The Ways of the Lord

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

L-24 Ħadd matul is-Sena     

Messalin B pp 463

Reading 1          

Isaiah 50:5-9a

The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled,  have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let that man confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? This is the Word of the Lord

L-Ewwel Qari

mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 50, 5-9a

Sidi l-Mulej fetaħli widinti, u jiena ma webbistx rasi, ma rġajtx lura. Tajt dahri lil dawk li jkunu jsawtuni, ħaddejja lil dawk li kienu jnittfuli lħiti; ma ħbejtx wiċċi mit-tagħjir u l-bżieq. Sidi l-Mulej jgħinni, għalhekk ma nitħawwadx; għalhekk għamilt wiċċi bħaż-żnied; jien naf li ma jkollix mniex nistħi. Dak li jagħmel ġustizzja miegħi jinsab fil-qrib. Min  se jeħodha miegħi? Ħa noqogħdu  għall-ħaqq flimkien! Min hu kontra tiegħi?  Ħa jersaq lejja! Ara, Sidi l-Mulej jgħinni: min se jagħtini tort? Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm          

Psalm 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

                     

R. (9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
Because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.                                    R/  

The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
And I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"                          R/

Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.                  R/

For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.                           R/

Salm Responsorjali                                                                          

Salm 114  (116)

R/    Jien nimxi quddiem il-Mulej, f'art il-ħajjin.

Inħobb il-Mulej,

għax sama' leħen it-tħannin tiegħi;

għaliex hu tani  widen

fil-jum li fih sejjaħtlu.                     R/

Il-ħbula tal-mewt dawruni,

irbit tal-imwiet ħakimni;

fin-niket u l-hemm sibt ruħi.

Imma isem il-Mulej sejjaħt:

"Mulej, nitolbok, salvani!"                R/

Ħanin  il-Mulej, u ġust;

Twajjeb hu Alla tagħna.

Iħares id-dgħajfa l-Mulej;

jien kont magħkus, u hu ħelisni.       R/

Għax  mill-mewt ħelisli 'l ħajti,

lil għajnejja mid-dmugħ,

u 'l riġlejja mit-tfixkil.

Jien nimxi quddiem il-Mulej f'art il-ħajjin.       R/

Reading 2                  

James 2:14-18

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear  and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, " but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.This is the Word of the Lord

It-Tieni Qari

mill-Ittra ta' San Ġakbu Appostlu, 2, 14-18

X'jiswa, ħuti, li wieħed igħid li għandu l-fidi, jekk ma  jurihiex fl-egħmil tiegħu?  Jaqaw  tista' ssalvah din il-fidi? Jekk ħuk, jew oħtok, ma jkollhomx x'jilbsu u jonqoshom l-ikel ta' kuljum, u wieħed innkom igħidilhom,  'Morru bis-sliem, isħnu u kulu sa tixbgħu, 'bla ma jagħtihom dak li hu meħtieġ   għall-ġisem, dan x'jiswa'?  Hekk ukoll il-fidi:  jekk tkun weidha u ma  jkollhiex l-għemil, tkun mejta fiha nnifisha. Imma xi ħadd jista' jgħid, "Inti għandek il-fidi u jiena l-għemil." Urini l-fidi tiegħek mingħajr l-għemil, u jien nurik il-fidi tiegħi  mill-għemil tiegħi. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                     

Mark 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said to him in reply, "You are the Christ." Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."  This is the Word of the Lord

L-Evanġelju

Qari skont San Mark 8, 27-35

F'dak iż-żmien,   telaq Ġesu' flimkien mad-dixxipli tiegħu lejn  l-irħula ta' Ċesarija ta' Filippu. Huma u mexjin, lid-dixxipli tiegħu  għamlilhom din il-mistoqsija: "Min igħidu n-nies li jien?" Weġbuh u qalulu:  "Ġwanni l-Battista; oħrajn, Elija; u oħrajn, wieħed mill-profeti."   Staqsiehom: "Imma intom,  min tgħidu li jien?"  Qabeż Pietru u qallu:  "Inti l-Messija."    Imbagħad ordnalhom ħafna  biex ma jitkellmu ma' ħadd fuqu. U beda jgħallimhom fuq li kien meħtieġ li Bin il-bniedem ibati ħafna, ikun miċħud mix-xjuħ u mill-qassisin il-kbar u l-kittieba, joqtluh, u  wara tlitt ijiem jerġa jqum.  Fuq dan kellimhom ċar. Pietru ġibdu lejh u beda jlumu.   Iżda hu dar iħares lejn id-dixxipli tiegħu, u ċanfar lil Pietru u qallu:  "Itlaq minn quddiemi, ja xitan, għax mintix taħseb  fil-ħwejjeġ ta' Alla, imma f'dawk tal-bnedmin!"    Sejjaħ lejh in-nies flimkien mad-dixxipli tiegħu u qalilhom: "Jekk xi ħadd irid jiġi warajja, għandu jiċħad lilu nnifsu, jerfa' salibu, u  jimxi warajja. Għax min irid isalva ħajtu, jitlifha;  imma min  jitlef ħajtu għall-imħabba tiegħi u tal-Evanġelju, isalvaha. "Għax x'jiswielu l-bniedem jekk jikseb id-dinja kollha u  mbagħad jitlef ħajtu?"  Il-Kelma ta' Mulej

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Affirmation, Identity and Purpose of Jesus' Mission

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Sunday's Gospel story (Mark 8:27-35) is about affirmation, identity and purpose of Jesus' mission. Mark makes this episode the centerpiece of his gospel. It comes immediately after Jesus' healing of the blind man of Bethsaida.  This restoration of sight must surely set the scene for Peter's confession of faith and the glorious moment of the Transfiguration. Jesus' nature is now gradually revealed to the disciples. Their blindness is cured but they still do not understand the full meaning of what they see. From this point on, everything in Mark's gospel moves toward the crucifixion.

If there was ever a "turning point" in Mark's account of Jesus' public ministry, it is this story. During my graduate studies in Israel in the 1990s, I had the privilege of working closely with the Israeli archeological team on the excavations in Caesarea Philippi, now known as "Banias" referring back to "Paneas" or the Greek god Pan. Sexual excess and violence ran rampant in this center for the worship of the Greek god Pan. At the time of Jesus, a fertility cult was thriving in this pagan temple on the northern border of Israel and Syria at the foot of majestic Mount Hermon. Jesus and his disciples entered the area of Caesarea Philippi as part of a long journey from their familiar surroundings.

Caesarea Philippi had been built by Philip, another generation of the Herodian family, and it was a garrison town for the Roman army. Here in this center of pagan worship Jesus asks about their understanding of his identity. Jesus asks what people are saying about him. How do they see his work? Who is he in their minds? Probably taken aback by the question, the disciples dredge their memories for overheard remarks, past conversations, opinions and gossip circulating in the fishing towns of the lake area. Jesus himself is aware of some of what is being said and knows only too well the hurtful attitudes of his own townsfolk of Nazareth.

In response to Jesus' question, the disciples list a whole series of labels that people have applied to Jesus. These names reveal the different expectations held about him. Some thought of him as an Elijah, working toward a real confrontation with the powers that be. Some saw him more like Jeremiah, no less vehement but concentrating more on the inner journey, the private side of life.

Jesus pursues the question further -- "What do you say?" and Peter responds, "You are the Messiah" of the one true God. Jesus acknowledges this identification but forbids them from making his messianic role known to avoid confusing it with ambiguous contemporary ideas associated with that title. Then Jesus goes on to say, somewhat enigmatically, that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again.

The concept of Messiah in Judaism

There was no single concept of "Messiah" in Judaism. The idea of Messiah, "anointed one", as an ideal king descended from David is the earliest known to us, but in the Maccabaean period (163-63 B.C.) the Greek Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs give evidence of belief in a Messiah from the tribe of Levi, to which the Maccabaean family belonged. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain various ideas: a priestly Messiah and the (lay) Messiah of Israel; a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18-19) who is also the star coming out of Jacob (Numbers 23:15-17); but also the Davidic Messiah. Melchizedek is a deliverer also, but is not called Messiah.

To proclaim Jesus as the Messiah was a loaded and dangerous statement. It was all that Jesus' enemies needed to use against him, and already there were many who were ready to enlist under the banner of a royal pretender. But, far more than this, such a role was not Jesus' destiny. He would not and could not be that kind of militaristic or political Messiah.

Following Jesus today

Jesus words at the end of Sunday's Gospel "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it." [vv. 34-35] challenge all believers to authentic discipleship and total commitment to himself through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself. The way of the Cross was not for Jesus alone but also for everyone who professed to follow him. There might be victory and glory ahead, but it was only for those who could take up the Cross. If Peter or anyone else should reject this demand it meant to be on the side of Satan. Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life.