To be blameless in holiness before our God and Father

Lectionary: 3

L-Ewwel Ħadd tal-Avvent

Reading 1     =   JERemiah 33:14-16

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise  I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time,  I will raise up for David a just shoot ;  he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe  and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;  this is what they shall call her:  “The LORD our justice.”  This is the Word of the Lord.

 Qari I  =  mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġeremija 33, 14-16

Ara, għad jiġu jiem – oraklu tal-Mulej – meta nġib fuq dar Iżrael u dar Ġuda l-ġid li wegħedthom. F’dawk il-jiem u f’dak iż-żmien intalla’ min-nisel ta’ David rimja tas-sewwa, bniedem li jagħmel il-ġustizzja u s-sewwa fil-pajjiż. F’dawk il-jiem Ġuda jinħeles u Ġerusalemm tgħammar b’moħħha mistrieħ, u għalhekk isejħulha: Il-Mulej is-sewwa tagħna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm    =   PSalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

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,
and for you I wait all the day. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction. 
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Salm Responsorjali     =   SALM 24 (25), 4bċ-5ab. 8-9.10.14

R/. (1b): Lejk jien nerfa’ ruħi, Mulej

Triqatek, Mulej, għarrafni,

il-mogħdijiet tiegħek għallimni.

Mexxini fis-sewwa tiegħek u għallimni,

għax int Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi. R/.

Tajjeb u sewwa l-Mulej;

għalhekk juri triqtu lill-ħatja.

Imexxi l-imsejkna fis-sewwa,

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

Il-mogħdijiet tal-Mulej kollhom tjieba u fedeltà

għal min iħares il-patt u l-liġijiet tiegħu.

Midħla l-Mulej ta’ dawk li jibżgħu minnu,

lilhom jgħarraf il-patt tiegħu.        R/.

Reading 2    =    1 THESsalonians 3:12—4:2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you,  so as to strengthen your hearts,  to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father  at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. Finally, brothers and sisters, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us  how you should conduct yourselves to please God and as you are conducting yourselves you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I   =   mill-1 Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 3, 12 – 4, 2

Ħuti, jalla l-Mulej ikattrilkom u jfawwarkom bl-imħabba għal xulxin u lejn kulħadd, l-istess bħalma aħna nħobbu lilkom, ħalli jqawwilkom qalbkom u jkollkom qdusija bla għajb quddiem Alla, Missierna, għal meta jiġi Sidna Ġesù mdawwar bil-qaddisin tiegħu. Fl-aħħar, ħuti, intom tgħallimtu mingħandna kif għandkom timxu biex togħġbu lil Alla, kif tabilħaqq qegħdin iġġibu ruħkom; aħna f’Sidna Ġesù nitolbukom u nħeġġukom biex tagħmlu xi ħaġa iżjed. Tafu x’tagħlim tajniekom permezz ta’ Sidna Ġesù. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej     

      

Gospel       LuKe 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man  coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times  and pray that you have the strength  to escape the tribulations that are imminent  and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Evanġelju  =  Qari skont San Luqa 21, 25-28.34-36

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Ikun hemm sinjali fix-xemx u l-qamar u l-kwiekeb. Il-ġnus fuq l-art, b’qalbhom ittaqtaq, ma jafux x’jaqbdu jagħmlu minħabba l-ħsejjes tal-baħar u tal-imwieġ; in-nies ruħhom ħierġa bil-biża’ billi jobsru x’ikun ġej fuq id-dinja, għax il-qawwiet tas-smewwiet jitqallbu. Imbagħad jaraw lil Bin il-bniedem ġej fi sħaba, b’qawwa u glorja kbira. Meta jibda jseħħ dan kollu, qawwu qalbkom u erfgħu raskom, għax il-fidwa tagħkom hi fil-qrib. Oqogħdu attenti, u qisu li l-ikel u x-xorb żejjed u s-sokor ma jmewtulkomx qalbkom, u tħallux li l-ħafna tħassib għall-ħtiġiet tal-ħajja jeħdilkom raskom, li ma ssibuhx dak il-Jum fuqkom għal għarrieda. Għax hu Jum li għad jaqa’ bħal nassa fuq kull min jgħammar fuq wiċċ l-art kollha. Ishru, mela, u itolbu l-ħin kollu, biex tkunu tifilħu tgħaddu minn kulma għandu jiġri u tieqfu quddiem Bin il-bniedem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Those who watch for Christ

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Every now and then when the world seems to be falling apart and problems appear to be insurmountable, I recall with gratitude the heroes of the Velvet Revolution who helped to bring down the reign of Communism in November and December of 1989. I cherish the words of hope of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, during his days of imprisonment. Those words captivated the imagination of many people as we witnessed the Communist regime finally come to an end:

The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts is something we get, as it were, from “elsewhere.”

I also turn frequently to the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s section on “The Theological Virtues” and read the paragraphs on hope (#1817-1821) to find peace of mind and heart. I have been particularly struck by the thoughts found in #1818:

“The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.”

Day-to-day following of Jesus

Such thoughts are important for us as we enter the season of Advent with a bang – this year with a section from Luke’s chapter on the end times! In Sunday’s Gospel story (21:25-28, 34-36), we can see, hear, and feel Jesus’ eschatological discourse as contained in Mark 13. The actual destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, upon which Luke and his community look back in 21:20-24, provides the assurance that, just as Jesus’ prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction was fulfilled, so too will be his announcement of its final redemption (21:27-28).

The evangelist Luke has made some significant alterations to Mark’s description of the end times. Luke maintains the belief in an imminent end of the age but, by focusing attention throughout his Gospel on the importance of the day-to-day following of Jesus and by reinterpreting the meaning of certain signs of the end from Mark 13, he has come to terms with what seemed to the early Christian community to be a delay of the Parousia (Second Coming). In dealing with the persecution of the disciples (21:12-19) and the destruction of Jerusalem (21:20-24), Luke is pointing to eschatological signs that have already been fulfilled.

The central message of Christianity does not consist in knowing the exact details of the end of the world. As a matter of fact, there are very few specifics about the future in Jesus’ preaching other than that God is going to accomplish his purpose and he’s going to accomplish it through Jesus. Whenever my students ask me about the Second Coming, I always tell them that I suspect it’s going to be as big a surprise as the first coming was. It is in God’s hands. God will bring about his Kingdom in his own way and that is what is most important.

Blameless in holiness

In the second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (3:12-4:2), we encounter Paul trying to strengthen his Thessalonian converts in their new faith about twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. For Paul, an essential part of the Christian message was the Parousia, or the Second Coming. Without that event, the drama of salvation is incomplete. Paul believed that theParousia was imminent, but preparation was required. Paul asked two things of the early Christians: (1) an increase in mutual and universal love; and (2) the attainment of the Christian goal. This goal was holiness expressed in loving concern for one another. Holiness would be achieved through daily, ordinary acts of goodness, kindness, charity, and hope.

The work of Advent

Advent confronts us and wakes us from our stupor. What is the work of Advent for each of us this year? We are invited to quietly prepare our hearts and our lives for the coming of the ever-greater one in the flesh. For what or for whom are we waiting in life? What virtues or gifts are we praying to receive this year? What material things do we seek? The people, qualities, things we await give us great insights into who we are. Advent, far from being a penitential time or a time of despair, is a time of rejoicing in hope and a time of patient waiting. God knows how impatient we are as a people and as individuals. Nevertheless, patience is a blessed virtue for which we should pray during Advent.

Long ago St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote that almost everything about our Lord Jesus Christ is twofold:

He has two births: one from God before the ages, the other from the Virgin at the end of all ages. He has two comings: the one is hidden and resembles the falling of the dew upon a fleece; the other – the future one – on the contrary will be manifest. At his first coming, he was wrapped in linens and laid in a manger; at the second, light shall be his robe. In the first coming he endured the Cross, heedless of its shame; in his second coming he will be in glory surrounded by an army of angels. Let us therefore not stop at his first coming but look forward to the second. We hailed him at his first coming with the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” And we shall hail him in the same way at his second coming. For we shall go out to meet the Lord and his angels, and, prostrating ourselves before him, we shall cry, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

As Christians, we proclaim the coming of Christ – not just a first coming but another as well that will be far more glorious than the first. The first took place under the sign of patient suffering; the second, on the contrary, will see Christ wearing the crown of God’s kingdom. Advent teaches us that there are two ways of looking at history: one is sociological and the other is religious. The first,chronos, is essentially unredeemed and cyclic. The second, kairos, is redeemed by God in Christ Jesus and becomes the occasion of providence and sacrament.

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The Lord is King

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

King of the Universe
Lectionary: 161

Solennità ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu,

Sultan tal-Ħolqien Kollu

Reading 1

Daniel 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Danjel 7, 13-14

Billejl deherli qiegħed nara bħal iben ta’ bniedem, ġej mis-sħab tas-sema, li baqa’ sejjer sax-Xiħ fl-għomor u ressquh quddiemu. U tawh ħakma, ġieħ, u saltna, biex lilu jaqdi kull ġens, u poplu, u lsien. Ħakmietu ħakma għal dejjem li ma tgħaddix, u saltnatu li ma tinqeridx. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm

PSALM 93:1, 1-2, 5

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

Salm Responsorjali

Salm 92 (93) 1ab.1ċ-2.5

 R/. (1a): Il-Mulej isaltan; il-kobor libes

Il-Mulej isaltan; il-kobor libes,

libes il-Mulej u tħażżem bil-qawwa. R/.

Iżomm sħiħa d-dinja; qatt ma titħarrek.

Imwaqqaf it-tron tiegħek fis-sod minn dejjem;

minn dejjem ta’ dejjem int. R/.

            

Il-kmandamenti tiegħek ta’ min joqgħod fuqhom;

qdusija lil darek tixraq, Mulej,

sakemm itul iż-żmien. R/.

Reading 2

Revelations 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari II

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Apokalissi ta’ San Ġwann Appostlu 1, 5-8

Ġesù Kristu hu x-xhud fidil, il-Kbir fost il-mejtin, il-Prinċep tas-slaten tad-dinja. Lil Dak li ħabbna, u li ħallna minn dnubietna bis-saħħa ta’ demmu, u li għamilna saltna, qassisin għal Alla tiegħu Missieru, lilu l-glorja u s-setgħa għal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Ammen. Arawh, ġej fis-sħab, u l-għajnejn kollha jarawh, ukoll dawk li kienu nifduh; u r-razez kollha tal-art jibdew iħabbtu fuq sidirhom minħabba fih. Iva. Ammen! Jiena huwa l-Alfa u l-Omega, jgħid il-Mulej Alla, li hu, u li kien, u li għad irid jiġi, Dak li jista’ kollox! Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel

John 18:33B-37

Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?"  Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?  Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.  What have you done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.  But as it is, my kingdom is not here."  So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"  Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.  For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju

Qari skont San Ġwann 18, 33b-37

F’dak iż-żmien, Pilatu sejjaħ lil Ġesù u qallu: “Inti s-sultan tal-Lhud?” Ġesù wieġeb: “Dan qiegħed tgħidu int minn moħħok, jew kienu oħrajn li qalulek dan fuqi?” Pilatu wieġeb: “Mela jiena Lhudi? Kien il-poplu tiegħek u l-qassisin il-kbar li tawk f’idejja. X’għamilt?”. Ġesù wieġeb: “Is-saltna tiegħi mhijiex ta’ din id-dinja. Li kieku saltnati kienet ta’ din id-dinja, l-għases tiegħi kienu jiġġieldu biex ma ningħatax f’idejn il-Lhud; imma tabilħaqq saltnati mhijiex ta’ hawn”. Pilatu qallu: “Mela int sultan?” U Ġesù wieġeb: “Int qiegħed tgħidu; jien sultan. Jien għalhekk twelidt, u għalhekk ġejt fid-dinja, biex nixhed għall-verità. U kull min iħobb il-verità jisma’ leħni”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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The King Who Did Not Bow Down

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The liturgical year ends with the Solemnity of Christ the King. In John's poignant trial scene of Pilate and Jesus (18:33-37), we see a great contrast between power and powerlessness.

In coming to the Romans to ensure that Jesus would be crucified, the Jewish authorities fulfilled his prophecy that he would be exalted (John 3:14; 12:32-33). Pilate asks Jesus: "Are you the King of the Jews?" (v 33). The accused prepares his answer with a previous question, which provokes the Roman official: "Do you ask this on your own or did others tell you about me?" (v 34).

Pilate's arrogance does not intimidate Jesus, who then gives his own answer in the well-known words: "My kingdom is not from this world" (v 36). At once, Jesus gives the reason: "My kingdom does not use coercion, it is not imposed." Jesus reiterates his point: "My kingdom is not from this world."

Pilate is very astute. He does not see in Jesus' answer a denial of his kingship. In fact, Pilate infers and insists: "So you are a king" (v 37). Jesus accepts his claim without hesitation: "You say that I am a king. For this I came into the world."

For what? To inaugurate a world of peace and fellowship, of justice and respect for other people's rights, of love for God and for one another. This is the kingdom that penetrates our human history, illuminating it and leading it beyond itself, a kingdom that will have no end. When we pray the Our Father, we pray for this kingdom to come in its fullness.

In this Gospel scene, Pilate reveals himself as a deeply perplexed leader as he encounters one who is Truth. What is there of Pilate inside of each of us? What prevents us from being free? What are our fears? What are our labels? What costumes and masks are we wearing in public and really don't care to jeopardize? What is our capacity for neglecting and trampling on others for the sake of keeping up appearances, maintaining the façade, or the important job, or people's good opinion with regard to our respectability, our reputation or good name?

The Kingdom of Jesus

In the Fourth Gospel, the focus is on the kingship of Christ. The core of Jesus' message is the kingdom of God, and the God of Jesus Christ is the God of the kingdom, the one who has a word and an involvement in human history from which the image of the kingdom is taken. In the kingdom of Jesus, there is no distance between what is religious and temporal, but rather between domination and service.

Jesus' kingdom is unlike the one that Pilate knows and is willingly or unwillingly part of. Pilate's kingdom, and for that matter the Roman kingdom, was one of arbitrariness, privileges, domination and occupation. Jesus' kingdom is built on love, justice and peace.

Jesus proclaims the kingdom of God, the kingdom of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. This kingdom is God's final aim and purpose in everything he has done from the beginning. It is his final act of liberation and salvation. Jesus speaks of this kingdom as a future reality, but a reality that is mysteriously already present in his being, his actions and words and in his personal destiny.

If today's solemnity of Christ the King upsets some of us, is it not due to our own disillusionment of earthly kings and leaders, rather than the kingship of Jesus? The kingship and leadership of God's Son refuses rank and privilege, and any attempt to be master of the world. In him there is no lust, greed and ambition for power. He, the innocent king who executes no one, is himself executed. His reign completely overturns our notions of earthly kingship. His is a kingship of ultimate service, even to the point of laying down his life for others.

In John's Gospel, Jesus goes to his death as a king. The crucifixion is Jesus' enthronement, the ultimate expression of royal service. Because of Christ, the coronation of suffering is no longer death, but rather eternal life. Very few can measure up to Jesus' kingly stature, remaining powerless in the face of the powerful. Many of us resist with power, even though we resort to very refined forms of pressure and manipulation. Jesus never responded to violence with more violence.

Two crowns

The solemnity of Christ the King has had particular significance for me since I lived at Ecce Homo Convent, the Sisters of Sion Center on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City during the years of my graduate studies in Scripture. The whole complex is built over what is believed to be Pontius Pilate's judgment hall, the setting for today's striking Gospel scene between Jesus and Pontius Pilate.

The holy sites in Jerusalem, which commemorate events in the life, passion and death of Jesus, often have two feasts throughout the year, feasts that remember the joyful and sorrowful aspects of Jesus' life. Ecce Homo Center's "patronal" feasts are the joyful solemnity of Christ the King at the end of the liturgical year, and the sorrowful feast of Jesus crowned with thorns on the first Friday of Lent.

Two feasts, two crowns, two images of Jesus the Lord set before the Christian community to ponder and imitate.

The feast of Christ the King presents us with the image of Christ crowned -- first with thorns, then with the victor's laurel hat, the evergreen crown of glory. On the day of our baptism, the crown of our head was smeared with the holy oil of chrism, that royal oil that makes us another Christos, another Anointed One. We have the power to live faithfully and love fiercely as Jesus did. The crown of glory -- Christ's very own -- is promised to each of us. Which crown is found at the center of our faith and our proclamation?

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At the point of our Death and Judgement

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

It-33 Ħadd matul is-Sena 'B'

Messalin  'B' pp 515

Reading 1         

Daniel 12:1-3

In those days, I Daniel, heard this word of the Lord: "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book. "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace. "But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."

L-Ewwel Qari

mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Danjel 12, 1-2

F'dak iż-żmien  iqum Mikiel, il-prinċep il-kbir, dak li qiegħed fuq ulied il-poplu tiegħek. Imbagħad jiġi żmien ta' għawġ,  li qatt ma jkun deher ieħor bħalu minn mindu ġens kien ġens sa dak iż-żmien. Imma jkun żmien li fih il-poplu tiegħek jinħeles, dawk kollha li jkunu nstabu miktuba fil-ktieb. U ħafna minn dawk li huma rieqda fit-trab tal-art jistenbħu,  min għall-ħajja ta' dejjem, u min għall-għajb u l-istmerrija għal dejjem. Il-bnedmin bil-għaqal ikollhom fuqhom dija bħal dik tas-sema, u dawk li jkunu waslu 'l ħafna  fis-sewwa jkunu jiddu  bħal kwiekeb għal dejjem ta' dejjem.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm            

PSALM 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

   R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.                  R/

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.         R/

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.                                  R/

Salm Responsorjali

Salm 15 (16))

          R/   Ħarisni, o Allaj, għax fik  jien  nistkenn.

Mulej, inti s-sehem tal-wirt u r-riżq tiegħi,

inti żżomm f'idejk xortija.

Inżomm il-Mulej dejjem quddiemi,

għax bih f'leminti qatt ma nitħarrek.                  R/

Hekk tifraħ qalbi u tithenna ruħi,

u ġismi wkoll jistrieħ bil-kwiet.

Għax inti ma titlaqnix fl-imwiet,

ma tħallix il-maħbub tiegħek jara l-qabar. R/

Inti tgħallimni t-triq tal-ħajja,

hemm il-milja tal-ferħ quddiemek,

hemm għaxqa għal dejjem f'lemintek.      R/

Reading 2

Hebrews 10:11-14, 18

Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

It-Tieni Qari

mill-Ittra lil Lhud 10, 11- 14-18

Kull qassis ieħor imur kuljum biex jaqdi l-ministeru tiegħu, u joffri  u jerġa' joffri l-istess sagrifiċċju, bla ma jistgħu qatt ineħħu d-dnubiet. Imma, Kristu,  wara li offra sagrifiċċju wieħed għad-dnubiet, qagħad għal dejjem fuq in-naħa tal-lemin ta' Alla, fejn qiegħed jistenna sa ma l-għedewwa tiegħu jitqiegħdu  mirfes taħt riġejh.   Għax hu, b'offerta waħda għamel perfetti għal dejjem lil dawk, li hu jqaddes. Issa, fejn hemm il-maħfra tad-dnubiet,  ma hemmx għalfejn  issir aktar l-offerta għad-dnubiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                                                               Mark 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples: "In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. "And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

L-Evanġelju

Qari skond San Mark 13, 24-32

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Wara jiem ta' dwejjaq kbar, ix-xemx  tiddallam, il-qamar jitlef id-dija tiegħu, il-kwiekeb  jibdew jaqgħu mis-sema, u  l-qawmiet tas-smewwiet jitqallbu. Imbagħad jaraw lil Bin il-bniedem ġej fis-sħab  b'qawwa  kbira u bi glorja. U mbagħad  jibgħat l-anġli biex jiġbor flimkien il-maħturin tiegħu mill-erbat irjieħ, minn tarf l-artb sa tarf is-sema. Mis-siġra tat-tin tgħallmu din il-parabbola. Meta l-fergħa tagħha tirtab u tarmi l-weraq, intom tintebħu li s-sajf  fil-qrib. Hekk ukoll meta taraw dan jiġri,  kunu afu li hu fil-qrib, fil-bieb. Tassew ngħidilkom,  li ma jgħaddix dan in-nisel qabel ma jiġri dan kollu.   Is-sema  u l-art jgħaddu, imma kliemi ma jgħaddix. Dwar dak il-jum u s-siegħa ħadd ma jaf meta se jaslu, anqas l-anġli fis-sema,  u anqas l-Iben; ħadd ħlief il-Missier. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

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Fr Cantalamessa on the End of the World

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday’s liturgy.

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The Gospel of the second to last Sunday of the liturgical year is the classic text on the end of the world. There has always been someone who has taken it upon themselves to wave this page of the Gospel in the face of their contemporaries and provoke psychosis and fear. My advice is to be calm and to not let yourself be in the least bit troubled by these visions of catastrophe.

Just read the last line of the same Gospel passage: “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” If neither the angels nor the Son (insofar as he is man and not insofar as he is God) know the day or hour of the end, is it possible that a member of some sect or some religious fanatic would know and be authorized to announce it? In the Gospel Jesus assures us of the fact of his return and the gathering his chosen ones from the “four winds”; the when and the how of his return (on the clouds between the darkening of the sun and the falling of the stars) is part of the figurative language of the literary genre of these discourses.

Another observation might help explain certain pages of the Gospel. When we talk about the end of the world on the basis of the understanding of time that we have today, we immediately think of the absolute end of the world, after which there can be nothing but eternity. But the Bible goes about its reasoning with relative and historical categories more than with absolute and metaphysical ones. Thus, when the Bible speaks of the end of the world, it intends quite often the concrete world, that which in fact exists for and is known by a certain group of people, their world. It is, in sum, the end of a world that is being treated not the end of the world, even if the two perspectives at times intertwine.

Jesus says: “This generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” Is he mistaken? No, it was the world that was known to his hearers that passed away, the Jewish world. It tragically passed away with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. When, in 410, the Vandals sacked Rome, many great figures of the time thought that it was the end of the world. They were not all that wrong; one world did end, the one created by Rome with its empire. In this sense, those who, with the destruction of the twin towers on September 11, 2001, thought of the end of the world, were not mistaken …

None of this diminishes the seriousness of the Christian charge but only deepens it. It would be the greatest foolishness to console oneself by saying that no one knows when the end of the world will be and forgetting that, for any of us, it could be this very night. For this reason Jesus concludes Sunday’s Gospel with the recommendation that we “be vigilant because no one knows when the exact moment will be.

”We must, I think, completely change the attitude with which we listen to these Gospels that speak of the end of the world and the return of Christ. We must no longer regard as a punishment and a veiled threat that which the Scriptures call “the blessed hope” of Christians, that is, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

The mistaken idea we have of God must be corrected. The recurrent talk about the end of the world which is often engaged in by those with a distorted religious sentiment, has a devastating effect on many people. It reinforces the idea of a God who is always angry, ready to vent his wrath on the world. But this is not the God of the Bible which a psalm describes as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, who will not always accuse or keep his anger forever … because he knows that we are made of dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).

God knows the heart of man!

 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

It-32 Ħadd matul is-Sena   - Sena'B'

Messalin B   pp 509

Reading 1                 

1 Kings 17:10-16

In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath.As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

L-Ewwel Qari

Qari mill-Ewwel Kbtieb tas-Slaten 17, 10-16

F'dak iż-żmien, il-Profeta Elija qam u rħiela lejn Sarefta.  Kif wasal ħdejn il-bieb tal-belt,  kien hemm waħda armla tiġbor il-ħatab. Elija sejħilha u qalilha:  "Jekk jogħġbok, ġibli f'bieqja belgħa ilma x'nixrob!" Hi u sejra, Elija raġa' sejħilha u qalilha: "Ġibli wkoll, jekk jogħġbok, kisra ħobż f'idejk!" Hija wieġbet:  "Daqskemm hu ħaj il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek. ma għandi xejn  maħbuż; qabda dqiq f'ġarra u ftit żejt fil-kus kulma baqagħli. Ara, qiegħda niġbor biċċtejn ħatab; issa nħejji xi ħaġa għalija u għal ibni; u  mbagħad nikluha u mmutu." Elija wieġeb:   "La tibżax, mur u agħmel kif għidtli;  imma qabel  agħmel ftira żgħira għalija, u ġibhieli. Imbagħad agħmel għalik u għal ibnek. Għax din hi l-kelma tal-Mulej, Alla ta' Israel:Il-ġarra tad-dqiq ma tintemm qatt, u l-kus taż-żejt ma jitbattalx, sa dakinhar li  l-Mulej jibgħat ix-xita fil-pajjiż." U dik marret u għamlet kif qalilha Elija. Damu jieklu għal żmien, hi u hu u darha  kollha. U l-ġarra tad-dqiq ma ntemmitx, u l-kus taż-żejt ma tbattalx, kif  kien qal il-Mulej permezz ta' Elija. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm 

PSALM 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.                   R/

The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.                  R/

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion,

through all generations. Alleluia.              R/

Salm Responsorjali

Salm145   (146))

          R/       Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il Mulej.

Il-Mulej  jagħmel ħaqq lill-maħqurin,

u jagħti l-ħobż lill-imġewħin.

Il Mulej jeħles lill-imjassrin.                     R/

Il-Mulej jiftaħ għajnejn l-għomja.

Il-Mulej jerfa' lill-milwijin,

Il-Mulej iħobb lill-ġusti.

Il-Mulej iħares lill-barranin.                      R/

Il-Mulej iżomm lill-iltim u lill-armla,

imma lill-ħżiena jħarbatilhom triqathom.

Il-Mulej isaltan għal dejjem,

Alla tiegħek, Sijon,minn nisel għal nisel.    R/

Reading 2                  

Hebrews 9:24-28

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

It-Tieni Qari

mill-Ittra lill-Lhud  9, 24-28

Kristu ma daħalx f'santwarju magħmul b'idejn il-bnedmin, li hu biss xhieda tas-santwarju veru, imma daħal  fis-sema stess, biex issa jidher għalina quddiem Alla. U  daħal hemm  mhux biex minn  żmien għal  żmien joffri lilu nnifsu bħalma l-qassis il-kbir  jidħol  kull sena fiss-santwarju  biex joffri demm ħaddieħor. Li  kieku kien hekk, kien ikollu jbati ħafna drabi  sa mill-ħolqien tad-dinja. Iżda issa deher  darba għal dejjem, meta waslet il-milja taż-żminijiet,  biex  ineħħi d-dnub bis-sagrifiċċju tiegħu nnifsu. U kif hu miktub għall-bnedmin li għandhom  imutu darba biss, u wara dan isir il-ġudizzju, hekk ukoll Kristu,  wara li offra lilu nnifsu darba biss  biex jitgħabba bid-dnubiet tal-kotra, għad jerġa' jidher darb'oħra,  mhux biex ineħħi d-dnubiet, imma biex isalva lil dawk li qegħdin jistennewh bil-ħerqa. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel              

Mark 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation." He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all  contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."

L-Evanġelju

Qari skond San Mark12,  38-44)

F'dak iż-żmien,  Ġesu' kien qiegħed jgħallem u jgħid: "Iftħu għajnejkom mill-kittieba, li jħobbu jduru mat-toroq bi lbies twal, jixtiequ min isellmilhom fil-pjazez, u fis-sinagogi joqogħdu  fis-siġġijiet ta' quddiem, u fil-postijiet ewlenin fil-pranzijiet; iberbqu ġid ir-romol,  u mbagħad għal wiċċ in-nies idumu ħafna jitolbu. Dawn jieħdu kundanna akbar iebsa." Ġesu' kien qiegħed biswit it-teżor, iħares u jara xi flus jitfgħu n-nies fit-teżor. Bosta għonja bdew jitfgħu ħafna. Resqet waħda armla fqira u tefgħet biċċtejn żgħar,  jiġifieri xi żewġ ċenteżmi. Hu sejjaħ id-dixxipli tiegħu u qalilhom:"Tassew ngħidilkom, li din l-armla fqira tefgħet iktar minn dawk kollha li tefgħu fit-teżor. Għax dawk kollha tefgħu miż-żejjed tagħhom, imma hi, fil-faqar tagħha, tefgħet kulma kellha, dak kollu li kellha biex tgħix." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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A Mighty and Courageous Widow

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB     

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Just a mite

In Sunday’s well-known Gospel story (Mark 12:38-44), Jesus praises the poor widow's offering, and makes it clear that the standard measurement for assessing gifts is not how much we give to the works of God or how much we put in the collection basket, but how much we have left for ourselves. Those who give out of their abundance still have abundance left.

Is Jesus exalting this woman because she emptied her bank account for the temple? Is Jesus romanticizing and idealizing the poor? I have yet to meet people who dream of growing up destitute, poor, hungry and homeless. I don't know anyone who delights in living from one government social assistance check to the next, nor people who enjoy rummaging through garbage bins and are proud that they cannot afford to pay for electric and water bills for their inadequate and even dangerous housing situations during cold Canadian winters.

The woman in Sunday's provocative Gospel story was poor because she was a widow. She was completely dependent on her male relatives for her livelihood. To be widowed meant not only losing a spouse, but more tragically, losing the one on whom you were totally dependent. Widows were forced to live off of the generosity of other male relatives and anyone in the community who might provide for one's needs.

The two coins in the woman's hand were most likely all she had. When one has so little, a penny or two isn't going to move that person from complete social assistance to employment. With the coins or without them, the widow was still a dependent person. She had no status in life. She was totally dependent on the grace of God, yet she was indeed rich in God's mercy.

Jesus never condemns the rich but simply says that they will find it difficult to enter the kingdom. What matters is not how much money is stored in bank accounts or kept in stocks and bonds, but rather for what that money is destined.

Will the money be used to assist others, to make the world a better place? Will be it used to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide for the homeless and destitute poor? Will it be used to build a culture of life? Do our lives revolve around the money or are we dependant on God who truly makes us rich? Do we behave as owners or live as stewards?

The widow tossed her only signs of independence into the collection basket, but she maintained her complete dependence on God and neighbor. Her example of faith is grounded in the love of God: her love for God and God's love for her. She was a steward and not an owner of her meager possessions. This poor widow teaches us that dependence, far from being oppressive and depressive, can really lead to a life lived in deep joy and profound gratitude.

Charity in truth

Four brief sections from Benedict XVI's encyclical letter "Caritas in Veritate" merit our careful reflection and meditation this week.

1. "The search for love and truth is purified and liberated by Jesus Christ from the impoverishment that our humanity brings to it, and he reveals to us in all its fullness the initiative of love and the plan for true life that God has prepared for us. In Christ, charity in truth becomes the Face of his Person, a vocation for us to love our brothers and sisters in the truth of his plan. Indeed, he himself is the Truth (cf. John 14:6)."

23. "The mere fact of emerging from economic backwardness, though positive in itself, does not resolve the complex issues of human advancement, neither for the countries that are spearheading such progress, nor for those that are already economically developed, nor even for those that are still poor, which can suffer not just through old forms of exploitation, but also from the negative consequences of a growth that is marked by irregularities and imbalances."

42. "For a long time it was thought that poor peoples should remain at a fixed stage of development, and should be content to receive assistance from the philanthropy of developed peoples. Paul VI strongly opposed this mentality in 'Populorum Progressio.'

"Today the material resources available for rescuing these peoples from poverty are potentially greater than before, but they have ended up largely in the hands of people from developed countries, who have benefited more from the liberalization that has occurred in the mobility of capital and labor. The world-wide diffusion of forms of prosperity should not therefore be held up by projects that are self-centered, protectionist or at the service of private interests."

75. "While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks, on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human. God reveals man to himself; reason and faith work hand in hand to demonstrate to us what is good, provided we want to see it; the natural law, in which creative Reason shines forth, reveals our greatness, but also our wretchedness insofar as we fail to recognize the call to moral truth."

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