YOU AND YOUR ENEMIES

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 81

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

Reading 1       1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziph  with three thousand picked men of Israel, to search for David in the desert of Ziph. So David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers by night and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade, with his spear thrust into the ground at his head and Abner and his men sleeping around him. Abishai whispered to David: “God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear;  I will not need a second thrust!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?”  So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, and they got away without anyone’s seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because the LORD had put them into a deep slumber. Going across to an opposite slope, David stood on a remote hilltop at a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops. He said: “Here is the king’s spear. Let an attendant come over to get it. The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness. Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the LORD’s anointed.” 

QARI I        mill-Ewwel Ktieb ta’ Samwel 26, 2.7-9.12-13.22-23

F’dak iż-żmien, Sawl qam u niżel lejn id-deżert ta’ Żif, u miegħu ħa tlitt elef raġel magħżula minn Iżrael, ifittex lil David fid-deżert ta’ Żif. U ġie David u Abisaj ħdejn l-eżerċtu billejl, u Sawl kien mimdud u rieqed f’nofs il-kamp, u l-lanza tiegħu kienet imwaħħla fl-art in-naħa ta’ rasu; u Abner u n-nies tiegħu mimdudin madwaru. U Abisaj qal lil David: “Illum il-Mulej reħa l-għadu tiegħu f’idejk, ħa nsammru mal-art b’daqqa waħda bil-lanza tiegħu stess, bla ma nagħtih oħra”. Imma David wieġeb lil Abisaj: “La toqtlux! Għax min qatt medd idu fuq il-midluk tal-Mulej, u ħelisha?”. David ħa l-lanza u l-ġarra tal-ilma minn ħdejn ras Sawl u telqu, bla ma ħadd rahom jew intebaħ, u bla ma ħadd stenbaħ, għax kollha kienu reqdin, u ngħas tqil waqa’ fuqhom mingħand il-Mulej. David imbagħad qasam għan-naħa l-oħra u qagħad fuq il-quċċata tal-għolja fil-bogħod, b’wisa’ kbir bejniethom. U David għajjat: “Hawn hi l-lanza tas-sultan, ħa jiġi ’l hawn wieħed mill-qaddejja u jeħodha! Il-Mulej irodd lil kull wieħed skont il-ġustizzja tiegħu u l-lealtà tiegħu. Il-Mulej telqek f’idejja llum, imma jien ma ridtx immidd idejja fuq il-midluk tal-Mulej”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm        PSALM 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

Bless the LORD, O my soul;                                                                                       and all my being, bless his holy name.      

Bless the LORD, O my soul, 

 and forget not all his benefits

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

He pardons all your iniquities, 

 heals all your ills.  

He redeems your life from destruction, 

crowns you with kindness and compassion.   

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness. 

 Not according to our sins does he deal with us,  

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.  

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west, 

so far has he put our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, 

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. 

 R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

SALM RESPONSORJALI     Salm 102 (103), 1-2.3-4.8 u 10.12-13

Bierek, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!   

B’qalbi kollha nbierek l-isem qaddis tiegħu.   

Bierek, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej,   

 u la tinsiex il-ġid kollu li għamel miegħek.

R/. (8a) Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej

Hu li jaħfer dnubietek kollha; 

 ifejjaq il-mard tiegħek kollu;  

jifdi lil ħajtek mill-qabar; 

iħaddnek bit-tjieba u l-ħniena.

R/. (8a) Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej

Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej, 

idum ma jagħdab u kollu mogħdrija.

Ma mexiex magħna skont ma ħaqqhom ħtijietna; 

 ma ħallasniex skont ma ħaqqha ħżunitna. 

 R/.(8a) Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej

Daqs kemm hu mbiegħed il-Lvant mill-Punent,  

hekk hu jbiegħed minna ħtijietna.

Bħalma jħenn il-missier għal uliedu, 

hekk iħenn il-Mulej għal min għandu l-biża’ tiegħu.  

R/. (8a) Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej

Reading 2     1 CORINTHIANS 15:45-49

Brothers and sisters: It is written, The first man, Adam, became a living being,  the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual.  The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. 

 

QARI II        mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 15, 45-49 

Ħuti, l-ewwel bniedem, Adam, sar ruħ ħajja, l-aħħar wieħed sar spirtu li jagħti l-ħajja. Mhux l-ispiritwali ġie l-ewwel, imma l-ewwel in-naturali u mbagħad l-ispiritwali. L-ewwel bniedem, mit-trab, hu tal-art; it-tieni bniedem, mis-sema. Bħalma hu l-bniedem tal-art, hekk ukoll huma l-bnedmin tal-art; bħalma hu l-bniedem tas-sema, hekk ukoll huma l-bnedmin tassema. Bħalma aħna mlibbsa x-xbieha tal-bniedem tal-art, hekk ukoll għad nilbsu x-xbieha tal-bniedem tas-sema. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel       LUKE 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek,  offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.  But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,  and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” 

EVANĠELJU          Qari skont San Luqa 6, 27-38

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Imma lilkom, li qegħdin tisimgħuni, ngħidilkom: Ħobbu l-għedewwa tagħkom, agħmlu l-ġid lil min jobgħodkom, bierku lil min jisħetkom, itolbu għal min iżeblaħkom. Min jagħtik bil-ħarta fuq naħa waħda, dawwarlu wiċċek ħalli jagħtik fuq in-naħa l-oħra; min jeħodlok il-mantar, anqas il-libsa ma għandek tiċħadlu. Agħti lil kull min jitolbok; u min jeħodlok xi ħaġa tiegħek, titlobhilux lura. Kif tridu li l-bnedmin jagħmlu lilkom, hekk ukoll agħmlu intom lilhom. Jekk intom tħobbu lil min iħobbkom, xi ħlas jista’ jkollkom? Għax il-midinbin ukoll iħobbu lil min iħobbhom. U jekk tagħmlu l-ġid lil min jagħmel il-ġid lilkom, xi ħlas jista’ jkollkom? Għax dan jagħmluh saħansitra l-midinbin. U jekk tisilfu xi ħaġa lil min tistennewh iroddhielkom lura, xi ħlas jista’ jkollkom? Il-midinbin ukoll jisilfu lill-midinbin, bil-ħsieb li jieħdu lura daqshekk ieħor mingħandhom. Imma intom ħobbu l-għedewwa tagħkom, agħmlu l-ġid, isilfu bla ma tistennew xi ħaġa lura, u l-ħlas tagħkom ikun kbir; u tkunu wlied Alla l-Għoli, li hu tajjeb mal-ingrati u l-ħżiena. Ħennu, bħalma hu ħanin Missierkom. Tiġġudikawx, u ma tkunux iġġudikati; tikkundannawx, u ma tkunux ikkundannati; aħfru, u ssibu l-maħfra; agħtu, u jingħatalkom. Kejl tajjeb, marsus, mheżżeż sewwa u mburġat iqegħdulkom f’ħoġorkom; għax bl-istess kejl li tkejlu intom jitkejjel lilkom”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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NAILING DOWN MERCY 

"Abishai whispered to David: 'God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear.' " —1 Samuel 26:8

Abishai gave David the traditional "wisdom of war," that is: "Kill, nail, and spear the enemies before they do it to you first." In other words, "do unto others before they do unto you." David surprisingly rejected Abishai's standard advice (1 Sm 26:9). In this he prefigured Jesus, the Son of David.

Jesus didn't just talk about having mercy on our enemies. He paid the price for mercy by taking on Himself the just punishments which His enemies deserved. Instead of nailing His enemies to the ground (see 1 Sm 26:8), He let His enemies nail Him to the cross. Instead of thrusting a spear into His enemies, He let them thrust a spear into His side (see Jn 19:34). Jesus knows that treating guilty enemies with mercy would be unjust. So He fulfilled justice out of love for His enemies by paying the price for mercy on Calvary.

Therefore, "love your enemy and do good" (Lk 6:35). "Be compassionate, as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Pardon, and you shall be pardoned" (Lk 6:36-37).  

PRAYER: Jesus, may I receive and give Your crucified, precious mercy.

PROMISE: "Give, and it shall be given to you." —Lk 6:38

PRAISE: Praise be to Jesus Christ, the risen King of Glory. Alleluia!

 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// (From a reflection by Fr Al Laury) /////////////