Sunday, March 3 2019

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 84

It-Tmien Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1 BIN SIRAK 27:4-7

When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks. As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.

Qari I mill-Ktieb ta’ Bin Sirak 27, 5-8

Meta jheżżu għarbiel jibqa’ fih l-iskart, hekk ukoll min jgħarbel lilu nnifsu jagħraf ħżunitu. Il-forn jgħaddi mill-prova xogħol il-fuħħari, hekk ukoll bniedem tagħrfu minn kliemu. Il-frott jikxef kemm bidwi jkun ħa ħsieb is-siġra, hekk ukoll kelma tikxef ħsieb qalb il-bniedem. Tfaħħarx bniedem qabel jitkellem, għax hekk jiġu ppruvati n-nies. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm PSALMS 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

Salm Responsorjali Salm 91 (92), 2-3.13-14.15-16

R/. (ara 2a): Tajjeb li nfaħħru l-Mulej

Tajjeb li nfaħħru l-Mulej,

li ngħannu lil ismek, inti l-Għoli,

Inxandru filgħodu t-tjieba tiegħek,

u billejl il-fedeltà tiegħek. R/.

Il-bniedem ġust bħall-palma jħaddar,

bħal ċedru tal-Libanu jikber.

Imħawlin f’dar il-Mulej,

iħaddru fil-btieħi tat-tempju ta’ Alla tagħna. R/.

Sa fi xjuħithom il-frott jagħmlu,

kollhom ħajja u ħdura,

biex ixandru li ġust hu l-Mulej, blata tiegħi,

u ebda qerq ma jinsab fih. R/.

Reading 2 1 CORINTHIANS 15:54-58

Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin,and the power of sin is the law.But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers and Sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

Qari II mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 15, 54-58

Ħuti, meta dak li jitħassar jilbes in-nuqqas ta’ taħsir, meta dak li jmut jilbes l-immortalità, imbagħad iseħħ dak li hemm miktub: Inbelgħet il-mewt fir-rebħa. Fejn hi, ja Mewt, ir-rebħa tiegħek? Fejn hi, ja Mewt, in-niggieża tiegħek? In-niggieża tal-mewt hi d-dnub, u l-qawwa tad-dnub hi l-Liġi. Niżżu ħajr lil Alla li tana r-rebħa permezz ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu! Għalhekk, ħuti għeżież, żommu sħiħ, titħarrkux; ħabirku dejjem fil-ħidma tal-Mulej. Kunu afu li l-ħidma tagħkom fil-Mulej mhijiex għalxejn. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel LUKE 6:39-45

Jesus told his disciples a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."

Evanġelju Qari skont San Luqa 6, 39-45

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli din il-parabbola: “Jista’ agħma jmexxi agħma ieħor? Mhux it-tnejn jaqgħu fil-ħofra? Id-dixxiplu mhuwiex aqwa mill-imgħallem tiegħu; imma kull min itemm it-taħriġ tiegħu jsir bħall-imgħallem tiegħu. Għax tara t-tibna f’għajn ħuk, u ma tarax it-travu li għandek f’għajnek int? Kif tista’ tgħidlu lil ħuk: “Ħi, ejja nneħħilek it-tibna li għandek f’għajnek”, meta m’intix tara t-travu li għandek f’għajnek int? Ja wiċċ b’ieħor! Neħħi l-ewwel it-travu minn għajnek int, ħalli mbagħad tara sewwa kif tneħħi t-tibna minn għajn ħuk. Ma hemmx siġra tajba li tagħmel frott ħażin, kif anqas ma hemm siġra ħażina li tagħmel frott tajjeb. Kull siġra mill-frott tagħha tingħaraf. Ħadd ma jiġbor it-tin mix-xewk, anqas l-għeneb mill-għolliq. Il-bniedem tajjeb mit-teżor tajjeb ta’ qalbu joħroġ it-tajjeb, u l-bniedem ħażin mit-teżor ħażin tiegħu joħroġ il-ħażin, għax mill-abbundanza tal-qalb jitkellem il-fomm”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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A Change of Heart

Reflection by Deacon Robin Cheung

One day, a very smart professor was flying to Paris. Sitting next to him was a young, beautiful blonde. Since it was a long flight, they started chatting, and the professor took the opportunity to boast about how smart he was and how stupid people are. As the young lady was trying to get some sleep, the very smart professor interrupted her, saying, “Let's play a game!” “What kind of game?” she asked.

The professor said, “I will ask you a question. If you answer correctly, I will give you five dollars. If you don’t, then you will have to pay me five dollars, and vice versa."

She didn’t find it interesting at all.

Then the professor said, “Since I am so smart and know everything, I will do this: if I cannot answer your question, I will give you 100 dollars, but if you fail to answer my question, you will just have to give me five dollars. How does that sound?”

The lady agreed.

“Which is the largest commercial airliner in the world in terms of passenger capacity?” the professor asked. The young lady shook her head and took out a five dollar bill.

Then she asked “What is the name of an animal which has three eyes, six noses, nine legs, and one tail?” The professor scratched his head. Finally, he took out a hundred dollar bill and handed it to her, saying, “I don’t know!”

“But what is the animal?” the professor asked. The young lady took five dollars from her purse and said “I don’t know either.” Then she closed her eyes with a smile and tried to get some sleep.

In a few days, we will enter the season of Lent: a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, a season of reflection on God's greatness and our own unworthiness. Therefore, there is no point boasting ourselves and criticizing others. But time and time again, we human beings seem to forget that we are from God - in fact, from the dust that God made. And we will return to dust.

If we have to boast, there is only ONE deserving of our praise and of our boast.

Who is he? Our Lord, Jesus Christ! However, if ever we want to criticize, we should criticize ourselves. How do we transform ourselves into humble and non-judgmental people?

Today’s readings give us a pretty good idea. So what is that idea? Pray to God to CHANGE our heart. But, before anything else, we have to admit that we are sinners and that we need God’s mercy and forgiveness. We have to make a thorough confession and pray fervently to God to change our heart.

Jesus once said, “What comes out of a person’s dirty heart - evil thoughts, theft, murder, adultery, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.” My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t despair! God loves us just the same. God is here to help us change our heart. It will bring him great joy when he sees a sinner repent.

Last week, the Gospel reminded us to be attentive to the Beatitudes! It highlighted the importance of true love; it pointed out that our ultimate goal on earth is to be the children of the Most High. This Sunday’s Gospel comes as a warning, especially for those of us who think “I've got it!”, that we are the supreme leaders of Jesus Christ, that we are smart and others are stupid. Are we?

We should ask ourselves these questions constantly:

Are we acting like a blind guide to others?

Has the true light of Jesus Christ opened up and removed the big log from my own eye?

Is my ignorant presumption dictating my daily life?

“Oh, that's common sense!” you may think. But don’t forget, sometimes, that our common sense is not our spouse's or our friend’s common sense. Our common sense is not our children’s common sense. Certainly, God’s common sense is not ours, right?

Therefore, we must be very careful when imposing our beliefs on those who express different opinions. Despite what we think is right and beneficial to others, we must practice it with great humility and respect. Furthermore, we should never judge those who cannot understand it or those who do not feel like accepting it. If not, the possibility of having a log in our eye is for real!

To conclude, I pray very hard every day and ask God to give me the ability to see my attitude clearly, especially when I am judgmental and arrogant, so that I can transform myself with His mercy. I invite you to do the same!

Let us also pray very hard for our leaders, whether in our family, our Church, our government, or at work, that God may give them grace to see things spiritually, and lead us to a healthy, harmonious, and loving environment!

Most importantly, may God change our heart to be like His so that we can always speak the words of praise, humbleness, love, tolerance, and forgiveness!

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