allow themselves to be evangelized, that is, renewed spiritually through a personal encounter and lived communion with Jesus Christ. Such people have the power to transmit the faith, as St. Paul the Apostle testifies: “I believed, and so I spoke” (2 Cor 4:13).

“The new evangelization, then, which is primarily a task-to-be-done and a spiritual challenge, is the responsibility of all Christians who are in serious pursuit of holiness. In this context and with this understanding of formation, it will be useful to dedicate space and time to considering the institutions and means available to local Churches to make baptized persons more conscious of their duty in missionary work and evangelization. For our witness to be credible, as we respond to each of these areas requiring the new evangelization, we must know how to speak in ways that are intelligible to our times and proclaim, inside these areas, the reasons for our hope which bolsters our witness (cf. 1 Pt 3:15). Such a task is not accomplished without effort, but requires attentiveness, education and concern.”

Questions for reflection this week

1. Do our Christian communities plan pastoral activity with the specific aim of preaching conformity to the Gospel and conversion to Christianity?
2. What priority have individual Christian communities placed on the commitment to attempt bold new ways of evangelization? What initiatives have been most successful in opening Christian communities to missionary work?
3. How do the local churches view the role of proclamation and the necessity of giving greater importance to the genesis of faith and the pastoral programme for baptism?
4. How are our Christian communities displaying their awareness of the urgency of recruiting, forming, and supporting persons to be evangelizers and educators through the witness of their lives?

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The Lord of the vineyard

Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 139

Is-Sebgħa u għoxrin Ħadd matul is-Sena

Missalin A  p 389

Reading 1 __________________________________

Isaiah 5:1-7

Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry! This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzzjoni 

Qari millKtieb tal-Profeta Isaija 5. 1-7

Ħa ngħanni lill-maħbub tiegħi l-għanja ta' mħabbtu għall-għalqa tad-dwieli tiegħu. Il-maħbub tiegħi kellu għalqa tad-dwieli fuq għolja għammiela. Għażaqha u naddafha miż-żrar, u ħawwel fiha dwieli mill-aħjar; bena torri f'nofsha; u wkoll ħaffer magħsar fiha. Stennieha tagħmel l-għeneb tajjeb, iżda kull ma għamlet kien għeneb qares. U issa, intom li tgħammru f'Ġerusalemm, irġiel ta' Ġuda, agħmlu intom ħaqq bejni u bejn l-għalqa tad-dwieli tiegħi. X'kien fadalli nagħmel għall-għalqa tiegħi u ma għamiltux? Stennejtha tagħmel għeneb tajjeb, u kull ma' għamelt kien għeneb qares. U iss ħa nurikom x'sejjer nagħmel jien lill-għalqa tiegħi tad-dwieli. Inneħħilha  l-ilqugħ ta' madwarha, u jħarbtuha; Iġarrfilh a l-ħajt, biex in-nies tgħaffiġha.  Nagħmel minnha xagħra; ħadd ma jiżborha jew jaħdimha, u jinbet fiha x-xewk u l-ħurrieq. Jien ngħid lis-sħab Biex ma jagħmilx xita fuqha! Għax l-għalqa tad-dwieli tal-Mulej ta' l-eżerċiti hija d-dar ta' Iżrael;  u l-irġiel ta' Ġuda huma l-mixgtla ta' l-għalqa tiegħu. Huwa stenna l-ġustizza, u araw sab it-tixrid tad-demm, stenna s-sewwa, u araw sama' l-għajat tal-maħqurin. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm __________________________________

PSALM 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20

A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Salm Responsorjali

Salm 79 (80)

Inti qlajt dielja mill-Eġittu,

warrabt il-ġnus biex tħawwel lilha.

Meddet sal-baħar il-friegħi tagħha,

sax-xmara  ż-żraġen tagħha.                        

R/  Il-għalqa tal-Mulej hija d-dar ta' Iżrael.

Għaliex, mela, ġarraft il-ħitan tagħha,

u kull min jgħaddi jqaċċat minnha?

Iħarbatha l-ħanżir selvaġġ,

il-bhejjem tar-raba' jirigħu fija.            

R/  Il-għalqa tal-Mulej hija d-dar ta' Iżrael.

                               

Erġa' ejja, Alla ta' l-eżerċiti;

ħares mis-sema, u ara,

u żur 'il din id-dielja.

Ħu ħsieb dak li ħawlet lemintek,

ir-rimja li int kabbart għalik.                            

R/  Il-għalqa tal-Mulej hija d-dar ta' Iżrael.

Aħna ma nitbegħdux minnek;

roddilna l-ħajja, u aħna nsejħu ismek.

 Reġġġagħna għal li konna, Alla ta' l-eżerċti;

itfa' fuqna d-dija ta' wiċċek, u nkunu salvi.     

R/  Il-għalqa tal-Mulej hija d-dar ta' Iżrael.

Reading 2 __________________________________

Philippians 4:6-9

Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni

Qari mill-Ittra ta' San Pawl Appostlu lill-Filipin 4, 6-9

Ħuti, tħabbtu raskom b'xejn.   Fit-talb kollu tagħkom itolbu u uru lil Alla xi jkollkom bżonn,  u iżżuh ħajr. U s-sliem ta' Alla, sliem li jgħaddi kull ma l-moħħ jista' jifhem, iżommilkom qalbkom u moħħkom sħaħ fi Kristu Ġesu'. Mill-bqija, ħuti, f'dan għandkom taħsbu; f'kull ma hu veru, f'kull ma hu xieraq, f'kull ma hu ġust, f'kull ma hu safi,  f'kull ma jiġbed l-imħabba, f'kull ma jistħoqqlu ġieħ, f'kull ma hu virtu', f'kull ma ħaqqu t-tifħir; f'dan kollu aħsbu. U kull ma tgħallimtu u ħadtu mingħandna, u smajtu u rajtu fina, agħmluh. Alla tas-sliem ikun magħkom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel __________________________________

Matthew 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.  But the tenants seized   the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."  Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju

Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Mattew 21, 33-43

F'dak iż-żmien,. Ġesu' qal lill-qassisin il-kbar u lix-xjuħ tal-poplu:  "Isimgħu parabbola oħra: Kien hemm wieħed, sid ta' għalqa, u ħawwilha bid-dwieli; tellgħalha ħajt tas-sejjieħ madwarha, ħaffer magħsar fiha, u bnielha torri, u qabbilha lil xi bdiewa.  U siefer f'art oħra. Meta wasal żmien il-frott, bagħat il-qaddejja tiegħu għand dawk il-bdiewa biex jiġbrulu l-frott li kien imissu. Iżda l-bdiewa qabdu lill-qaddejja, u lil wieħed sawtuh, lil ieħor qatluh, u lil ieħor ħaġġruh.  Reġa' bagħtilhom qaddejja oħra, aktar minn qabel, u għamlulhom l-istess. Fl-aħħar bagħtilhom lil ibnu, "Min ibni jistħu," qal. Iżda kif raw lil ibnu l-bdiewa bdew bdew jgħidu bejniethom:  "Ara l-werriet!  Ejjew naqtluh, biex il-wirt tiegħu neħduh aħna."   Qabduh, xeħtuh 'il barra mill-għalqa u qatluh.   Issa sid l-għalqa  x'jagħmlilhom lil dawk il-bdiewa meta jiġi? Qalulu:  "Jeqridhom blla ħniena, ta' ħżiena li huma, u l-għalqa  jqabbilha lil bdiewa oħra  li jroddulu l-frott fi żmienu." Qalilhom Ġesu':  "Qatt ma qrajtu fl-Iskrittura li: "Il-ġebla li warrbu l-bennejja saret il-ġebla tax-xewka; bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan; ħaġa ta' l-għaġeb f'għajnejna?" Għalhekk ngħidilkom li s-Saltna ta' Alla tittieħed mingħandkom u tingħata lil ġens li jagħmel il-frott minnha."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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 The Lord Will Never Abandon His Vineyard

A commentary on this Sunday’s Gospel reading by Fr. Thomas Rosica, 

We are back in the vineyard again this week, immersed in another of Matthew’s complex Gospel parables. Jesus told these parables in answer to the question: “What is the kingdom of God like?” His parables are short narratives that combine realistic details from first-century Palestinian life in little villages with details that are foreign to the ways that things happen in daily life.

Sunday’s Gospel parable is often called the parable of the wicked tenants. Like last week’s parable of the two sons and next week’s parable of the royal wedding feast (22:1-14), today’s story is clearly one of judgment at the centre of Jesus’ threefold response to the religious leaders who are putting his authority to the test (21:23-27).

In the Old Testament, “vineyard” or “vine” is often used as a metaphor for God’s people. The vineyard figures frequently in Jesus’ parables, setting the stage for the Kingdom of God to take root and the drama of salvation to unfold. The work in the vineyard is hard labour; patience is essential, and wages are unpredictable as we saw in a previous Gospel parable (Mathew 20:1-16). The vineyard can also be a dangerous place to work. Scuffles between workers can erupt (Mark 9:33), and violence may erupt as we see in today’s story (Matthew 21:33-43).

A story of violence and want

The juxtaposition of peace and plenty with violence and want in Sunday’s parable is part of what makes this Gospel story so powerful. A closer look helps us understand the harsh reality of people’s lives in Jesus’ day.

The estate of the landlord would have housed between 50 and 70 people, mostly slaves or servants. The most trusted servants would have had significant responsibilities. The landlord’s servants did not hesitate to “lord it over” those in his charge (21:35). In early fall, when the harvest was ready, the landlord sent out a succession of his workers to collect the rent. The landlord would not go out himself to collect the rent. On the contrary, landlords protected themselves, their families, and their considerable possessions in fortified tower-residences.

The people of Jesus’ day were also all too familiar with the violence the story portrays. When the landlord finally sent his son to collect the rent, the tenants said: “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours” (21:38). What remains very odd is that the tenants would repeatedly mistreat and even kill the one sent to them without any reprisal by the vineyard owner. In interpreting parables, the glimpse into the kingdom of God often comes to us through the strange details that are not the way things are in life around us, then or now.

The vineyard will not be destroyed

In his homily at the Mass to mark the opening of the XII Synod of Bishops on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church” on October 5, 2008, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI spoke beautifully of today’s parable:

“In the end, the owner of the vineyard makes a final attempt: he sends his own son, convinced that at least they will listen to him. Instead the opposite happens: the labourers in the vineyard murder him precisely because he is the landowner’s son, that is, his heir, convinced that this will enable them to take possession of the vineyard more easily. We are therefore witnessing a leap in quality with regard to the accusation of the violation of social justice as it emerges from Isaiah’s canticle. Here we clearly see that contempt for the master’s order becomes contempt for the master: it is not mere disobedience to a divine precept, it is a true and proper rejection of God: the mystery of the Cross appears.

Yet there is a promise in Jesus’ words: the vineyard will not be destroyed. While the unfaithful labourers abandon their destiny, the owner of the vineyard does not lose interest in his vineyard and entrusts it to other faithful servants. This means that, although in certain regions faith is dwindling to the point of dying out, there will always be other peoples ready to accept it. For this very reason, while Jesus cites Psalm 118:117, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 42), he gives the assurance that his death will not mean God’s defeat. After being killed, he will not remain in the tomb, on the contrary, precisely what seems to be a total defeat will mark the beginning of a definitive victory. His painful Passion and death on the Cross will be followed by the glory of his Resurrection. The vineyard, therefore, will continue to produce grapes and will be rented by the owner of the vineyard: “to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons” (Mt 21:41).

The vineyard is the house of Israel

The parable of the wicked tenants reminds us once again that we cannot control God’s continuous merciful outreach to others. It compels us to look at our lives, our attitudes, and actions, in light of whether they are an embrace or rejection of Jesus’ saving message. Rather than putting the focus on what the story says about Jewish leaders, we must ask: what does it say about us Christians? What is my vision of the kingdom of God? How am I producing a harvest for God’s kingdom, in my private and in our communal lives? What does the parable say to me about my own troubled relationships with family, friends, and colleagues? What does the story teach me about my inability to forgive others and forgive myself? Yes, the wicked tenants in today’s Gospel do indeed try God’s patience. But I do as well! How do I respond to the boundless mercy and goodness that God offers me each day?

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