We must observe the Covenant

Third Sunday of Lent   2018

It-3 Ħadd tar-Randan

Messalin B pp 154

Reading 1       -      Exodus 20:1-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments: "I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain. "Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him." This is the Word of the |Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari  -   mill-Ktieb ta' l-Eżodu 20, 1-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Alla tkellem u qal dan kollu lill-poplu: "Jiena hu l-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, li ħriġtek mill-art tal-Eġittu, minn dar il-jasar.  Ma jkollokx allat oħra għajri. La tagħmilx għalik suriet minquxa u ebda xbieha ta' ebda  ħaġa li hemm fil-għoli tas-sema, jew isfel fl-art, jew fil-baħar taħt l-art.   La tmilx quddiemhom: la tadurahom għaliex jiena  hu l-Mulej Alla tiegħek, Alla għajjur, li npatti l-ħażen  tal-missirijiet fuq l-ulied sat-tielet u r-raba' ġenerazzjoni lil dawk li jobogħduni; imma nagħder sa l-elf nisel lil min iħobbni u jżomm  il-kmandamenti tiegħi. La ssemmiex l-isem tal-Mulej,  Alla tiegħek, fix-xejn; għaliex lil min isemmi l-isem tiegħu fix-xejn, il-Mulej ma jħalliħx bla kastig. Ftakar f'jum is-Sibt u qaddsu. Sitt ijiem taħdem u tagħmel kull ma għandek tagħmel; imma s-seba' jum hu jum il-mistrieħ  f'ġieħ lill-Mulej,  Alla tiegħek. Dak il-jum ma tagħmel ebda xogħol, int, ibnek, il-qaddej u l-qaddejja tiegħek, il-bhejjem tiegħek, u l-barrani li jkun ġewwa bwiebek.  Għax f'sitt ijiem il-Mulej għamel  is-smewwiet u  l-art; il-baħar u kull ma hemm fihom, u strieħ fis-seba' jum. Għalhekk  il-Mulej bierek is-seba' jum u qaddsu.)  Weġġaħ lil-missierek u lil ommok, sabiex jitkattru jiemek fuq  l-art li l-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, jagħtik. La toqtolx.La tagħmilx adulterju. La tisraqx. La tagħtix xhieda  giddieba kontra għajrek. La tixtieqx dar għajrek: la tixtieqx il-mara ta' għajrek, il-qaddej jew il-qaddejja tiegħu,  il-għoġol jew il-ħmar tiegħu, u xejn minn kull ma għandu għajrek." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm      -        PSALM 19:8, 9, 10, 11

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.                               ..

R. (John 6:68c)lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.                                         

R. (John 6:68c)lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.                                     

R. (John 6:68c)lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

 
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.                                   

R. (John 6:68c)lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Salm Responsorjali    -   Salm 18 (19)

l-liġi tal-Mulej perfetta,

tagħti l-ħajja;

ix-xhieda tal-Mulej hi sewwa,

u tgħallem lil min ma jafx.                      

R/  Mulej, int għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta' dejjem.

Il-preċetti tal-Mulej dritti,

u iferrħu l-qalb;

il-kmandament tal-Mulej safi,

u jdawwal il-għajnejn.                           

R/  Mulej, int għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta' dejjem.

Il-biża'  tal-Mulej sinċier,

u jibqa' għal dejjem;

il-ġudizzji tal-Mulej sewwa,

u mseddqa għal kollox.              

R/  Mulej, int għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta' dejjem.

Huma egħżeż mid-deheb,

mid-deheb l-aktar  fin,

oħla mill-għasel

u mill-qtar tax-xehda.                            

R/  Mulej, int għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta' dejjem.

Reading 2       -      1 CORINTHIANS 1:22-25

Brothers and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, bt we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. This is the Word of the |Lord.

It-Tieni Qari    -   mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 1, 22-25

Ħuti,   il-Lhud jitolbu s-sinjali, u l-Griegi jfittxu l-għerf, imma aħna nxandru Kristu msallab, skandlu għal-Lhud u bluha għall-Griegi; iżda għal dawk li huma msejħin, sew Lhud sew Griegi, Kristu huwa l-qawwa ta' Alla u l-għerf ta' Alla. Għax il-bluha ta' Alla hija għarfa aktar mill-bnedmin, u d-dgħufija ta' Alla hi aqwa mill-bnedmin. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                         -           John 2:13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there.  He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,  and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well. This is the Word of the |Lord.

L-Evanġelju  -   Qari skond San Ġwann 2, 13-25

Kien qorob l-Għid tal-Lud, u Ġesu' tela' Ġerusalemm. Fit-Tempju sab min qiegħed ibigħ barrin, nagħaġ u ħamiem, u min kien bilqiegħda jsarraf il-flus. Għamel sawt mill-ħbula, u keċċiehom ilkoll 'il barra mit-tempju, bin-ngħaġ u l-barrin tagħhom; xerred il-flus ta' dawk li kienu jsarrfu, u qalbilhom l-imwejjed. U lill-bejjiegħa tal-ħamiem qalilhom: "Warrbu dawn minn hawn, u dar  Missieri tagħmluhiex dar tan-negpzju!." Id-dixxipli ftakru f'dak li kien hemm miktub fl-Iskrittura:  "Il-ħeġġa għal darek fnietni". Imbagħad il-Lhud qabdu u qalulu:  "X'sinjal se  turina liinti tista' tagħmel dan?" Ġesu' wieġibhom:  "Ħottu dan it-Tempju, u fi tlitt ijiem nerġa' ntellgħu."   Għalhekk il-Lhud qalulu:  "Dan it-Tempju ħa sitta u erbgħin sena biex inbena, u int se ttellgħu fi tlitt ijiem?" Iżda hu tkellem fuq it-tempju tal-ġisem tiegħu. Meta mbagħad qam mill-imwiet, id-dixxipli ftakru f'dak li kien qal; u emmnu fl-Iskrittura u fil-kliem li kien qal Ġesu'. Waqt li kien Ġerusalem għall-festa tal-Għid, kien hemm ħafna li emmnu f'ismu billi raw is-sinjali li kien jagħmel.  Imma Ġesu', min-naħa tiegħu, ma kienx jafda fihom, għax hu kien jaf  lil  kulħadd u ma kellux bżonn min jagħtih xhieda fuq il-bniedem, għax hu stess kien jaf x'hemm fil-bniedem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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 A Burning Love for the Father’s House

A commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

In the Scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Lent (Year B), I would like to focus our reflection on two powerful images present in the texts: that of Jesus purifying Jerusalem's Temple, and St. Paul's message of the cross of Jesus Christ. Both the purifying action of Jesus and Paul's understanding of the cross can be of tremendous help to us as we grow in our knowledge and love of Jesus Christ this Lenten season.

John's account of Jesus' cleansing of the temple is in sharp contrast to the other Gospel accounts of this dramatic story. In the Synoptic Gospels, this scene takes place at the end of the "Palm Sunday Procession" into the holy city. With the people shouting out in triumph, Jesus entered into the temple area, not to do homage but to challenge the temple and its leaders. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and upset the stalls of those selling birds and animals for the sacrifice. What a teaching moment this was! Jesus quoted from the Scriptures: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations ... but you have made it a den of robbers" (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:6-7, Jeremiah 7:11).

In the Fourth Gospel, the cleansing of the temple takes place at the beginning of Jesus' ministry and not at the beginning of the events of the last days of Jesus' life. The startling words and actions of Jesus in the temple, whether they are from the Synoptic accounts or John's account, took on new meaning for later generations of Christians. "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" The temple was not a commercial center or shopping mall but rather a holy place of the Father. Like the prophets before him, Jesus tried to awaken the hearts of his people.

Jesus' disciples recall him saying in the temple the words of Psalm 68:10: "Zeal for your house will consume me." I have often understood this verse to mean: "I am filled with a burning love for your house." When the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans, and both Jews and Christians grieved at its loss, the followers of Jesus recalled this incident in the temple. Now they could see new meaning in it; it was a sign that the old temple was finished but a new temple was to be built. This new temple would not be of stone and wood and gold. It would be a living temple of holy people (I Peter 2:4-6; Ephesians 2:19-22).

Extreme Jesus

One intriguing aspect of today's Gospel story is the portrait of an angry Jesus in the temple-cleansing scene that gives way to two extremes in our own image of the Lord. Some people wish to transform an otherwise passive Christ into a whip-cracking revolutionary.

Others would like to excise any human qualities of Jesus and paint a very meek, bland character, who smiled, kept silent and never rocked the boat. The errors of the old extreme, however, do not justify a new extremism.

Jesus was not exclusively, not even primarily, concerned with social reform. Rather, he was filled with a deep devotion and burning love for his Father and the things of his Father. He wanted to form new people, created in God's image, who are sustained by his love, and bring that love to others. Jesus' disciples and apostles recognized him as a passionate figure -- one who was committed to life and to losing it for the sake of truth and fidelity. Have we given in to these extremes in our own understanding of and relationship with Jesus? Are we passionate about anything in our lives today? Are we filled with a deep and burning love for the things of God and for his Son, Jesus?

Message of the cross

In writing to the people of Corinth, Paul was addressing numerous disorders and scandals that were present. True communion and unity were threatened by groups and internal divisions that seriously compromised the unity of the Body of Christ. Rather than appealing to complex theological or philosophical words of wisdom to resolve the difficulties, Paul announces Christ to this community: Christ crucified. Paul's strength is not found in persuasive language, but rather, paradoxically, in the weakness of one who trusts only in the "power of God" (I Corinthians 2:1-4).

In St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (1:18, 22-25), we hear about "the message of the cross that is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." For St. Paul, the cross represents the center of his theology: To say cross means to say salvation as grace given to every creature.

Paul's simple message of the cross is scandal and foolishness. He states this strongly with the words: "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. It was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles."

The "scandal" and the "foolishness" of the cross are precisely in the fact that where there seems to be only failure, sorrow and defeat, precisely there, is all the power of the boundless love of God. The cross is the expression of love and love is the true power that is revealed precisely in this seeming weakness.

St. Paul has experienced this even in his own flesh, and he gives us testimony of this in various passages of his spiritual journey, which have become important points of departure for every disciple of Jesus: "He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Corinthians 12:9); and even "God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something" (1 Corinthians 1:28).

The Apostle to the Gentiles identifies himself to such a degree with Christ that he also, even in the midst of so many trials, lives in the faith of the Son of God who loved him and gave himself up for his sins and those of everyone (cf. Galatians 1:4; 2:20).

Today, as we contemplate Jesus' burning love for the things of his Father, and the saving mystery of his cross, let us pray these words:

O God, whose foolishness is wise and whose weakness is strong, by the working of your grace in the disciplines of Lent cleanse the temple of your Church and purify the sanctuary of our hearts. May we be filled with a burning love for your house, and may obedience to your commandments absorb and surround us along this Lenten journey. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the man of the cross, your power and your wisdom, the Lord who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.        /////////////////////////////////////////