The First Sunday of Advent - Year B
L-Ewwel Ħadd ta’ l-Avvent
Messalin B 75
Noqogħdu Għassa!
You,
LORD, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us
wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Oh, that you
would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not
heard of from of old. No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him. Would that you might meet us doing
right, that we were mindful of you in our ways! Behold, you are angry, and we
are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are
like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us
away like the wind. There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself
to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up
to our guilt. Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the
potter: we are all the work of your hands. This
is the Word of The Lord.
L-Ewwel Qari
Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 63,16-17,19; 64,1-7
Int, Mulej, missierna, Il-feddej taghna, ismek minn dejjem. Ghaliex, Mulej, iggeghelna
nwarrbu minn triqatek u twebbsilna qalbna biex ma nibzghux minnek? Erga’ lura, minhabba l-qaddejja tieghek, it-tribujiet li huma wirtek. Mhux li
kont iccarrat is-smewwiet u tinzel minn hemm! U quddiemek il-muntanji jtħeżhżu bhalma n-nar ighalli l-ilma; biex tgharraf
ismek lill-eghdewwa tieghek, u l-gnus jitrieghdu quddiemek; meta int taghmel eghgubijiet
li ma konniex nistennewhom, u sa mill-qedem qatt ma smajna bihom! U la widna ma
semghet u la ghajn ma rat Alla bhalek,
Alla li jhabrek ghal min jitma fih, Int tilqa’ bil-ferh ‘il min jaghmel is-sewwa, ‘il dawk li
jiftakru fi triqatek. Ara! int kont mghaddab
ghalina, u ahna dnibna. Domna fi dnubna, u kontra tieghek qomna ghal hafna zmien. Tniggisna lkoll, u sirna bhal carruta mahmuga;
bhal werqa lkoll dbilna, u hzunijietna bhal rih garrewna. Hadd ma hawn li
jsejjah ismek, li jitharrek biex izomm mieghek. Ghax int hbejt wiccek
minna u rhejtna f’idejn hzunijietna.
U issa, Mulej, int missierna; ahna t-tafal, u inti l-fuhhari; ahna lkoll eghmil
idejk. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial
Psalm
PSalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
R/ (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your
face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd ofIsrael
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us. R/
O shepherd of
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us. R/
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/
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/
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name. R/
Salm Responsorjali
Salm 79
R/ Reġġagħna għal li konna o Alla
ta’ l-ezercti; dawwal wiccek u nkunu salvi.
O Ragħaj ta’ Israel
Int li qiegħed fuq il-kerubini, iddi;
Qajjem il-qawwa tiegħek,
u ejja ħa ssalvana. R/
Alla ta’ l-ezercti, erga ejja:
ħares mis-sema u ara,
u żur ‘il din id-dielja.
Ħu ħsieb dak li ħawwlet il-leminija tiegħek,
Ir-rimja li kabbart għalik. R/
Ħa tkun idek fuq il-bniedem tal-lemin tiegħek,
fuq il-bniedem li int qawwejt għalik.
Aħna ma nitbegħdux minnek;
aħjina, u aħna nsejħu ismek. R/
1 CORinthians 1:3-9
Brothers
and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God
bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed
among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for
the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord. This is the Word of The
Lord.
It-Tieni Qari
Qari mill-Ewwel
Ittra lill-Korintin 1, 3-9
Huti: Grazzja lilkom u sliem minn
Gospel
MarK 13:33-37
Jesus
said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He
leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and
orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when
the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May
he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: “Watch!” This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Evanġelju
Qari skond San
Mark 13, 33-37
F’dak iz-zmien: Gesu’ qal
lid-dixxipli tieghu: “Kunu ghajnejkom miftuha, ishru, ghax ma tafux meta se jasal il-waqt. Jigri bhal
meta bniedem ikun siefer u telaq mid-dar, ihalli kollox f’idejn
il-qaddejja tieghu, kull wiehed fuq xoghlu, u lil tal-bieb jordnalu biex jibqa’ jishar. Mela
ishru, ghax ma tafux meta jerga’ jigi sid id-dar, jekk hux fil-ghaxija, jew f’nofs il-lejl,
jew x’hin jidden is-serduk, jew inkella mas-sebh, li ma
jmurx jigi ghal gharrieda u jsibkom reqdin. U dak li qieghed nghid lilkom, qieghed
nghidu ghal kulhadd, ishru!’’ Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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This weekend the Church enters into the liturgical season of
Advent. Christians proclaim that the Messiah has indeed come and that God's
reign is "at hand." Advent does not change God. Advent deepens our
longing and anticipation that God will do what prophets and the anointed have
promised. We pray that God will yield to our need to see and feel the promise
of salvation here and now.
During this time of longing and waiting for the Lord, we are
invited to pray and to ponder the Word of God, but ost of all, to become a
reflection of the light of Christ, indeed of Christ himself. But we all know
how difficult it is to mirror the light of Christ, especially when we have
become disillusioned with life, accustomed to the shadowy existence of the
world, or grown content with mediocrity and emptiness. Advent reminds us that
we must be ready to meet the Lord at any and every moment of life. Just like a
security alarm wakes up a homeowner, Advent wakes up Christians who are in
danger of sleeping through their lives.
For what or for whom are we waiting in life? What virtues or
gifts are we praying to receive this year? Do we long for healing and reconciliation
in broken relationships? What meaning and understanding do we desire to have in
the midst of our own darkness, sadness, and mystery? How are we living out our
baptismal promises? What qualities of Jesus are we seeking in our own lives
this Advent? Many times, the things, qualities, gifts, or people we await give
us great insights into who we really are. Tell me whom you are waiting for and
I will tell you who you are!
Advent is a time for opening eyes, focusing views, paying
attention, keeping perspective on God's presence in the world and in our own
lives.
In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah on the first
Sunday of Advent, the Almighty One breathes hope back into the heart and soul
of Israel and shapes Israel
In the second Scripture reading, writing to his beloved
community at Corinth
Our own baptism is a share in the royal, messianic mission of
Jesus. Anyone who shares this mission also shares royal responsibilities, in
particular, care for the afflicted and the hurting. Advent is a wonderful
opportunity to "activate" our baptismal promises and commitment. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger once wrote:
The purpose of the
Church's year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to
awaken the heart's memory so that it can discern the star of hope. It is the
beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us, memories of goodness and thus
to open doors of hope.
This
Advent, allow me to suggest that you mend a quarrel. Build peace. Seek out a
forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a love
letter. Share some treasure. Give a kind answer even though you would like to respond
harshly. Encourage a young person to believe in him/herself. Manifest your
loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Find the time. Make time. Forego a
grudge. Forgive an enemy. Celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Listen
more. Apologize if you were wrong. Be kind even if you weren't wrong!
Try
to understand. Flout envy. Examine the demands you make on others. Think first
of someone else. Appreciate. Be kind, be gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little
more. Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice. Decry complacency.
Express gratitude. Go to Church. Stay in Church a little while longer than
usual. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of
the earth. Speak your love. Speak it once again. Speak it even more loudly.
Speak it quietly.
Rejoice,
for the Lord is near!
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