What was kept secret is now revealed

« Sunday, July 21, 2019 »

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 108

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

Reading 1    Genesis 18:1-10a

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. When he saw  them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way." The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said." Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, "Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls." He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then Abraham got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before the three men; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" He replied, "There in the tent." One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son."

QARI I           mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 18, 1-10a

F’dak iż-żmien, 1il-Mulej deher lil Abraham ħdejn il-ballut ta’ Mamri; u hu kien fil-bieb tal-għarix fl-aqwa tas-sħana tal-jum. U rafa’ għajnejh u ħares, u ra tlitt irġiel weqfin quddiemu; u malli rahom mar jiġri jilqagħhom mill-bieb tal-għarix u nxteħet wiċċu fl-art quddiemhom. U qal: “Sidi, jekk jien sibt ħniena f’għajnejk, tibqax għaddej minn quddiem il-qaddej tiegħek. Ħa nġib ftit ilma u aħslu riġlejkom, u strieħu taħt is-siġra, sakemm inġibilkom gidma ħobż, biex titrejqu, imbagħad tibqgħu sejrin – għax għalhekk għaddejtu għand il-qaddej tagħkom”. U huma qalulu: “Tajjeb, agħmel kif għedt”. U Abraham ħaffef lejn l-għarix, ħdejn Sara, u qalilha: “Fittex lesti tliet sigħan smid, agħġnu u agħmlu ftajjar”. U Abraham mar jiġri ħdejn il-baqar u ħa għoġol tari u sabiħ, u tah lill-qaddej; u dan fittex ilestih. U ħa l-baqta u l-ħalib u l-għoġol li kien lesta, u qegħedhom quddiemhom. U hu baqa’ bilwieqfa quddiemhom taħt is-siġra, u huma bdew jieklu. U staqsewh: “Fejn hi Sara, martek?” U hu weġibhom: “Hemm fl-għarix”. U qallu: “Nerġa’ niġi għandek bħal dan iż-żmien sena, u ara, Sara martek ikollha iben”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm     Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 5

One who walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

and slanders not with his tongue.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

by whom the reprobate is despised,

while he honors those who fear the LORD.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

One who does these things

shall never be disturbed.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

SALM RESPONSORJALI       Salm 14 (15), 2-3ab. 3ċd-4ab. 5

R/. (1a): Mulej, min jgħammar fid-dar tiegħek?

Min jgħix bla ħtija u jagħmel it-tajjeb,

min jgħid is-sewwa f’qalbu;

min ma jqassasx bi lsienu. R/.

Min ma jagħmilx deni lil ġaru,

u ma jgħajjarx lil għajru;

min ma jistmax lill-bniedem ħażin,

imma jweġġaħ lil dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej. R/.

Min jislef u ma jitlobx imgħax,

u ma jixxaħħamx kontra min hu bla ħtija.

Min jagħmel dan qatt ma jitħarrek. R/.

Reading 2       Colossians 1:24-28

Brothers and sisters: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

QARI II        mill-Ittra lill-Kolossin 1, 24-28

Ħuti, jien issa nifraħ bit-tbatijiet tiegħi minħabba fikom, għaliex bihom jiena ntemm f’ġismi dak li jonqos mit-tbatijiet ta’ Kristu għall-ġisem tiegħu li hu l-Knisja. Tagħha jiena sirt ministru, skont ma tani nagħmel Alla għalikom, jiġifieri li nxandar b’mod sħiħ il-Kelma ta’ Alla, il-misteru li kien moħbi sa miż-żminijiet u l-ġenerazzjonijiet kollha, u li issa hu mgħarraf lill-qaddisin tiegħu. Lil dawn Alla ried jgħarrafhom kemm huwa kbir l-għana tal-glorja ta’ dan il-misteru fost il-pagani: Kristu hu fikom, it-tama tal-glorja tagħkom. Lilu aħna nħabbru lill-bnedmin kollha, u nwissu u ngħallmu lil kulħadd bl-għerf kollu biex inwasslu lil kull bniedem għall-perfezzjoni fi Kristu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "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."

EVANĠELJU        Qari skont San Luqa 10, 38-42

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù daħal f’raħal, u laqgħetu għandha waħda mara jisimha Marta. Din kellha oħtha, jisimha Marija, li niżlet bilqiegħda f’riġlejn il-Mulej tisimgħu x’kien qiegħed jgħid. Iżda Marta kienet moħħha fuq il-ħafna xogħol tad-dar. Imbagħad resqet u qaltlu: “Mulej, m’intix tara kif oħti ħalliet ix-xogħol kollu fuqi biss? Mela għidilha taqbad tagħmel xi ħaġa miegħi”. Qabeż il-Mulej u qalilha: “Marta, Marta! Inti taħseb wisq u tinkwieta fuq ħafna ħwejjeġ; imma waħda hi meħtieġa. U Marija għażlet l-aħjar sehem, li ma jitteħdilhiex”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

 

/////////   Father Cantalamessa on Jesus and His Friends

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

* * *

“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha was burdened with much serving.”   The village is Bethany and the house is that of Lazarus and his two sisters. Jesus loved to stop there and take some rest when he was traveling near Jerusalem.  

Mary was stupefied that for once she had the master all to herself and could listen in silence to the words of eternal life that he spoke when he was taking his rest. So she sat there at his feet, as is still done today in the East. It is not difficult to imagine Martha’s half-resentful, half-joking tone when, passing by them, she says to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”

It was at this point that Jesus said something that by itself is a mini Gospel: “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.”  The tradition has seen in the sisters a symbol of the active and the contemplative life respectively; the liturgy with the choice of the first reading (Abraham who welcomes the three angels at the terebinth of Mamre) shows an example of hospitality in the episode. 

I think, however, that the more evident theme is that of friendship. “Jesus loved Martha, together with her sister and Lazarus,” we read in John’s Gospel (11:5).  When they bring him the news of Lazarus’ death he says to his disciples: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I am going to wake him up” (John 11:11).  Faced with the sorrow of the two sisters he also breaks down and weeps, so much so that those who are present exclaim: “See how much he loved him!” (John 11:13).

It is wonderful and consoling to know that Jesus knew and cultivated that sentiment that is so beautiful and precious for us men — friendship.  Of friendship we must say what St. Augustine said of time: “I know what time is but if someone asks me to explain it, I no longer know what it is.” In other words, it is easier to intuit what friendship is that to explain it in words. 

It is a mutual attraction and deep understanding between two people, but it does not have a sexual component as does conjugal love. It is a union of two souls, not two bodies. In this sense the ancients said that friendship is to have “one soul in two bodies.” It can be a stronger bond than that of family. Family consists in having the same blood in one’s veins. In friendship one has the same tastes, ideals, interests.
It is essential to friendship that it is founded on a common search for the good and the true. That which binds people who get together to do evil is not friendship but complicity, it is “an association that corrupts,” as is said in judicial jargon. Friendship is also different from love of neighbour. The latter must embrace everyone, even those who do not return it, even enemies, while friendship demands reciprocity, that is, that the other corresponds to your love. 

Friendship is nourished by confidences, that is, by the fact that I confide in another that which is deepest and most personal in my thoughts and experiences.

Sometimes I say to young people: Do you want to find out who your true friends are and rank them? Try to remember what have been the most secret experiences of your life — positive or negative — and ask yourself to whom you confided them: those are your true friends. And if there is something in your life, so deep and you have revealed it to one person only, that person is your best friend. 

The Bible is full of praise of friendship. “A faithful friend is a strong support; whoever finds one has found a treasure” (Sirach 6:14ff.). The proof of friendship is fidelity.  According to a popular saying, “When the money goes, friends go.” True friendship does not fade at the friend’s first problem. We know who our true friend is during the time of trial. History is full of great friendships that have been immortalized in literature. But the history of Christian sanctity also knows examples of famous friendships.

A delicate problem with friendship is whether it is possible once one is married. It is not said that one must completely cut off all the friendships one has cultivated before getting married but there must be a rearrangement if the newlyweds are not to experience difficulties and crises. The surest friendships are those that a couple cultivates together. Among those friendships that are cultivated separately those with persons of the same sex create fewer problems than those with persons of the opposite sex. You cannot go out with friends every night leaving the other (usually the wife!) alone at home.

For consecrated persons, the more certain friendships are those that are shared with the whole community. In talking about Lazarus, Jesus does not say “my friend Lazarus” but “our friend Lazarus.” Lazarus and the sisters became friends of the apostles too according to the well-known principle, “My friends’ friends are my friends.” This is how the great friendships were between some saints — the one between Francis of Assisi and Clare, for example. Francis is the brother and father of all the sisters; Clare is the sister and mother of all the brothers.  ////////////