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
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) /////////////
No comments:
Post a Comment