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Sunday, April 12 »
Easter
Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
Lectionary:
42
L-Għid
il-Kbir tal-Qawmien tal-Mulej mill-Imwiet
Solennità
- Quddiesa tal-Jum
Reading
1 Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Peter
proceeded to speak and said: "You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning
in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing
all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all
that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to
death by hanging him on a tree. This man
God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the
people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank
with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to the
people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living
and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes
in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name."
Qari I mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 10, 34a.37-43
F’dak
iż-żmien, Pietru qabad jitkellem u qal: “Intom tafu b’dak li ġara mal-Lhudija
kollha, ibda mill-Galilija, wara li Ġwanni kien xandar il-magħmudija; tafu kif
Alla kkonsagra lil Ġesù ta’ Nazaret bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u bil-qawwa, u kif dan
Ġesù għadda jagħmel il-ġid u jfejjaq lil dawk kollha li kienu maħkuma
mix-xitan, għax Alla kien miegħu. U aħna xhud ta’ dak kollu li hu għamel fl-art
tal-Lhudija u f’Ġerusalemm. Tawh il-mewt billi dendluh mal-għuda tas-salib;
imma Alla qajmu mill-imwiet fit-tielet jum u għamel li hu jidher, mhux lil
kulħadd, imma lix-xhieda li Alla għażel minn qabel, lilna, li miegħu kilna u
xrobna wara l-qawmien tiegħu mill-imwiet. Lilna ordnalna biex inxandruh
lill-poplu u nixhdu li dan hu dak li Alla għamlu mħallef tal-ħajjin u
tal-mejtin. Il-profeti kollha jixhdu għalih u jgħidu li kull min jemmen fih
jaqla’ l-maħfra tad-dnubiet bis-saħħa ta’ ismu”.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial
Psalm Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23.
Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his
mercy endures forever.
Let the
house of Israel say,
“His mercy
endures forever.”
R. This is
the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad..
“The right
hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right
hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall
not die, but live,
and
declare the works of the LORD.”
R. This is
the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
The stone
which the builders rejected
has become
the cornerstone.
By the
LORD has this been done;
it is
wonderful in our eyes.
R. This is
the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 117 (118), 1-2.16ab-17. 22-23
Salm R/.
(24): Dan hu l-jum li għamel il-Mulej;
ħa nifirħu
u nithennew fih. Hallelujah
Faħħru
lill-Mulej, għaliex hu tajjeb,
għax għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu!
Ħa jgħidu
wlied Iżrael:
“Għal
dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu”. R/.
Il-leminija
tal-Mulej ’il fuq merfugħa,
il-leminija
tal-Mulej għamlet ħwejjeġ ta’ ħila!
Ma mmutx,
imma nibqa’ ngħix,
u nħabbar
l-għemejjel tal-Mulej. R/.
Il-ġebla
li warrbu l-bennejja
saret
il-ġebla tax-xewka.
Bis-saħħa
tal-Mulej seħħ dan:
ħaġa
tal-għaġeb f’għajnejna. R/.
Reading
2 Col 3:1-4
Brothers
and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where
Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what
is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
Or
I
Cor 5:6b-8
Brothers
and sisters: Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear
out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as
you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore,
let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Qari II mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl lill-Kolossin 3, 1-4
Ħuti, jekk
intom irxuxtajtu ma’ Kristu, fittxu l-ħwejjeġ tas-sema, fejn Kristu qiegħed fuq
il-lemin ta’ Alla. Aħsbu fil-ħwejjeġ tas-sema, mhux f’dawk tal-art. Għax intom
mittu, imma ħajjitkom hi moħbija flimkien ma’ Kristu f’Alla. Meta jidher
Kristu, li hu l-ħajja tagħkom, imbagħad intom ukoll tidhru flimkien miegħu
fil-glorja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Jew
Qari II mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Pawl lill-Korintin 5,
6b-8
Ħuti, ma tafux li ftit ħmira ttalla’ l-għaġna
kollha? Tnaddfu mill-ħmira l-qadima ħalli tkunu għaġna ġdida, kif intom bla
ħmira. Il-Ħaruf tal-Għid tagħna, li hu Kristu, hu maqtul! Nagħmlu festa, mhux
bil-ħmira l-qadima, anqas bil-ħmira tal-qerq u tal-ħażen, imma bil-ħobż bla
ħmira tas-safa u tas-sewwa. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Sequence: Victimae paschali
laudes
Christians,
to the Paschal Victim
Offer your
thankful praises!
A Lamb the
sheep redeems;
Christ,
who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and
life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince
of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak,
Mary, declaring
What you
saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb
of Christ, who is living,
The glory
of Jesus’ resurrection;
bright
angels attesting,
The shroud
and napkin resting.
Yes,
Christ my hope is arisen;
to Galilee he goes before you.”
Christ
indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have
mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Sekwenza
Ħa jgħollu
l-insara b’tifħirhom
il-Vittma
tal-Għid:
għax feda
l-Ħaruf in-nagħaġ tiegħu
mill-jasar
tal-mewt;
Ġesù raġa’
ħabbeb il-midneb
ma’ Alla
l-Missier.
F’taqbida
tal-għaġeb mal-Ħajja
inqerdet
il-Mewt;
u qam Sid
il-ħajja mill-qabar,
isaltan
rebbieħ.
“Għidilna,
Marija, ħabbrilna:
fit-triq
lil min rajt?”
“Jien rajt
qabar Kristu li rxoxta
fis-sebħ
tal-qawmien;
rajt
l-Anġli li ġew jagħtu xhieda,
il-faxxa,
il-liżar.
Irxoxta
mill-mewt Kristu Sidi,
li fih
ittamajt!
Mar hu
l-Galilija qabilkom:
hemmhekk
se tarawh”.
O, nemmnu
li llum Kristu rxoxta
tassew
mill-imwiet!
Int mela,
Sultan, ħenn għalina,
O Kristu
rebbieħ.
Ammen!
Hallelujah!
Gospel
John 20:1-9
On the
first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it
was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to
Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They
have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So
Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but
the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent
down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter
arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and
the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up
in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had
arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet
understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
Evanġelju Qari
skond San Ġwann Ġw 20, 1-9
Kien
l-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, filgħodu kmieni kif kien għadu d-dlam, u Marija ta’
Magdala ġiet ħdejn il-qabar u rat il-blata mneħħija mill-qabar. Għalhekk telqet
tiġri għand Xmun Pietru u għand id-dixxiplu l-ieħor li kien iħobb Ġesù, u
qaltilhom: “Qalgħu lill-Mulej mill-qabar, u ma nafux fejn qegħduh!”.Pietru u
d-dixxiplu l-ieħor ħarġu u ġew ħdejn il-qabar. It-tnejn ġrew flimkien, imma
d-dixxiplu l-ieħor ħaffef aktar minn Pietru u laħaq qablu ħdejn il-qabar.
Tbaxxa, u ra l-faxex tal-għażel imqiegħda hemm, iżda ma daħalx. Imbagħad wasal
warajh Xmun Pietru, daħal fil-qabar, u ra l-faxex tal-għażel imqiegħda hemm, u
l-maktur li kien madwar rasu; dan ma kienx mal-faxex, imma mitwi u mqiegħed
f’post għalih. Imbagħad id-dixxiplu l-ieħor, li kien wasal l-ewwel ħdejn
il-qabar, daħal hu wkoll, ra, u emmen. Sa dakinhar kienu għadhom ma fehmux
l-Iskrittura li tgħid li kellu jqum mill-imwiet. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
/////////////////////////////////////
“The
Lord Is Risen and Was Seen Alive”
Here
is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin
Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings for Easter Sunday’s liturgy.
*
* *
There are
men — we see this in the phenomenon of suicide bombers — who die for a
misguided or even evil cause, mistakenly retaining, but in good faith, that the
cause is a worthy one. Even Christ’s
death does not testify to the truth of his cause, but only the fact that he
believed in its truth. Christ’s death is the supreme witness of his charity,
but not of his truth. This truth is adequately testified to only by the
Resurrection. “The faith of Christians,” says St. Augustine, “is the
resurrection of Christ. It is no great thing to believe that Jesus died; even
the pagans believe this, everyone believes it. The truly great thing is to
believe that he is risen.”
Keeping to
the purpose that has guided us up to this point, we must leave faith aside for
the moment and attend to history. We would like to try to respond to the
following question: Can Christ’s resurrection be defined as a historical event,
in the common sense of the term, that is, did it “really happen”?
There are
two facts that offer themselves for the historian’s consideration and permit
him to speak of the Resurrection: First, the sudden and inexplicable faith of
the disciples, a faith so tenacious as to withstand even the trial of
martyrdom; second, the explanation of this faith that has been left by those
who had it, that is, the disciples. In the decisive moment, when Jesus was
captured and executed, the disciples did not entertain any thoughts about the
resurrection. They fled and took Jesus’ case to be closed.
In the
meantime something had to intervene that in a short time not only provoked a
radical change of their state of soul, but that led them to an entirely
different activity and to the founding of the Church. This “something” is the
historical nucleus of Easter faith.
The oldest
testimony to the Resurrection is Paul’s: “For I delivered to you first of all
that which I also received: That Christ died for our sins, according to the
Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again according to the
Scriptures; and that he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven. “Then
he was seen by more than 500 brethren at once, of whom many are still with us
and some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen by James, then by all the
apostles. And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due
time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
These
words were written around A.D. 56 or 57. But the core of the text is
constituted by an anterior faith that Paul himself says he received from
others. Keeping in mind that Paul learned of these things immediately after his
conversion, we can date them to about A.D. 35, that is, five or six years after
the death of Christ. It is thus a testimony of rare historical value.
The
accounts of the Evangelists were written some decades later and reflect a later
phase in the Church’s reflection. But the core of the testimony remains
unchanged: The Lord is risen and was seen alive. To this a new element is
added, perhaps determined by an apologetic preoccupation, and so of minor
historical value: The insistence on the fact of the empty tomb. Even for the
Gospels, the appearances of the Risen Christ are the decisive facts.
The
appearances, nevertheless, testify to a new dimension of the Risen Christ, his
mode of being “according to the Spirit,” which is new and different with
respect to his previous mode of existing, “according to the flesh.” For
example, he cannot be recognized by whoever sees him, but only by those to whom
he gives the ability to know him. His corporeality is different from what it
was before. It is free from physical laws: It enters and exits through closed
doors; it appears and disappears.
According
to a different explanation of the Resurrection, one advanced by Rudolf Bultmann
and still proposed today, what we have here are psychogenetic visions, that is,
subjective phenomena similar to hallucinations. But this, if it were true,
would constitute in the end a greater miracle than the one that such
explanations wish to deny. It supposes that in fact different people, in
different situations and locations, had the same impression, the same
halucination.
The
disciples could not have deceived themselves: They were specific people —
fishermen — not at all given to visions. They did not believe the first ones;
Jesus almost has to overpower their resistance: “O foolish men, and slow of
heart to believe!” They could not even want to deceive others. All of their interests
opposed this; they would have been the first to feel themselves deceived by
Jesus. If he were not risen, to what purpose would it have been to face
persecution and death for him? What material benefit would they have drawn from
it?
If the
historical character of the Resurrection — that is, its objective, and not only
subjective, character — is denied, the birth of the Church and of the faith
become an even more inexplicable mystery than the Resurrection itself. It has
been justly observed that “the idea that the imposing edifice of the history of
Christianity is like an enormous pyramid balanced upon an insignificant fact is
certainly less credible than the assertion that the entire event — and that
also means the most significant fact within this — really did occupy a place in
history comparable to the one that the New Testament attributes to it.” Where
does the historical research on the Resurrection arrive? We can see it in the
words of the disciples of Emmaus: Some disciples went to Jesus’ tomb Easter
morning and they found that things were as the women had said who had gone
their before them, “but they did not see him.” History too must take itself to
Jesus’ tomb and see that things are as the witnesses have said. But it does not
see the Risen One. It is not enough to observe matters historically. It is
necessary to see the Risen Christ, and this is something history cannot do;
only faith can.
The angel
who appeared to the women Easter morning said to them: “Why do you seek the
living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5). I must confess that at the end of these
reflections I feel that this rebuke is also directed at me. It is as if the
angel were to say to me: “Why do you waste time seeking among dead human and
historical arguments, the one who is alive and at work in the Church and in the
world? Go instead and tell his brothers that he is risen.”
If it were
up to me, that is the only thing I would do. I quit teaching the history of
Christian origins 30 years ago to dedicate myself to proclaiming the Kingdom of
God, but now when I am faced with radical and unfounded denials of the truth of
the Gospels, I have felt obliged to take up the tools of my trade again.
This is
why I have decided to use these commentaries on the Sunday Gospels to oppose a
tendency often motivated by commercial interests and help those who may read my
observations to form an opinion about Jesus that is less influenced by the clamour
of the advertising world.
* * ** * *
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