The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 160
Solennità ta' Sidna Ġesù Kristu Sultan tal-Ħolqien Kollu
Reading 1 EZEKIEL 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.
Qari I mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 34, 11-12.15-17
Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: Arawni, hekk jien se nfittex in-nagħaġ tiegħi u nieħu ħsiebhom. Bħalma r-ragħaj jaħseb fil-merħla tiegħu meta jsib ruħu f’nofs in-nagħaġ imxerrda tiegħu, hekk naħseb jien fin-nagħaġ tiegħi, u nsalvahom minn kull fejn xterdu fi żmien is-sħab u s-swied tal-ajru. Jiena stess nirgħa n-nagħaġ tiegħi, u jiena nserraħhom. Oraklu ta’ Sidi l-Mulej. Jiena nfittex il-mitlufa, irreġġa’ lura l-imxerrda, ninfaxxa l-ġrieħi tal-miġrugħa, u nqawwi l-marida. Inħares is-smina u l-qawwija, u nirgħahom bil-ġustizzja. Imma għalik, merħla tiegħi, hekk jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: Ara, jiena nagħmel ħaqq bejn nagħġa u nagħġa, bejn imtaten u bdabad. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 22 (23), 1-2a.2b-3.5-6
R/. (1): Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni
Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi,
xejn ma jonqosni;
f’mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni. R/.
Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;
hemm hu jrejjaqni.
Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa
minħabba l-isem tiegħu. R/.
Int tħejji mejda għalija
quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.
Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,
u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli. R/.
Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena
il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajti.
U ngħammar f’dar il-Mulej
sakemm indum ħaj! R/.
Reading 2 1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Qari II mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 15, 20-26.28
Ħuti, Kristu kien imqajjem tassew mill-imwiet, l-ewwel frott fost dawk li raqdu. Għaliex, jekk permezz ta’ bniedem feġġet il-mewt, bi bniedem ukoll iseħħ il-qawmien mill-imwiet. Għax bħalma l-bnedmin kollha jmutu f’Adam, hekk ilkoll jiksbu l-ħajja fi Kristu. Imma kulħadd skond kif imissu; jibda l-ewwel frott li hu Kristu; wara, dawk li huma ta’ Kristu, f’jum il-miġja tiegħu. Imbagħad it-tmiem, meta Kristu jerħi s-saltna f’idejn Alla l-Missier, wara li jkun qered kull ħakma u kull setgħa u kull qawwa. Għax jeħtieġ li hu jsaltan sa ma jqiegħed l-għedewwa kollha taħt riġlejh. L-aħħar għadu li jinqered tkun il-Mewt. U meta kollox ikun imqiegħed taħtu, imbagħad l-Iben stess jitqiegħed taħt Dak li jkun qegħedlu kollox taħtu, sabiex Alla jkun kollox f’kollox. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MATTHEW 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 25, 31-46
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Meta jiġi Bin il-bniedem fil-glorja tiegħu u bl-anġli kollha miegħu, imbagħad joqgħod fuq it-tron glorjuż tiegħu. U quddiemu jinġabru l-ġnus kollha, u hu jifridhom minn xulxin, bħalma r-ragħaj jifred in-nagħaġ mill-mogħoż: in-nagħaġ iqegħedhom fuq il-lemin tiegħu u l-mogħoż fuq ix-xellug. Imbagħad is-Sultan jgħid lil dawk ta’ fuq il-lemin tiegħu: “Ejjew, imberkin minn Missieri, ħudu b’wirt tagħkom is-Saltna li tħejjiet għalikom sa mill-ħolqien tad-dinja. Għax jien kont bil-ġuħ u tmajtuni, kont bil-għatx u sqejtuni, kont barrani u lqajtuni, kont għeri u libbistuni, kont marid u ġejtu tarawni, kont fil-ħabs u ġejtu żżuruni”. Imbagħad iweġbuh il-ġusti: “Mulej, meta rajniek bil-ġuħ u tmajniek, jew bil-għatx u sqejniek? Meta rajniek barrani u lqajniek, jew għeri u libbisniek? Meta rajniek marid jew fil-ħabs u ġejna nżuruk?”. U s-Sultan iweġibhom u jgħid: “Tassew, ngħidilkom, kull ma għamiltu ma’ wieħed mill-iżgħar fost dawn ħuti, għamiltuh miegħi”. Imbagħad jgħid ukoll lil dawk ta’ fuq ix-xellug: “Morru minn quddiemi, misħutin, fin-nar ta’ dejjem li tħejja għax-xitan u għall-anġli tiegħu. Għax jien kont bil-ġuħ u ma tmajtunix, kont bil-għatx u ma sqejtunix, kont barrani u ma lqajtunix, kont għeri u ma libbistunix, kont marid u fil-ħabs u ma ġejtux iżżuruni!”. Imbagħad huma wkoll iweġbuh: “Mulej, meta rajniek bil-ġuħ, jew bil-għatx, jew barrani, jew għeri, jew marid, jew fil-ħabs, u aħna ma waqafniex miegħek?”. Iweġibhom imbagħad u jgħidilhom: “Tassew, ngħidilkom, dak li ma għamiltux ma’ wieħed min dawk iż-żgħar, anqas miegħi ma għamiltuh”. U dawn imorru fit-tbatija ta’ dejjem u l-ġusti fil-ħajja ta’ dejjem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
/////////////////////////////////////
Before Him All Nations Will be Gathered
Gospel Commentary by Cardinal-elect Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, Pontifical Household Preacher.
The Gospel of the last Sunday of the liturgical year presents us with the concluding moment of human history: Judgment Day. Jesus says in Matthew 25: “When the Son of man will come in glory with all his angels, he will sit upon the throne of glory, and before him all nations will be gathered and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”
The first message contained in this Gospel does not have to do with the form or the outcome of the judgment, but the fact that there will be a judgment, that the world does not come from chance and does not end in chance. This world begins with: “Let there be light ... Let us make man.” And ends with: “Come, blessed of my Father ... Depart from me, accursed ones.” At the beginning of the world and at its end there is a decision of an intelligent mind and a sovereign will.
This beginning of the millennium is characterized by a heated debate over evolutionism and creationism. Reduced to its essentials, on the one side there are those who, appealing -- not always rightly -- to Darwin, believe that the world is a fruit of blind evolution, dominated by natural selection, and, on the other side, those who, although they admit a form of evolution, see God at work in the evolutionary process itself.
Some time ago at the Vatican there was a plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which treated the theme "Scientific Insight Into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life." Distinguished scientists from around the world participated: some believers, some not, some were Nobel Prize recipients.
On the RAI 1 programme on the Gospel that I used to host I had interviewed one of the scientists, Professor Francis Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health in the US. I asked him: “If evolution is true, is there still room for God?” He answered: “Darwin was right in formulating his theory according to which we descend from a common ancestor and there have been gradual changes over long periods of time, but this is the mechanical aspect of how life came to form this fantastic panorama of diversity. This does not answer the question of why there is life.”
“There are aspects of humanity,” he continued, “that are not easily explained: Like our moral sense, the knowledge of good and evil that sometimes leads us to make sacrifices that are not dictated by the laws of evolution. These laws would suggest that we preserve ourselves at all costs. This is not a proof, but does it not perhaps indicate that God exists?”
I also asked Collins whether he had first believed in God or in Jesus Christ. He said: “Until the age of about 25 I was an atheist, I did not have a religious formation, I was a scientist who reduced almost everything to the equations and laws of physics. But as a doctor I began to meet people who were faced with the problem of life and death, and this made me think that my atheism was not an idea that had a basis. I began to read texts about rational arguments for faith that I did not know.
"First I arrived at the conviction that atheism was the least acceptable alternative, and little by little I came to the conclusion that a God must exist who created all of this, but I did not know about this God. This led me to conduct research to find out what the nature of God is, and I found it in the Bible and in the person of Jesus. After two years of research I decided that it was not more reasonable to resist and I became a follower of Jesus.”
A major promoter of evolutionism in our days is the Englishman Richard Dawkins, the author of the book “The God Delusion.” He is now promoting a public campaign to put placards on buses in English cities that read: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life.” If I put myself in the shoes of a parent with a handicapped, autistic or gravely sick child, or a farm worker who has lost his job, I wonder how such a person would react to that announcement: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy life!” "Probably": He doesn't even exclude the possibility that God could exist! But if God doesn't exist, the believer loses nothing. On the other hand, the nonbeliever loses everything.
The existence of evil and injustice in the world is certainly a mystery and a scandal, but without faith in a final judgment, it would be infinitely more absurd and more tragic. For many millennia of life on earth, man has become accustomed to everything; he has adapted to every climate, become immune to every disease. But there is one thing that he has not gotten used to: injustice. He continues to feel it intolerable. And it is to this thirst for justice that the universal judgment will respond.
Not only God will desire it, but, paradoxically, men will too, even the wicked ones. “On the day of the universal judgment, it will not only be the Judge who will descend from heaven,” the French poet Paul Claudel wrote, “but the whole earth will rush to the meeting.”
The solemnity of Christ the King, with the Gospel of the final judgment, responds to the most universal of human hopes. It assures us that injustice and evil will not have the last word and at the same time it calls on us to live in such a way that justice is not a condemnation for us, but salvation, and we can be those to whom Christ will say: "Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." [Translated from the Italian original by Joseph G. Trabbic]
////////////
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment