Learning by looking at the Master

«   July 28, 2019   »

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 111

Is-Sbatax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1    Genesis 18:20-32

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out." While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?  Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?  Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!  Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."  Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find f rty-five there." But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty." Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?"  He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." Still Abraham went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?" The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty." But he still persisted: "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?"  He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Qari I          mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 18, 20-32

F’dak iż-żmien il-Mulej qal: “L-għajta ta’ Sodoma u Gomorra hi tassew qawwija, u t-toqol ta’ dnubhom hu kbir. U issa se ninżel u nara jekk għamlux għalkollox skont l-għajta tagħhom li waslet għandi. Jekk le, inkun naf”. Dawk l-irġiel kisru minn hemm, u rħewlha lejn Sodoma; imma l-Mulej baqa’ wieqaf quddiem Abraham. Abraham resaq lejn il-Mulej u staqsieh: “U int se teqred it-tajjeb mal-ħażin? U jekk hemm ħamsin bniedem ġust f’nofs il-belt, jaqaw lil dawn se teqridhom u ma taħfirx lill-pajjiż minħabba l-ħamsin ġust li hemm f’nofsha? Ma jkun qatt li inti tagħmel ħaġa bħal din, li toqtol il-bniedem ġust mal-ħażin, u l-ġust u l-ħażin tmisshom l-istess xorti. Ma jkun qatt minnek, l-imħallef tal-art kollha, li ma tagħmilx ġustizzja”. U l-Mulej wieġeb: “Jekk jiena nsib ħamsin bniedem ġust f’nofs il-belt, jien naħfirha lill-post kollu minħabba fihom”. Wieġeb Abraham u qal: “Arani, jien issugrajt nitkellem mal-Mulej, għalkemm jien trab u rmied. U jekk hemm nieqsa ħamsa għall-ħamsin ġust, minħabba ħamsa u erbgħin se teqred il-belt kollha?”. U wieġbu l-Mulej: “Ma neqridhiex jekk insib fiha ħamsa u erbgħin”. Imma Abraham kompla jitkellem miegħu u jgħidlu: “U jekk issib hemm erbgħin?” U wieġbu: “Ma nagħmilx dan, minħabba l-erbgħin”. Qal Abraham: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa’ nitkellem: u jekk jinstabu tletin?” U hu wieġeb: “Ma nagħmilx dan, jekk insib hemm tletin”. U raġa’ qallu: “Ara kif nissogra nkellem lil Sidi: U jekk jinstabu hemm għoxrin?” U l-Mulej wieġeb: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba l-għoxrin”. U wieġeb: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa’ nitkellem darba oħra biss: U jekk jinstabu hemm għaxra?” U hu qallu: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba l-għaxra”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

  

Responsorial Psalm      Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8   

 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, 

for you have heard the words of my mouth; 

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; 

I will worship at your holy temple 

and give thanks to your name. 

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

 Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

 Salm Responsorjali        Salm 137 (138), 1-2a. 2bċ-3. 6-7ab. 7ċ-8

R/. (3a): Meta sejjaħtlek, int weġibtni, Mulej

Irroddlok ħajr, Mulej, b’qalbi kollha,

għaliex int smajt kliem fommi.

Quddiem l-allat irrid ngħannilek.

B’wiċċi fl-art ninxteħet quddiem is-santwarju tiegħek. R/.

Irroddlok ħajr għat-tjieba u l-fedeltà tiegħek,

għax int kabbart ismek u kelmtek fuq kollox.

Meta sejjaħtlek, int weġibtni,

kattarli l-qawwa f’ruħi. R/.

Kbir il-Mulej, imma jieħu ħsieb iż-żgħar;

u, għalkemm fl-għoli, jagħraf mill-bogħod.

Jekk insib ruħi fl-għali, inti tħarisli ħajti;

terfa’ idek kontra l-għedewwa tiegħi. R/.

Il-leminija tiegħek issalvani mill-qilla tagħhom.

Il-Mulej iżomm kelmtu miegħi.

It-tjieba tiegħek, Mulej, tibqa’ għal dejjem;

la titlaqx għemil idejk! R/.

  

Reading 2     Colossians 2:12-14

Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions;  obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Qari II         mill-Ittra lill-Kolossin 2, 12-14

Ħuti, intom indfintu ma’ Kristu bil-magħmudija u rxuxtajtu miegħu permezz tal-fidi tagħkom fil-qawwa ta’ Alla li qajmu mill-imwiet. Kontu mejta minħabba dnubietkom u għax ma kellkomx iċ-ċirkonċiżjoni f’ġisimkom; imma issa Alla takom il-ħajja flimkien ma’ Kristu: Ħafrilna dnubietna kollha. Ħassar il-kont tad-dejn li kellna bl-obbligi li kien hemm kontrina; neħħieh min-nofs u sammru mas-salib.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel        Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you,if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.  "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?  Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Evanġelju         Qari skont San Luqa 11, 1-13

Darba Ġesù kien qiegħed xi mkien jitlob. Kif spiċċa mit-talb, wieħed mid-dixxipli tiegħu qallu: “Mulej, għallimna nitolbu, bħalma Ġwanni wkoll għallem lid-dixxipli tiegħu”. U qalilhom: “Meta titolbu, għidu: “Missier, jitqaddes ismek, tiġi Saltnatek. Ħobżna ta’ kuljum agħtina kuljum. U aħfrilna dnubietna, għax aħna wkoll naħfru lil kull min hu ħati għalina, u la ddaħħalniex fit-tiġrib”.“ Qalilhom ukoll: “Wieħed minnkom ikollu ħabib li jiġih f’nofs ta’ lejl u jgħidlu: “Ħabib, islifni tliet ħobżiet, għax ġie għandi wieħed ħabib tiegħi mill-vjaġġ u ma għandix x’nagħtih”. U l-ieħor iwieġbu minn ġewwa u jgħidlu: “Iddejjaqnix; issa l-bieb magħluq, u wliedi qegħdin fis-sodda miegħi; ma nistax inqum nagħtik”. Ngħidilkom jien, li jekk ma jqumx jagħtih għax ħabib tiegħu, iqum u jagħtih kulma jkollu bżonn minħabba l-wiċċ sfiq tiegħu. U jiena ngħidilkom: Itolbu u jingħatalkom, fittxu u ssibu, ħabbtu u jiftħulkom. Għax min jitlob, jaqla’; min ifittex, isib; u min iħabbat, jiftħulu.  Min hu dak il-missier fostkom li, jekk ibnu jitolbu ħuta, minflok ħuta jagħtih serp? Inkella jekk jitolbu bajda jagħtih skorpjun? Mela jekk intom, nies ħżiena bħalkom, tafu tagħtu lil uliedkom ħwejjeġ tajba, kemm aktar il-Missier mis-smewwiet jagħti spirtu qaddis lil dawk li jitolbuhulu!” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

/////////    Father Cantalamessa on Jesus’ Prayer

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday’s liturgy.

* * *

Sunday’s Gospel begins with these words: “Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.'”

We can get an idea of what Jesus’ countenance and his whole person looked like when he prayed by considering the fact that his disciples, just watching him pray, fell in love with prayer and asked the Master to teach them to pray. Jesus responds to them, as we have just now heard, by teaching them the Our Father.

Again in our commentary for this Sunday we will draw inspiration for our reflections on the Gospel from Benedict XVI’s book on Jesus. “Without the rootedness in God,” the Pope writes, “the person of Jesus remains elusive, unreal and inexplicable. This is the point on which my book is based: It considers Jesus from the perspective of his communion with the Father. This is the true center of his personality.”

These claims are amply justified by the Gospels. Therefore, no one can deny that historically the Jesus of the Gospels lives and works in continual reference to the heavenly Father, that he prays and teaches how to pray, that he bases everything on faith in God. If this dimension is taken away from the Jesus of the Gospels, nothing is left of him.

From this historical evidence there follows a fundamental consequence and that is that it is not possible to know the true Jesus if we detach from faith, if we try to approach him as nonbelievers or declared atheists. I am not speaking at this point of faith in Christ, in his divinity (which comes later), but of faith in God, in the most common understanding of the term.

Many nonbelievers today write about Jesus, convinced that they are the ones who know the real Jesus, not the Church, not the believers. I do not have the intention of saying — nor does the Pope, I believe — that nonbelievers have no right to concern themselves with Jesus. Jesus is the “patrimony of humanity” and no one, not even the Church, has a monopoly on him. The fact that even nonbelievers write about Jesus and are passionate about him can only give us pleasure.

What I want to draw attention to are the consequences that follow from such a point of departure. If we detach from or deny faith in God, it is not only divinity that is eliminated or the so-called Christ of faith, but the historical Jesus is also completely eliminated, not even the man Jesus is left.

If God does not exist, Jesus is only one of the many deluded people who have prayed, worshipped, and spoken to their own shadow or the projection of their own essence, as Feuerbach would say. But how do we explain the fact that the life of this man “changed the world”? It would be like saying that truth and reason did not change the world but illusion and irrationality. How do we explain that after 2,000 years this man continues to affect us like no one else? Can all of that be the fruit of an equivocation, of an illusion?

There is but one way out of this dilemma and we must acknowledge the consistency of those (especially in the circle of the “Jesus Seminar” of California) who have taken that route. According to them, Jesus was not a Jewish believer; at bottom he was a philosopher of the Cynic type; he did not preach the kingdom of God, or an immanent end of the world; he only pronounced wise maxims in the style of a Zen master. His purpose was to restore in men their self-awareness, to convince them that they did not need him nor another god, because they themselves possessed a divine spark. These are the things, however, that the New Age movement has been preaching for decades.

The Pope understood it correctly: Without the rootedness in God, the figure of Jesus is elusive, unreal, and, I would add, contradictory. I do not think that this must be taken to mean that only those who interiorly adhere to Christianity can understand something about it; but it should put those on guard who think that only by being outside of it, outside the dogmas of the Church, can something objective be said about it.  /////////