"This is My Beloved Son... Listen to Him"

Second Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 26

It-Tieni Ħadd tar-Randan

 

Reading 1        GeNesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am!" he replied. Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,  and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust  on a height that I will point out to you." When they came to the place of which God had told him,  Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,  "Abraham, Abraham!"  "Here I am!" he answered. "Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger. "Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God,  since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son." As Abraham looked about,  he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram  and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son. Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:  "I swear by myself, declares the LORD,  that because you acted as you did  in not withholding from me your beloved son,  I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless  as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession  of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing— all this because you obeyed my command."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I          mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 22, 1-2.9a.10-13.15-18 

F’dak iż-żmien, Alla ried iġarrab lil Abraham u qallu: “Abraham!”. U hu wieġbu: “Hawn jien!” U qallu: “Aqbad lil ibnek il-waħdieni, li inti tħobb, lil Iżakk; u mur lejn l-art ta’ Morija, u hemm offrih b’sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq fuq waħda mill-għoljiet li jien se ngħidlek”. U waslu fil-post li kien semmielu Alla. U Abraham medd idu u qabad is-sikkina biex joqtol lil ibnu. U sejjaħlu l-anġlu tal-Mulej mis-smewwiet u qallu: “Abraham, Abraham!” U dan wieġbu: “Hawn jien”. U qallu:“La tmiddx idek fuq iż-żagħżugħ u tagħmillu ebda ħsara; għax issa naf li inti tibża’ minn Alla, u ma ċaħħadtnix minn ibnek il-waħdieni”. U Abraham rafa’ għajnejh, ta ħarsa madwaru, u ra muntun warajh maqbud minn qrunu fil-friegħi. U Abraham mar u qabad il-muntun, u offrieh b’sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq minflok ibnu. U għat-tieni darba l-anġlu tal-Mulej sejjaħ lil Abraham mis-smewwiet u qallu: “Naħlef fuq ruħi – oraklu tal-Mulej – la darba int għamilt ħaġa bħal din, u ma ċaħħadtnix minn ibnek il-waħdieni, jien imbierkek żgur u nkattarlek sewwa lil nislek bħall-kwiekeb tas-sema u bħar-ramel f’xatt il-baħar; u nislek għad jiret bwieb l-għedewwa tiegħu. U jitbierku b’nislek il-ġnus kollha tal-art talli smajt minn kelmti”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm        PSalm   116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

I believed, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Salm Responsorjali        Salm 115 (116), 10.15-19

R/. (9): Jien nimxi quddiem il-Mulej f’art il-ħajjin

Bqajt nemmen, imqar meta għedt:

“Jien imdejjaq ħafna!”

Għażiża f’għajnejn il-Mulej

hi l-mewt tal-ħbieb tiegħu.      R/.

Iva, Mulej, jien qaddej tiegħek,

jien qaddej tiegħek, bin il-qaddejja tiegħek.

Int ħallejtli l-irbit tiegħi.

Lilek noffri sagrifiċċju ta’ radd il-ħajr,

u isem il-Mulej insejjaħ.          R/.

Intemm lill-Mulej il-wegħdiet tiegħi,

quddiem il-poplu tiegħu kollu,

fil-btieħi ta’ dar il-Mulej,

ġo nofsok, Ġerusalemm!        R/.

Reading 2        ROMans 8:31B-34

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son  but handed him over for us all,  how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us, who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died—or, rather, was raised—  who also is at the right hand of God,  who indeed intercedes for us.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari II           mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 8, 31b-34 

Ħuti, jekk Alla hu magħna min jista’ jkun kontra tagħna? Hu, li lanqas lil Ibnu stess ma ħafirha, imma tah għalina lkoll, kif ma jagħtiniex ukoll kollox miegħu? Min se jakkuża l-magħżulin ta’ Alla? Alla stess hu dak li jiġġustifikahom. Min se jikkundannahom? Kristu Ġesù li miet, jew aħjar, li qam mill-imwiet, jinsab fuq il-lemin ta’ Alla, hu li jidħol għalina.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      MarK 9:2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents:  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;  from the cloud came a voice,  "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju         Qari skont Mark 9, 2-10 

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru u lil Ġakbu u lil Ġwanni, tellagħhom weħidhom fuq muntanja għolja, u tbiddel quddiemhom.  Ilbiesu sar abjad u jgħammex b’dija tal-għaġeb: ebda ħassiel fid-dinja ma jista’ jġib il-ħwejjeġ bojod daqshekk. U dehrilhom Elija ma’ Mosè, jitkellmu ma’ Ġesù. Qabad Pietru u qal lil Ġesù: “Mgħallem, kemm hu sew li aħna hawn! Ħa ntellgħu tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mosè, u waħda għal Elija”. Dan qalu għax ma kienx jaf x’jaqbad jgħid bil-biża’ kbir li waqa’ fuqhom. Imbagħad ġiet sħaba u għattiethom, u minn ġos-sħaba nstama’ leħen jgħid: “Dan hu Ibni l-għażiż, isimgħu lilu”. Minnufih taw ħarsa madwarhom, u ma raw lil ħadd iżjed magħhom ħlief lil Ġesù waħdu. Huma u neżlin minn fuq il-muntanja, tahom ordni biex ma jitkellmu ma’ ħadd fuq li kienu raw qabel ma Bin il-bniedem ikun qam mill-imwiet. Huma żammew kollox moħbi, iżda bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin x’kien ifisser tqum mill-imwiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

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Moriah, Tabor, Calvary: Darkness can be Radiant

A commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Moriah. Sinai. Nebo. Carmel. Horeb. Gilboa. Gerizim. Mount of Beatitudes. Tabor. Hermon. Zion. Mount of Olives. Calvary. Golgotha. Mountains are often used in the Bible as the stages of important encounters between God and his people. Though we may have never visited the lands of the Bible, we are all familiar with these biblical mountains and the great events of our salvation history that took place there.

Sunday's Old Testament and Gospel reading take place on two important biblical mountains-- Mount Moriah and Mount Tabor. Both readings give us profound insights into our God and his Son, Jesus, who is our Savior. First let us consider the story of the sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham as portrayed in Genesis 22:1-19. The story is called the Akedah in Hebrew (Anglicization of the Aramaic word for "binding") and it easily provokes scandal for the modern mind: What sort of God is this who can command a father to kill his own son?

How many pagan voices were assailing Abraham at this moment? What would a contemporary father do if he were to be called on to sacrifice his only son to God? He would be thought mad if he even considered it -- and unfaithful to God as well. What a poignant story indeed! "Take your son, your only son Isaac whom you love ... and offer him as a burnt offering. ... So Abraham rose early in the morning." Because Abraham listened to the Lord's messenger, his only son's life was spared. The binding of Isaac, then, is a symbol of life, not death, for Abraham is forbidden to sacrifice his son.

What happens on Mount Moriah finds an echo in what happens atop Mount Tabor and Mount Calvary in the New Testament: The mounts Moriah, Tabor and Calvary are significant places of vision in the Bible. For on these peaks, we see a God who never abandons us in our deepest despair, terror and death. God is with us through thick and thin, through day and night.

These mountains teach us that it is only when we are willing to let go of what we love most and cherish most in this life, to offer it back to God, the giver of all good gifts, that we can ever hope to receive it back in ways we never dreamed of or imagined. Only then will we experience resurrection, healing, consoling light and new life.

We can only speculate on what lies behind the story of the Transfiguration -- one of the Gospel's most mysterious and awesome visions (Mark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). Peter, James and John had an overwhelming experience with the Lord on Mount Tabor. Following the night of temptation and preceding the blackness of Golgotha, the glorious rays of the Transfiguration burst forth. Before their eyes, the Jesus they had known and with whom they walked became transfigured. His countenance was radiant; his garments streaming with white light. At his side, enveloped in glory, stood Moses, the mighty liberator, who had led Israel out of slavery, and Elijah, the greatest of Israel's prophets.

Jesus needed the light and affirmation of the mountaintop experience in his own life. In the midst of his passion predictions, he needed Mount Tabor, to strengthen him as he descended into the Jordan Valley and made his way up to Jerusalem. For every disciple since, it is the same. Those who follow Jesus must ascend the mountain to catch a glimpse of the mystery of God's presence in our world and in our lives.

And yet Mark's story of Jesus transfigured reminds us that gazing in contemplation is not enough. The disciples are told to listen to Jesus, the Beloved of God, and then return to their daily routine down in the valley.

The awesome Gospel story of the Transfiguration gives us an opportunity to look at some of our own mountaintop experiences. How have such experiences shed light on the shadows and darkness of life? What would our lives be without some of these peak experiences? How often do we turn to those few but significant experiences for strength, courage and perspective? How has the mountaintop experience enabled us to listen more attentively to God's voice -- a voice calling us to fidelity and authenticity in our belief? When we're down in the valley we often can't see Christ's glory.

The most consoling message of the Transfiguration is perhaps for those who suffer, and those who witness the deformation of their own bodies and the bodies of their loved ones. Even Jesus will be disfigured in the passion, but will rise with a glorious body with which he will live for eternity and, faith tells us, with which he will meet us after death.

So many voices assail us that we find it difficult to listen to God's voice. Before light envelops us, we need to go through darkness. Before the heavens open up, we need to go through the mud and dirt. We must experience both mountains -- Tabor and Golgotha -- in order to see the glory of God. The Transfiguration teaches us that God's brilliant life included death, and there is no way around it -- only through it.

It also reminds us that the terrifying darkness can be radiant and dazzling. During moments of transfiguration, God penetrates the hardened, incredulous, even disquieting regions within us, about which we really do not know what to do, and he leaves upon them the imprint of his own face, in all its radiant and dazzling glory and beauty.

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God is calling for our change

First Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 23

L-Ewwel Ħadd tar-Randan

 

Reading 1      GeNesis 9:8-15

God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "See, I am now establishing my covenant with you  and your descendants after you  and with every living creature that was with you:  all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals  that were with you and came out of the ark. I will establish my covenant with you,  that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood;  there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth." God added: "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you  and every living creature with you:  I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth,  and the bow appears in the clouds,  I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings,  so that the waters shall never again become a flood  to destroy all mortal beings."  This is the Word of the Lord

Qari I    -   Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi Ġen 9, 8-15

Alla kellem lil Noè u lil uliedu miegħu u qalilhom: “Arawni, hawn jien se nagħmel il-patt tiegħi magħkom u ma’ nisilkom warajkom; ma’ kull ħliqa ħajja li hemm magħkom, mat-tjur u mal-bhejjem, ma’ kull bhima selvaġġa li hemm magħkom, u mal-bhejjem kollha li ħarġu magħkom mill-arka. Jien nagħmel il-patt tiegħi magħkom, li qatt iżjed ma jinqered, ebda laħam ħaj, bl-ilmijiet tad-dilluvju; u qatt iżjed ma jkun hemm dilluvju biex iħarbat l-art”.U żied jgħid Alla: “Dan ikun is-sinjal tal-patt li jien qiegħed nagħmel bejni u bejnkom, u bejn kull ħliqa ħajja li hemm magħkom, għall-ġenerazzjonijiet kollha għal dejjem. Inqiegħed il-qaws tiegħi fis-sħab, u jkun sinjal tal-patt bejni u bejn l-art. Meta niġma’ s-sħab fuq l-art u tfeġġ il-qawsalla fis-sħab, jien niftakar fil-patt bejni u bejnkom u bejn kull ruħ ħajja f’kull laħam; u ma jkunx hemm iżjed l-ilma tad-dilluvju biex jeqred kull laħam ħaj”.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm         PSalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Good and upright is the LORD,
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and he teaches the humble his way.
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

Salm Responsorjali  -  Salm 24 (25), 4-5ab.6-7bċ.8-9

Triqatek, Mulej, għarrafni,

il-mogħdijiet tiegħek għallimni.

Mexxini fis-sewwa tiegħek u għallimni,

għax int Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi. R/.

 R/. (10): Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedeltà

Ftakar fil-ħniena u t-tjieba tiegħek,

għax huma minn dejjem, Mulej.

Inti tajjeb, Mulej;

ftakar fija skont it-tjieba tiegħek. R/.

R/. (10): Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedeltà

Tajjeb u sewwa l-Mulej;

għalhekk juri triqtu lill-ħatja.

Imexxi l-imsejkna fis-sewwa,

jgħallem lill-fqajrin it-triq tiegħu. R/.

R/. (10): Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedeltà 

Reading 2           1 PeTer 3:18-22

Beloved:  Christ suffered for sins once,  the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, 
that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh,  he was brought to life in the Spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,  who had once been disobedient  while God patiently waited in the days of Noah  during the building of the ark,  in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body  but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,  through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. This is the Word of the Lord

Qari II   -     Qari mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Pietru  3, 18-22

Għeżież, Kristu wkoll miet darba għal dejjem minħabba d-dnubiet; hu li kien ġust, miet għall-inġusti biex iressaqkom lejn Alla; kien mogħti l-mewt fil-ġisem, imma ħa l-ħajja fl-ispirtu, li bih mar ixandar is-salvazzjoni lill-erwieħ li kienu magħluqa fil-ħabs. Dawn kienu l-erwieħ ta’ dawk li darba ma ridux jisimgħu, meta Alla qagħad jistenna bis-sabar fiż-żmien li Noè kien jibni l-arka. Ftit, jiġifieri tmienja biss, salvaw bis-saħħa tal-ilma. Dan l-ilma huwa tixbiha tal-magħmudija, li issa ssalva lilkom ukoll. Mhux għax tnaddaf il-ħmieġ tal-ġisem, imma għax hi talba lil Alla ħierġa minn kuxjenza safja bis-saħħa tal-qawmien ta’ Ġesù Kristu, li tela’ s-sema u qiegħed fuq il-lemin ta’ Alla u għandu taħtu s-Setgħat u l-Qawwiet tal-anġli.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel       MarK 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,  and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John had been arrested,  Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." This is the Word of the Lord

Evanġelju      Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mark 1, 12-15

F’dak iż-żmien, l-Ispirtu ħareġ lil Ġesù fid-deżert. U baqa’ fid-deżert erbgħin jum, jiġġarrab mix-Xitan. Kien jgħix mal-bhejjem selvaġġi, u kienu jaqduh l-anġli. Wara li arrestaw lil Ġwanni, Ġesù mar il-Galilija jxandar l-Evanġelju ta’ Alla u jgħid: “Iż-żmien huwa mitmum, u s-Saltna ta’ Alla waslet; indmu u emmnu fl-Evanġelju”.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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The Ways of the Desert

A commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Does anyone really look forward to Lent? What is it about Lent that excites us? What aspects of the Lenten journey test us? The Scriptural readings for this season are carefully chosen so as to replay salvation history before our very eyes.

Let us begin with Jesus in the desert -- the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent. The desert sun and the pangs of hunger and thirst conjured up the demon for him. Mark presents Jesus wrestling with the power of Satan, alone and silent in the desert wastes. Mark’s version of the temptations of Jesus does not mention three temptations, nor does it say that Jesus fasted. Mark's whole focus is on presenting the temptations of Jesus as part of the great struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan.

Jesus' desert experience raises important questions for us. What are some of the "desert" experiences I have experienced in my life? What desert experience am I living through right now? When and how do I find moments of contemplation in the midst of a busy life? How have I lived in the midst of my own deserts? Have I been courageous and persistent in fighting with the demons? How have I resisted transforming my own deserts into places of abundant life?

In Matthew and Luke there is an ongoing conversation, as the prince of evil attempts to turn Jesus aside from the faith and integrity at the heart of his messianic mission. But if Israel had failed in the desert, Jesus would not. His bond with his Father was too strong for even the demons of the desert to break.

In the first temptation in the desert, Jesus responds to the evil one, not by denying human dependence on sustenance (food), but rather by putting human life and the human journey in perspective. Those who follow Jesus cannot become dependent on the things of this world. When we are so dependent on material things, and not on God, we give in to temptation and sin.

God's in charge

The second temptation deals with the adoration of the devil rather than God. Jesus once again reminds the evil one that God is in control. This is important for us to hear and believe, especially when our own temptations seem to overpower us, when everything around us might indicate failure, shadows, darkness and evil. It is God who is ultimately in charge of our destiny.

In the third temptation, the devil asks for a revelation or manifestation of God’s love in favor of Jesus. Jesus answers the evil one by saying that he doesn’t have to prove to anyone that God loves him.

Temptation is everything that makes us small, ugly, and mean. Temptation uses the trickiest moves that the evil one can think up. The more the devil has control of us, the less we want to acknowledge that he is fighting for every millimeter of this earth. Jesus didn’t let him get away with that. At the very beginning of his campaign for this world and for each one of us, Jesus openly confronted the enemy. He began his fight using the power of Scripture during a night of doubt, confusion and temptation. We must never forget Jesus’ example, so that we won’t be seduced by the devil's deception.

From Jesus we learn that God is present and sustaining us in the midst of test, temptation and even sinfulness. We realize that we must have some spiritual space in our lives where we can strip away the false things that cling to us and breathe new life into our dreams and begin again. We come to believe that God can take the parched surface of our hope and make it bloom. These are the lessons of the desert. That is why we need – even in the activity of our daily lives and work, moments of prayer, of stillness, of listening to the voice of God.

We meet God in the midst of our deserts of sinfulness, selfishness, jealousy, efficiency, isolation, cynicism and despair. And in the midst of the desert we hear what God will do if we open our hearts to him and allow him to make our own deserts bloom. The ways of the desert were deep within the heart of Jesus, and it must be the same for all who would follow him.

"I want to heal you"

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Lectionary: 77 

Is-Sitt Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

 Reading 1    -  Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch which  appears to be the sore of leprosy, he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his descendants. If the man is leprous and unclean, the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head. "The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!' As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp." This is the Word of The Lord.

Qari I  - mill-Ktieb tal-Levitiku 13, 1-2.45-46 

Il-Mulej kellem lil Mosè u lil Aron u qalilhom: “Meta xi ħadd ikollu fil-ġilda xi qxur jew xi bużżieqa, jew xi tebgħa bajda, qisha ġerħa tal-ġdiem, jeħduh għand Aron il-qassis, jew għand xi ħadd minn uliedu l-qassisin. Il-marid bil-ġdiem għandu jilbes ħwejjeġ imqattgħa u jħalli rasu mikxufa, u jitgħatta sa geddumu, u jgħajjat: ‘Imniġġes! Imniġġes!’. Kemm idum marid ikun miżmum b’imniġġes li hu, u jgħix waħdu f’postu barra mill-kamp”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm   -  PSALM 32:1-2, 5, 11

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Salm Responsorjali  -  Salm 31 (32), 1-2.5.11

                  

R/ : Int kenn għalija, iddawwarni u tferraħni bil-ħelsien tiegħek

Hieni l-bniedem li ħtijietu maħfura,

li għandu d-dnub tiegħu mistur!

Hieni l-bniedem li ebda ħażen ma jgħoddlu l-Mulej,

u ma għandu ebda qerq f’qalbu!                     R/.

Id-dnub tiegħi jien stqarrejtlek,

u l-ħażen tiegħi ma ħbejtulekx.

Jien għedt: “Quddiem il-Mulej nistqarr ħtijieti”.

U int ħfirtli l-ħażen tad-dnub tiegħi.                  R/.

Ifirħu, twajbin, u thennew fil-Mulej;

għajtu bil-ferħ, intom ilkoll ta’ qalbkom safja. R/.

Reading 2  -   1 Corinthians 10:31—11:1

Brothers and sisters, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. This is the Word of The Lord

Qari II  -  mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 10, 3-11,1

Ħuti, sew jekk tieklu, sew jekk tixorbu, tagħmlu x’tagħmlu, agħmlu kollox għall-glorja ta’ Alla. Tkunux ta’ tfixkil, la għal-Lhud, la għall-Griegi, u lanqas għall-Knisja ta’ Alla. Hekk jiena nogħġob lil kulħadd f’kollox, bla ma nfittex l-interessi tiegħi, imma tal-ħafna biex isalvaw. Ixbhu lili, bħalma jien nixbah lil Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej .

Gospel   -  Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,  touched him, and said to him,  "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest  and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. This is the Word of The Lord. 

Evanġelju   -  Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mark 1, 40-45  

F’dak iż-żmien, resaq fuq Ġesù wieħed lebbruż jitolbu bil-ħerqa, inxteħet għarkupptejh quddiemu u qallu: “Jekk trid, tista’ tfejjaqni!”. Imqanqal mill-ħniena, Ġesù medd idu fuqu, messu u qallu: “Irrid, kun imnaddaf!”. U minnufih il-lebbra marritlu u ġismu ndaf. U widdbu bis-sħiħ, bagħtu malajr u qallu: “Qis li ma tgħid xejn lil ħadd; iżda mur uri ruħek lill-qassis, u agħmel offerta għall-fejqan tiegħek kif ordna Mosè, biex tkunilhom ta’ xhieda”. Iżda dak, meta telaq, beda jxandar ma’ kullimkien u jxerred l-aħbar, hekk li Ġesù f’ebda belt ma sata’ iżjed jidħol bid-dieher, imma kien jibqa’ barra fil-kampanja u kienu jmorru ħdejh nies minn kullimkien.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Let Us Not Fear the Sepulchres of This Earth

A commentary b y Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The first reading for this Sunday outlines the harsh laws for people with skin diseases usually labeled correctly or incorrectly as a form of leprosy (Leviticus 13:1-2; 44-46).

Throughout history, few diseases have been as dreaded as the horrible affliction known as leprosy. It was so common and severe among ancient peoples that God gave Moses extensive instructions to deal with it as evidenced in chapters 13 and 14 from Leviticus. The belief that only God could heal leprosy is key to understanding Sunday's miracle that proves Jesus' identity.

Leprosy in the Bible appears in two principle forms. Both start with discoloration of a patch of skin. The disease becomes systemic and involves the internal organs as well as the skin. Marked deformity of the hands and feet occur when the tissues between the bones deteriorate and disappear.

In Jesus' time, lepers were forced to exist outside the community, separated from family and friends and thus deprived of the experience of any form of human interaction. We read in Leviticus 13:45-46 that lepers were to wear torn clothes, let their hair be disheveled, and live outside the camp. These homeless individuals were to cry "Unclean, unclean!" when a person without leprosy approached them. Lepers suffered both the disease and ostracism from society. In the end, both realities destroy their victims' lives. One may indeed wonder which was worse: the social ostracism experienced or the devastating skin lesions.

Mark 1:40 tells us that the leper appears abruptly in front of Jesus: "begging him and kneeling before him." The news about Jesus' miraculous powers has gotten around, even to the reviled and outcast leper. "If you choose, you can make me clean," the leper tells Jesus. In even approaching Jesus, the leper has violated the Levitical code. By saying, "If you choose, you can make me clean," the leper not only indicates his absolute faith in Jesus' ability to cleanse him of his disease, but also actually challenges Jesus to act. In the ancient Mediterranean world, touching a leper was a radical act. By touching the reviled outcast, Jesus openly defied Levitical law. Only a priest could declare that someone was cured of the skin disease. As required by ancient law, Jesus sent the man to a priest for verification. Even though Jesus asked him not to, the man went about telling everyone of this great miracle.

My encounter with lepers

I had never encountered leprosy until I was pursuing my graduate studies in Scripture in the Holy Land. In 1992, I was invited by the Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart to come down to Egypt from Jerusalem and spend several weeks teaching and preaching Scripture -- first in Cairo, then down (or up!) the Nile River into Upper Egypt. We visited many of the very poor Christian villages where the sisters and other religious worked among the poorest of the poor. That journey remains engraved in my memory, for the remarkable women religious encountered along the way, and for the horrible human situations of suffering that we witnessed.

When we arrived in one of the Egyptian villages along the Nile, one of the sisters took me outside the central part of town, to an area where lepers and severely handicapped people were kept, in chains, in underground areas hidden away from civilization. It was like entering tombs of the living dead. Their lot was worse than animals. The stench was overpowering, the misery shocking, the suffering incredible.

I descended into several hovels, blessed the people with my best Arabic and said some prayers with each person. The sister accompanying me said: "Simply touch them. You have no idea what the touch means, when they are kept as animals and monsters."

I laid hands on many of these women and men and touched their disfigured faces and bodies. Tears streamed down my face as the women and men and several children shrieked at first then wept openly. They reached out to hug and embrace me. Then we all shared bottles of Coca Cola! Those unforgettable days, deep in the heart of Egypt, taught me what the social and physical condition of lepers must have been at the time of Jesus. There was not much difference between then and now.

As we read the story of Jesus among the outcasts, let us recall with gratitude the lives of three remarkable people in our Catholic tradition who worked with lepers and dared to touch and embrace those who were afflicted with that debilitating disease. First, Saint Joseph DeVeuster, (known as Father Damien of Molokai) born in Belgium 1840. He entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and became a missionary to the Hawaiian Islands. After nine years of priestly work, he obtained permission to labour among the abandoned lepers on Molokai. He descended into the lepers' colony of Molokai -- then considered "the cemetery and hell of the living" -- and from the first sermon embraced all those unfortunate people saying simply: "We lepers." And to the first sick person who said, "Be careful, Father, you might get my disease" he replied, "I am my own, if the sickness takes my body away God will give me another one." Becoming a leper himself in 1885, he died in 1889, a victim of his charity for others. In 2009, he was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI.

Second, Saint Sister Marianne Cope (1838–1918), mother to Molokai lepers. In the 1880s, as superior of her congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse, she responded to a call to assist with the care of lepers on the island of Molokai. She worked with Fr Damien and with the outcasts of society as they were abandoned on the shores of the island, never to return to their families. In the late 19th and early 20th century, about 10% of the people with leprosy on Molokai and the Peninsula of Kalaupapa were Buddhists. Many practiced the native, indigenous religions of the Polynesian Islands. Some were Protestant and some were Catholic. Sister Marianne loved them all and showed her selfless compassion to those suffering disease and today people of all religions of the islands still honour and revere both Fr Damien and Mother Marianne who brought healing to body and soul.

Be not afraid

Finally, let us recall with gratitude Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), who was never afraid to see and touch the face of Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa wrote:

"The fullness of our heart becomes visible in our actions: how I behave with this leper, how I behave with this dying person, how I behave with this homeless person. Sometimes, it is more difficult to work with down-and-outs than with the people who are dying in our hospices, for the latter are at peace, waiting to go to God soon.

"You can draw near to the sick person, to the leper, and be convinced that you are touching the body of Christ. But when it is a drunk person yelling, it is more difficult to think that you are face-to-face with Jesus hidden in him. How pure and loving must our hands be in order to show compassion for those beings!

"To see Jesus in the spiritually most deprived person requires a pure heart. The more disfigured the image of God is in a person, the greater must our faith and our veneration be in our search for the face of Jesus and in our ministry of love for him."

Most people will never encounter lepers. Nor will we know what it means to be completely ostracized by society. But there are other forms of leprosy today, which destroy human beings, kill their hope and spirit, and isolate them from society. Who are the modern lepers in our lives, suffering with physical diseases that stigmatize, isolate and shun, and cut others off from the land of the living? What are the social conditions today that force people to become the living dead, relegating them to cemeteries and dungeons of profound indignity, poverty, despair, isolation, violence, sadness, depression, homelessness, addiction and mental illness?

Let us not fear the sepulchers of this earth. Let us enter those hovels and bring a word of consolation and a gesture of healing to others. In the words of Saint Teresa of Calcutta: "Let us do so with a sense of profound gratitude and with piety. Our love and our joy in serving must be in proportion to the degree to which our task is repugnant."

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Healing the fevers of life

 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 74

Il-Hames Hadd taz-Zmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1        Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope.Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI I      Qari mill-Ktieb ta’ Gob 7, 1-4.6-7 
Gob tkellem u qal: “Hajjet il-bniedem mhix forsi xoghol bilfors fuq l-art? U ghomru mhux bhal jiem il-haddiem mikri? Bhalma lsir jixxennaq ghad-dell, u bhalma l-mikri jistenna l-hlas, hekk xhur fiergha kienu sehmi, u ljieli dwejjaq messew lili. Jekk nimtedd, nghid: ‘Meta se nqum?’. u meta nqum, nghid: ‘Meta se jidlam?’. u hekk nixba’ nhewden sa ma jidlam. Ehfef minn mekkuk ghaddew jiemi, u bla tama ntemmu. Ftakar li hajti buffura rih, u ghajnejja ma jergghux jaraw ir-rizq”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

 Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. 

SALM RESPONSORJALI              Salm 146 (147), 1-2.3-4.5-6

 Fahhru l-Mulej, ghax tajjeb li tghanni lil Alla taghna;
ghax helu u xieraq it-tifhir tieghu.
Jibni ’l Gerusalemm il-Mulej,
jigma’ l-imxerrdin ta’ Izrael. 
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Hu jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma,
hu jorbot il-?rie?i tag?hom.
Hu jg?odd in-numru tal-kwiekeb;
kollha jsej?ilhom b’isimhom.
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Kbir Sidna l-Mulej, u ta’ qawwa kbira;
bla tarf id-dehen tieghu.
Jerfa’ l-imsejknin il-Mulej,
u jnizzel sal-art il-hziena. 
R/.: Fahhru l-Mulej, li jfejjaq il-qlub maqsuma

Reading 2             1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters: If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, or an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. This is the Word of the Lord.

QARI II       Qari mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 9: 16-19.22-23

Huti, jekk jiena nxandar l-Evangelju ma ghandix biex niftahar; jien obbligat naghmlu dan. Hazin ghalija jekk ma nxandarx l-Evangelju! Jekk dan naghmlu minn rajja, ikolli dritt ghall-hlas; imma jekk naghmlu ghax obbligat, dan ifisser li qieghed naghmel ix-xoghol li Alla fdali f’idejja. X’inhu mela l-hlas tieghi? Li meta nxandar l-Evangelju, inxandru b’xejn, bla ma nfittex id-dritt li jaghtini l-Evangelju stess. Ghax ghad li ma jiena marbut ma’ hadd, jien ghamilt lili nnifsi lsir ta’ kulhadd biex nirbah lil hafna. Sirt dghajjef mad-dghajfin, biex nirbah id-dghajfin. Sirt kollox ma’ kulhadd, biex insalva lil kulhadd. Naghmel dan kollu minhabba l-Evanhelju biex ikolli sehem minnu.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel        Mark 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue  Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you."He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come. "So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee. This is the Word of the Lord.

EVANGELJU      Qari mill-Evangelju skont San Mark 1, 29-39

 F’dak iz-zmien, Gesù u d-dixxipli hargu mis-sinagoga u baqghu sejrin ma’ Gakbu u Gwanni ghand Xmun u Indrì. Issa omm il-mara ta’ Xmun kienet fis-sodda bid-deni, u malajr qalulu biha. Resaq lejha, qabadha minn idha u qajjimha. U d-deni hallieha, u bdiet isservihom.  Filghaxija, imbaghad, fi nzul ix-xemx, hadulu quddiemu lil dawk kollha li kienu morda jew li kienu mahkuma mix-xitan. U quddiem il-bieb ingabret il-belt bi hgarha. U fejjaq hafna morda minn kull xorta ta’ mard, u hareg ghadd kbir ta’ xjaten li hu ma kienx ihallihom jitkellmu, ghax huma kienu jafu min kien. L-ghada filghodu kmieni, qabel ma zernaq, qam, hareg u mar f’post imwarrab u qaghad hemm jitlob. Xmun u shabu l-ohrajn marru jfittxuh. Kif sabuh, qalulu: “Kulhadd jistaqsi ghalik”. U qalilhom: “Ejjew immorru band’ohra, fl-irhula tal-qrib, halli nippriedka hemmhekk ukoll, ghax ghalhekk hrigt”. U dar il-Galilija kollha, jippriedka fis-sinagogi taghhom u johrog ix-xjaten. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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  Healing the Fevers of Life

Commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The centerpiece of the stone ruins of the village of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee's northwest shore is the black octagonal Church of the Panis Vitae (Bread of Life), built directly above what is believed to be Simon Peter's house, the setting for today's Gospel story [Mark 1:29-39]. One of my mentors and teachers, the late Passionist Father Carroll Stuhlmueller, once told me that the real centerpiece of Capernaum should be a huge memorial statue dedicated to the mothers-in-law of the world!

Try for a moment just to imagine the setting of this day in the life of Jesus. The newly constituted group of disciples who had left their nets, boats, hired servants, and even their father, to follow the Lord [1:16-20] are delighted in his presence. Jesus' words and actions completely overpower evil. His personality is so compelling and attractive. Leaving the synagogue where an evil spirit has been overcome, Jesus and his disciples walk only a few feet before encountering further evils of human sickness, prejudice and taboo. We read: "The whole city gathered together about the door" [1:33-34]. What a commotion!

In Mark's Gospel, the very first healing by Jesus involves a woman. He approaches Simon's mother-in-law as she lay in bed with fever. He takes her by the hand and raises her to health [1:31]. Such actions were unacceptable for any man -- let alone someone who claimed to be a religious figure or leader. Not only does he touch the sick woman, but also he then allows her to serve him and his disciples. Because of the strict laws of ritual purity at that time, Jesus broke this taboo by taking her by the hand, raising her to health, and allowing her to serve him at table.

Peter's mother-in-law's response to the healing of Jesus is the discipleship of lowly service, a model to which Jesus will repeatedly invite his followers to embrace throughout the Gospel and which he models through his own life. Some will say that the purpose of today's Gospel story is to remind us that this woman's place is in the home. That is not the purpose of the story. The mother-in-law's action is in sharp contrast to that of her son-in-law, Simon, who calls to Jesus' attention the crowd that is clamoring for more healings [1:37] but does nothing, himself, about them.

In Mark's Gospel stories of the poor widow [12:41-44], the woman with the ointment [14:3-9], the women at the cross [15:40-41], and the women at the tomb [16:1], women represent the correct response to Jesus' invitation to discipleship. They stand in sharp contrast to the great insensitivity and misunderstanding of the male disciples. The presence of Jesus brings wholeness, holiness and dignity to women. How often do our hurtful, human customs prevent people from truly experiencing wholeness, holiness and dignity?

Job's test  - Our test?

In the Old Testament reading from Job [7:1-7], Job doesn’t know it yet, but he is part of a “test” designed between Satan and God. Prior to next Sunday’s verses, Job has endured immense suffering and loss. He knows that the shallow theological explanations of his friends are not God’s ways; but still, he is at a loss to understand his own suffering. Job complains of hard labor, sleepless nights, a dreadful disease and the brevity of his hopeless life. For Job, all of life is a terrible fever! How often do we experience “Job” moments in our own life as our fevers burn away?

The healing of Simon's mother-in-law proclaims Jesus' power to heal all sorts of fevers. Around the year 400 A.D., St. Jerome preached on today's Gospel text in Bethlehem: "O that he would come to our house and enter and heal the fever of our sins by his command. For each and every one of us suffers from fever. When I grow angry, I am feverish. So many vices, so many fevers. But let us ask the apostles to call upon Jesus to come to us and touch our hand, for if he touches our hand, at once the fever flees" ["Corpus Christianorum," LXXVIII 468].

With Jesus, healing of mind and body becomes a clear sign that the Kingdom of God is already present. Jesus' healing Word of power reaches the whole person: it heals the body and even more important, it restores those who suffer to a healthy relationship with God and with the community.

May we pray with confidence the words of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s Sermon on Wisdom and Innocence: "May he support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last."

Finally, it is important to recognize what Jesus did after he healed the woman in Sunday’s story. He took time away to strengthen himself through prayer. Do we do the same in the midst of our busy worlds in which we live, in the midst of the burning fevers of life and the burdens of our daily work?

May these first moments of Jesus' ministry in Mark’s Gospel teach us to recognize the goodness which God brings into our lives, but also that this goodness is not ours to horde for ourselves. The healing power of Jesus is still effective today -- reaching out to us to heal us and restore us to life.

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