Faith and shipwrecks

10th February / 10 ta’ Frar

The Shipwreck of the Apostle Paul in Malta

Solemnity

In-Nawfraġju tal-Appostlu Missierna San Pawl

Reading 1     Wisdom 3-7

^]But your providence, O Father! guides it, for you have furnished even in the sea a road,  and through the waves a steady path,  Showing that you can save from any danger, so that even one without skill may embark. But you will that the products of your Wisdom be not idle; therefore people trust their lives even to most frail wood, and were safe crossing the waves on a raft. For of old, when the proud giants were being destroyed, the hope of the universe, who took refuge on a raft, left to the world a future for the human family, under the guidance of your hand. For blest is the wood through which righteousness comes about.

Qari I  -  mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 14, 3-7

Missier, il-providenza tiegħek tmexxih; għax int ftaħt triq fil-baħar ukoll,  u mogħdija bla periklu qalb l-imwieġ. Hekk turi li int tista’ teħles minn kull tiġrif,  biex ukoll min ma jifhimx jista’ jbaħħar.  Inti ma tridx li għemil l-Għerf ikun għal xejn; għalhekk il-bnedmin jafdaw ħajjithom  fuq għuda dgħajfa, u jaqsmu, qawwijin u sħaħ,  mwieġ kbar fuq ċattra.  Hekk ukoll, meta kienu qegħdin jinqerdu  l-ġganti l-kbar, fuq dgħajsa skansat it-tama tad-dinja u, mmexxija minn idek, ħalliet lid-dinja żerriegħa ta’ nisel ġdid. Imbierka l-għuda li biha jsir il-ġid! Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

 

Responsorial Psalm   PSALM 107, 21-31

R./  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy. R./  

Some went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
They saw the works of the Lord,
 his wonderful deeds in the deep.

For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
 that lifted high the waves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
 in their peril their courage melted away. R./  

They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
 they were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
 the waves of the sea^[b] were hushed. R./  

They were glad when it grew calm,
 and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind. R./  

Salm Responsorjali     SALM 107, 21-31

R/. Ħa jroddu ħajr lill-Mulej għall-tjubitu.

Ħa jroddu ħajr lill-Mulej għal tjubitu,

għall-għeġubijiet tiegħu mal-bnedmin.

U joffrulu sagrifiċċji ta’ radd il-ħajr,

u jxandru l-għemejjel tiegħu b’għana ferrieħi.  R/.

Dawk li jbaħħru fuq l-iġfna,

li jinnegozjaw fuq l-ibħra bla tarf,

raw l-opri tal-Mulej

u l-għeġubijiet tiegħu f’qiegħ il-baħar.  R/.

Hu ordna u qajjem riefnu,

li qanqal imwieġ il-baħar.

Għolew sas-smewwiet

u niżlu sa qiegħ il-baħar;

qalbhom bdiet tferfer bil-biża’. R/.

Bdew jitbandlu u jixxenglu bħal nies fis-sakra,

u s-sengħa tagħhom xejn ma switilhom.

Għajjtu lill-Mulej fl-hemm tagħhom,

u mid-dwejjaq tagħhom ħelishom.

U bidel ir-riefnu f’żiffa, u sikket mewġ il-baħar.  R/.

Huma ferħu għax ibbnazza;

u hu wassalhom sal-port li xtaqu.

Ħa jroddu ħajr lill-Mulej għal tjubitu,

għall-għeġubijiet tiegħu mal-bnedmin.  R/.

Reading 2     2 Corinthians 11, 18. 24-31

Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.  I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

Qari II      mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korinitin 11, 18.24-31

Ħuti:  Jekk ħafna jiftaħru  ta’ bnedmin li huma,  ħa niftaħar jien ukoll.  Ħames darbiet qlajt mingħand il-Lhud l-erbgħin daqqa neqsin waħda;  tliet darbiet tawni s-swat bil-virgi;  darb’oħra ħaġġruni.  Tliet darbiet rajt l-għarqa;  għaddejt lejl u jum f’nofs ta’ baħar. Għamilt safar bla għadd;  sibt ruħi f’perikli ta’ xmajjar, perikli mill-ħallelin,  perikli min-nies ta’ ġensi,  perikli mill-pagani, perikli fl-ibliet, perikli fid-deżert, perikli fil-baħar, perikli mill-aħwa qarrieqa. Taħbit u xogħol iebes; kemm-il darba kelli ngħaddi sahriet bla rqad, bil-ġuħ u bil-għatx; kemm-il darba kelli ngħaddi fis-sawm, fil-ksieħ u fl-għera! U, biex ma nsemmix ħwejjeġ oħra, dak il-ħafna ġej u sejjer tan-nies ta’ kuljum għandi, u l-ħsieb tal-knejjes kollha! Min hu marid u m’iniex marid miegħu jien? Min hu dak li jsib min ifixklu, u jien ma nħossnix imbaqbaq?  Jekk għandi niftaħar, niftaħar b’dak li hu dgħajjef fija. Alla u Missier Sidna Ġesù Kristu – li hu mbierek għal dejjem – jaf li m’iniex nigdeb.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel        Mark 16:15-20 

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.  Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Evanġelju    Qari skont San Mark 16, 15-20

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lill-Ħdax : “Morru fid-dinja kollha, xandru l-Evanġelju lill-ħolqien kollu. Min jemmen u jitgħammed, isalva; iżda min ma jemminx, ikun ikkundannat. U dawn huma s-sinjali li jsieħbu lil dawk li jemmnu: f’ismi jkeċċu x-xjaten, jitkellmu b’ilsna ġodda, jaqbdu s-sriep b’idejhom, u jekk jixorbu xi xorb li jġib il-mewt ma jagħmlilhomx ħsara; iqiegħdu idejhom fuq il-morda u dawn ifiqu.”  U hekk il-Mulej Ġesù, wara li kellimhom, kien imtella’ fis-sema u qagħad in-naħa tal-lemin ta’ Alla.  Huma mbagħad marru jippridkaw kullimkien; il-Mulej kien jaħdem magħhom u jwettaq il-kelma bil-mirakli li kienu jsiru magħha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Perseverance in faith against our shipwreck

Points for reflection by veteran Catholic educator Kevin Aldrich

We can lose our faith by doing evil. As St. Paul puts it, “By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Tim 1:18-19; CCC 162). By conscience, St. Paul means “a good conscience” (CCC 162). For example, many people today lose their faith in God, not because it is difficult to believe in him, but because they do not live the virtue of chastity.

Recall in regard to education in faith and conversion of heart that conversion of heart precedes the enlightenment of the mind. This is because when we sin, we tell ourselves It’s not a sin or I didn’t sin or It was justified. That is a hardness of heart that causes hardness of head!

It is also possible for us to find a safe harbour for our faith and even to help make one. The Catechism of the Catholic Church advises: we must nourish our faith “with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; [our faith] must be ‘working through charity,’ abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church” (CCC 162). 

We can guard our faith and help it grow by constant prayerful reading of the Sacred Scriptures; by asking God to increase our faith; by doing good for others; by making acts of hope rather than giving into sadness; and by holding to all the doctrines of faith and morals that the Church teaches.

Jesus Christ is the supreme prophet. We share in Christ’s prophetic office by nature of our baptismal vocation. So we, too, have the call to witness to the truth by our words and lives.

However, when we begin to embrace our vocation to be witnesses to the truth, we become aware of obstacles. The obstacles are really our participation in God’s seeming inability to reach people who are indifferent to him or who reject him. 

Christ did not force his townsmen to have faith in him. God sent Ezekiel to preach even though the people would reject him. St. Paul saw that power is made perfect in weakness. God is omnipotent. “God who created everything also rules everything and can do everything. God’s power is loving, for he is our Father, and mysterious, for only faith can discern it when it ‘is made perfect in weakness.’” (CCC 268)

Our faith in the face of our weakness to move others reveals to us “the mysterious ways of God’s almighty power. This seemingly impotent faith glories in its weaknesses in order to draw to itself Christ’s power. The Virgin Mary is the supreme model of this faith, for she believed that ‘nothing will be impossible with God,’ and was able to magnify the Lord: ‘For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.’”(CCC 273)   Our inability makes room for Christ’s ability.

There is also a kind of awesome hidden bonus or treasure in our weakness. St. Paul learns “from the Lord, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,’ and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that ‘in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church’” (CCC 1508). This hidden treasure is that our inability is what makes us co-redeemers with Christ. This is why St. Paul can be content with ‘weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints.”

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