"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. " (John 12)
Photo copyright : John R Portelli

Friday 18 September 2020

A call to be generous always!

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 133

Il-Ħamsa u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena


Reading 1     ISAIAH 55:6-9

Seek the LORD while he may be found,call him while he is near.Let the scoundrel forsake his way,and the wicked his thoughts;let him turn to the LORD for mercy;to our God, who is generous in forgiving.For my thoughts are not your thoughts,nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.As high as the heavens are above the earth,so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Qari I     mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 55, 6-9 

Fittxu l-Mulej sakemm tistgħu ssibuh, sejħulu sakemm hu fil-qrib! Ħa jħalli triqtu l-midneb, u l-bniedem il-ħażin fehmietu; ħa jerġa’ lura għand il-Mulej u jħenn għalih, għand Alla tagħna għax hu jaħfer ħafna.Il-fehmiet tiegħi m’humiex fehmietkom, u t-triqat tiegħi m’humiex triqatkom. Oraklu tal-Mulej. Għax daqs kemm huma ogħla s-smewwiet mill-art,daqshekk ieħor huma triqati ’l fuq minn triqatkom, u l-fehmiet tiegħi mill-fehmiet tagħkom.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm    PSALM 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

Every day will I bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him to all who call upon him in truth.R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Salm Responsorjali    Salm 144 (145), 2-3.8-9.17-18

R/. (18a): Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlu

Kuljum irrid inbierkek, u nfaħħar ismek għal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Kbir il-Mulej, ta’ min ifaħħru bil-bosta, bla tarf il-kobor tiegħu. R/.

Twajjeb u ħanin il-Mulej, idum biex jagħdab u kollu tjieba, Twajjeb ma’ kulħadd il-Mulej, tjubitu fuq kull ma għamel. R/.

Ġust il-Mulej fl-imġiba tiegħu kollha, twajjeb f’dak kollu li għamel. Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlulejn  kull min isejjaħlu fis-sewwa. R/.

Reading 2      PHILIPPIANS 1:20C-24, 27A

Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh,that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ,for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Qari II     mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 1, 20c-24.27a

Ħuti, Kristu jkun imsebbaħ fil-ġisem tiegħi, sew jekk ngħix u sew jekk immut. Għax għalija l-ħajja hi Kristu, u l-mewt hi rebħ. Jekk għandi nibqa’ ħaj fil-ġisem, dan ifisser li għandi nagħti l-frott tax-xogħol tiegħi. X’naqbad nagħmel ma nafx; ninsab bejn ħaltejn. Min-naħa l-waħda, nixtieq nintemm u nkun ma’ Kristu, li jkun ħafna aħjar għalija; min-naħa l-oħra, jekk nibqa’ ngħix fil-ġisem, ikun ħafna aħjar għalikom. Ħaġa waħda ngħidilkom: ġibu ruħkom kif jixraq lill-Evanġelju ta’ Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      MATTHEW 20:1-16A

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock,the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,and I will give you what is just.’So they went off. And he went out again around noon,and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock,the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,beginning with the last and ending with the first.’When those who had started about five o’clock came,each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,‘These last ones worked only one hour,and you have made them equal to us,who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’He said to one of them in reply,‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Evanġelju            skond San Mattew Matt 20, 1-16

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu din il-parabbola: "Is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet tixbah lil wieħed sid li ħareġ filgħodu kmieni ħafna biex isib nies tax-xogħol u jħaddimhom fl-għalqa tiegħu tad-dwieli. Ftiehem ma’ xi ħaddiema b’dinar kull jum u bagħathom l-għalqa. Ħareġ ukoll madwar it-tielet siegħa, ra oħrajn qegħdin fil-pjazza, bla xogħol, u qalilhom: “Morru intom ukoll l-għalqa, u nagħtikom li jkun ħaqqkom”. U marru. Raġa’ ħareġ għal xi s-sitt siegħa u mbagħad għal xi d-disgħa siegħa, u għamel l-istess. Għall-ħabta tal-ħdax-il siegħa raġa’ ħareġ u sab oħrajn qiegħda, u qalilhom: "Għaliex qegħdin hawn il-jum kollu ma tagħmlu xejn?”. Qalulu: “Għax ħadd ma qabbadna”. Qalilhom: “Morru intom ukoll l-għalqa”.Għal fil-għaxija mbagħad sid l-għalqa qal lill-prokuratur tiegħu: "Sejjaħ lill-ħaddiema u ħallashom, ibda minn dawk li ġew l-aħħar u spiċċa b’dawk tal-ewwel". Ġew dawk li daħlu għax-xogħol fil-ħdax-il siegħa u ħadu dinar kull wieħed. Ġew tal-ewwel, u stennew li kienu se jirċievu iktar, iżda huma wkoll ħadu dinar kull wieħed. Huma u jitħallsu qabdu jgemgmu kontra s-sid u jgħidu: “Dawn tal-aħħar siegħa waħda għamlu, u int qisthom bħalna li tgħabbejna bil-piż tal-jum u s-sħana!”.Qabeż is-sid u qal lil wieħed minnhom: "Ħabib, minn xejn ma nqastek jien; mhux b’dinar ftehemt miegħi? Ħu li jmissek u itlaq. Lil dan tal-aħħar irrid nagħtih daqs kemm tajt lilek. Ma nistax nagħmel li rrid bi ħwejġi jien? Jew qiegħed tgħir għax jien qalbi tajba?”. Hekk tal-aħħar jiġu l-ewwel, u tal-ewwel jiġu l-aħħar”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Why be envious because I am generous? 

Catholic gospel inspirations -  by Joseph of Jesus and Mary

In the parable of the labourers for the vineyard and also in the parable of the prodigal son, I want to stress the great Divine Mercy, so that you take it as the model for your generosity and mercy.

It is so easy to receive and indeed you receive so much daily, in fact you have been receiving daily all of your life. But when it comes to give, everyone becomes mean and possessive, then generosity is given with restrain. "This is not what I teach, since I teach by my actions. I am the giver of all gifts."

I have said "give and you shall be given, be merciful and mercy will be shown to you“; so whatever you do for the least of my brothers will receive a reward. I assure you, you will always be rewarded for your generosity.

"Whatever work you do in my kingdom will be repaid according to my mercy, not according to your measure. I forgave the thief on the cross who accepted me as his saviour and who asked me to remember him when I entered my kingdom. He received the great gift that many virtuous men seek so eagerly and at such a cost with a simple act of faith and humility.

"You should rejoice and be glad because of my great mercy. I died on the cross to forgive everyone who comes to me with sincerity, asking pardon for their sins and with a desire to amend their lives.

"I don’t discriminate sinners, on the contrary, I have died for them and I would die again if it were necessary to bring them to me. I am the saviour of the world, my job is to forgive and to save, I want everyone to benefit from my mercy, I want everyone to be saved.

"The only condition for my salvation is humble repentance. I am willing to save even those to whom the world condemns; I am the God of the outcast, the rejected, the poor, and the sinful who are desperately in need of conversion."

For this reason Jesus calls everyone to be generous as He is generous, to help others as He helps everyone. Share with others as much as you can, pray for sinners so that they also obtain the rewards that you yourself expect, do not discriminate, do not underestimate anyone.

At the last moment there will be great confusion, because some who expected to be first will be last and the last will be the first.

In the meantime work diligently for the kingdom of heaven. Be good without measure, when you have to do something for someone remember that you are doing it for the Lord, when you see someone in need do not hesitate to help. Now you know that whatever you do for others you will be doing it for Him. So, love one another "as I have loved you."

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