Sunday, March 10, 2019
First Sunday 0f Lent
Lectionary: 24
L-Ewwel Ħadd tar-Randan
Reading 1 Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Moses spoke to the people, saying: "The priest shall
receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD,
your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God, 'My father was a
wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there
as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the
Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labour upon us, we cried
to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our
affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his
strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and
wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with
milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the
products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.' And having set them
before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence."
Qari I mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 26, 4-10
Mosè
kellem lill-poplu u qal: “Il-qassis imbagħad jilqa’ minn idejk il-qoffa, u jqegħedha quddiem l-artal tal-Mulej,
Alla tiegħek. Inti mbagħad tgħid hekk quddiem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek: “Missieri kien minn Aram, jiġġerra minn post għal
ieħor; imbagħad niżel l-Eġittu u għammar hemm. Żgħir kien l-għadd
ta’ niesu, iżda hemmhekk sar poplu kbir, qawwi u kotran.
L-Eġizzjani ħaqruna, għakksuna, għabbewna
b’xogħol iebes; imma aħna għajjatna lill-Mulej,
Alla ta’ missirijietna, u l-Mulej sama’ l-għajta tagħna, ra t-tgħakkis u t-tbatija u d-dwejjaq tagħna, u
ħariġna l-Mulej mill-Eġittu, b’id qawwija, bi driegħ merfugħ,
b’biża’ kbir, b’sinjali u b’għeġubijiet, u daħħalna
f’dan il-post, tana din l-art, art tnixxi ħalib u
għasel. U issa, ara, jiena ġibt l-ewwel frott tal-art li tajtni int, Mulej”. U int tqiegħdu quddiem il-Mulej, Alla
tiegħek, u tadura lill-Mulej, Alla tiegħek”. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in
the shadow of the Almighty, say to the LORD, "My refuge and fortress, my
God in whom I trust."
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in
trouble.
No evil shall befall you, nor shall affliction come near
your tent, For to his angels he has given command about you, that they guard
you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your
foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper; you shall
trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in
trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him
on high because he acknowledges my name. He shall call upon me, and I will
answer him; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him
and glorify him.
R.
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 90 (91), 1-2.10-11.12-13.14-15
R/. (ara 15): Kun miegħi, Mulej,
fid-dwejjaq
Int
li tgħix għall-kenn tal-Għoli, li tgħammar għad-dell ta’ dak li jista’ kollox, għid
lill-Mulej: “Kenn tiegħi u qawwa tiegħi int, Alla tiegħi, jien fik nittama”. R/.
Ebda
deni ma jiġrilek, ebda ħsara ma tersaq lejn darek. Għax l-anġli tiegħu hu
jibgħatlek, u jħarsuk fi triqatek kollha. R/.
Fuq
idejhom jerfgħuk, li ma taħbatx ma’ xi ġebla riġlek. Fuq l-iljun u l-lifgħa int
timxi, ferħ ta’ ljun u serp int tirfes.
R/.
“La tħabbeb miegħi, jien neħilsu; la għaraf ismi, jiena nħarsu. Hu jsejjaħli, u
jiena nwieġbu; miegħu nkun fid-dwejjaq tiegħu, neħilsu u nerfagħlu ġieħu”. R/.
Reading 2 Romans 10:8-13
Brothers
and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and
in your heart — that is, the word of
faith that we preach —, for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For
one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the
mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will
be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same
Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For "everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Qari II mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 10,
8-13
Ħuti,
xi tgħid l-Iskrittura? “Il-kelma qiegħda ħdejk, f’fommok u qalbek”; jiġifieri, il-kelma tal-fidi li aħna
nxandru. Għax jekk inti tistqarr b’fommok, “Ġesù hu
l-Mulej!”, u temmen b’qalbek li Alla qajmu
mill-imwiet, inti ssalva. Wieħed jemmen f’qalbu biex ikollu l-ġustizzja u jistqarr b’xufftejh biex ikollu
s-salvazzjoni. L-Iskrittura tgħid: “Kull min jemmen fih ma
jintilifx”. Ma hemmx għażla bejn Lhudi u Grieg;
hu s-Sid ta’ kulħadd u għani ma’ dawk kollha
li jsejħulu. Għax: “Kull min isejjaħ isem il-Mulej isalva”. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Gospel Luke 4:1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the
devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to
become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, One does not live
on bread alone." Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you
all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it
to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is
written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you
serve." Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the
temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down
from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to
guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot
against a stone." Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, You
shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." When the devil had
finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.
Evanġelju mill-Evanġelju skont San Luqa 4, 1-13
F’dak
iż-żmien, Ġesù, mimli bl-Ispirtu s-Santu, raġa’ lura mill-Ġordan u l-Ispirtu ħadu fid-deżert. Hemm għal
erbgħin jum Ġesù kien imġarrab mix-Xitan. Matul dawk il-jiem ma
kiel xejn; u mbagħad, meta għaddew dawk il-jiem, ħadu l-ġuħ. U
x-Xitan qallu: “Jekk inti Bin Alla, għid lil din il-ġebla ssir
ħobż”. Wieġbu Ġesù: “Hemm miktub: “Il-bniedem mhux bil-ħobż biss
jgħix”. Imbagħad ix-Xitan ħadu fl-għoli u wrieh is-saltniet tad-dinja kollha f’daqqa. Qallu x-Xitan: “Nagħtik is-setgħa fuq dawn
kollha, bil-glorja tagħhom ukoll għax hija ngħatat lili, u
jiena nagħtiha lil min irrid. Jekk tinxteħet
quddiemi tagħtini qima, kollha tiegħek tkun”. Ġesù
wieġbu u qallu: “Hemm miktub: “Lill-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, tadura, u lilu biss taqdi”. Imbagħad ix-Xitan ħadu
Ġerusalemm, qiegħdu fuq il-quċċata tat-tempju,
u qallu: “Jekk inti Bin Alla, inxteħet minn hawn għal isfel. Għax hemm miktub: “Lill-anġli tiegħu
jordnalhom biex jieħdu ħsiebek sewwa”, u li: “fuq
idejhom jerfgħuk, ħalli ma taħbatx riġlek ma’ xi
ġebla”. Wieġeb Ġesù u qallu: “Jingħad: “Iġġarrabx lill-Mulej Alla tiegħek”. Imbagħad ix-Xitan meta
temm dan it-tiġrib kollu, telaq minn ħdejh sa ma
wasal il-waqt. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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A reflection
by Fr. Tommy Lane
On Wednesday we began the season of Lent which is our preparation
for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. It is a time in imitation of
Jesus spending forty days in the desert. Jesus fasted in the desert, and
overcame the devil’s temptations. Jesus never sinned but in the desert he was
tempted, and during these forty days of Lent we remember Jesus in the desert as
we try to overcome temptation in our lives and to overcome sinfulness.
There is practically no hiding place or shelter in the desert and
the difficulties of the desert make whatever is inside a person come to the
surface. The desert tests and shows up a person as he/she is. Lent is an
invitation to us to take the courageous step of “going into the desert” and not
hiding from what lies hidden deep within us. Lent is a time to put our souls
before a mirror and see ourselves as we really are. Lent is an invitation to
allow our sin and darkness and wounds come to the surface so that we can deal
with them and allow them to be healed by the grace of Jesus.
During these forty days of Lent, we do not hide from our
sinfulness or prevent God speaking to us or healing us during this Lent. It is
only when we admit something that we can deal with it. The first stage in
overcoming anything is to admit the problem. If we remain in denial we miss out
on the grace of God to heal us and renew us and make us whole. During Lent we
say no to the devil’s temptations to continue committing sin, and instead we
trust in our heavenly Father like Jesus in the desert. The words of Jesus can
be our words this Lent, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every
word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) Lent is not only about
helping others, about doing something, it is also very much about the type of
person we are.
Since the early centuries the Church has suggested three things
that we undertake during Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It is for this
reason that the Gospel text for Ash Wednesday every year is Jesus’ advice on
prayer, fasting and almsgiving (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18). During Lent we want to pray
more, fast and help the poor.
Lent is a time for more prayer. We live busy lives and there is
much emphasis on enjoying life but a life without prayer is a life without the
joy of the presence of God. If we do not pray we are not Christians at full
potential; we are only walking when we could be flying. Martha was busy serving
when Jesus came but Mary spent time with him and Jesus said, “Martha, Martha,
you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke
10:41-42) Lent is not only about helping others and doing something, it is also
very much about the type of person that we are. We pray because all goodness
comes from God and when we pray we touch God. There is a difference between a
do-gooder and a Christian. A Christian is a do-gooder who also prays. God is
our loving Father who greatly desires us to allow him close to us, so we pray
more this Lent to experience more of the joy of know God our Father.
Fasting is a penance the Church encourages us to undertake during
Lent. From the spiritual point of view, fasting symbolizes our dependence on
God. It expresses the fact that we really are trying to put God first in our
life. The Bible tells us that fasting from food must go together with fasting
from violence and fasting from oppressing people (Isa 58:3-12). In other words,
when we fast from food it is to be accompanied by a loving and forgiving
attitude towards others. We could say that fasting from food in itself is not
what is important, it is what the fasting symbolizes that really matters. So to
fast in a way that is genuinely pleasing to God, can we make an effort to
forgive those who have hurt us and not harbor resentment any longer? Why do we
need to keep up grudges? Is it merely because we like to be in control? Perhaps
to forgive, we also need to give up our need to dominate and control others. If
we have a problem forgiving someone, we can share it with the Lord and ask his
help and grace so that we may forgive. While we may not forget we certainly do
not want to
live being dominated by past wounds. We want to live in the present
free of the past.
For almsgiving or helping the poor, the Church makes it easy for
us by giving us the opportunity to contribute to Catholic aid agencies. Helping
the poor during Lent brings the words of Jesus to mind, “Whatever you did to
one of the least of these you did to me.” (Matt 25:45)
The word “Lent” is an old English word which means “springtime.”
May this Lent really be a new springtime in the lives of each of us. Through
prayer, through fasting from food accompanied by forgiving others and not
bearing grudges, and through donating from our surplus to help the poor, may we
like Jesus in the desert for forty days overcome temptation and thus be well
prepared to celebrate Easter.
(Author’s note: This homily was
delivered when I was engaged in parish ministry in Ireland before joining the
faculty of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland.)
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