Readings for Sunday, March 7, 2021 - Year/Sena B
Lectionary: 29
It-Tielet Ħadd tar-Randan
Reading I EXODUS 20:1-17
In those days, God delivered all these commandments: “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain. “Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. “Honour your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”
F’dak iż-żmien, Alla tkellem u qal dan kollu lill-poplu: “Jiena hu l-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, li ħriġtek mill-art tal-Eġittu, minn dar il-jasar. Ma jkollokx allat oħra għajri. La tagħmilx għalik suriet minquxa u ebda xbieha ta’ ebda ħaġa li hemm fl-għoli tas-sema, jew isfel fl-art, jew fil-baħar taħt l-art. La tmilx quddiemhom: la tadurahomx għaliex jiena hu l-Mulej Alla tiegħek, Alla għajjur, li npatti l-ħażen tal-missirijiet fuq l-ulied sat-tielet u r-raba’ ġenerazzjoni lil dawk li jobogħduni; imma nagħder sal-elf nisel lil min iħobbni u jżomm il-kmadamenti tiegħi. La ssemmix l-isem tal-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, fix-xejn: għaliex lil min isemmi l-isem tiegħu fix-xejn, il-Mulej ma jħallihx bla kastig. Ftakar f’jum is-Sibt u qaddsu. Sitt ijiem taħdem u tagħmel kulma għandek tagħmel; imma s-seba’ jum hu jum il-mistrieħ f’ġieħ il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek. Dan il-jum ma tagħmel ebda xogħol, int, ibnek, il-qaddej u l-qaddejja tiegħek, il-bhejjem tiegħek, u l-barrani li jkun ġewwa bwiebek. Għax f’sitt ijiem il-Mulej għamel is-smewwiet u l-art; il-baħar u kulma hemm fihom, u strieħ fis-seba’ jum. Għalhekk il-Mulej bierek is-seba’ jum u qaddsu. Weġġaħ lil missierek u lil ommok, sabiex jitkattru jiemek fuq l-art li l-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, jagħtik. La toqtolx. La tagħmilx adulterju. La tisraqx. La tagħtix xhieda giddieba kontra għajrek. La tixtieqx dar għajrek: la tixtieqx il-mara ta’ għajrek, il-qaddej jew il-qaddejja tiegħu, l-għoġol jew il-ħmar tiegħu, u xejn minn kulma għandu għajrek”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 19:8, 9, 10, 11
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb. R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 18(19):8,9,10,11
R/. (Ġw 6:68ċ): Mulej, int għandek il-kliem tal-ħajja ta’ dejjem.
Il-liġi tal-Mulej perfetta, u tagħti l-ħajja; ix-xhieda tal-Mulej hi sewwa, u tgħallem lil min ma jafx. R/.
Il-preċetti tal-Mulej dritti,u jferrħu l-qalb;il-kmadament tal-Mulej safi,u jdawwal l-għajnejn. R/.
Il-biża’ tal-Mulej sinċier, u jibqa’ għal dejjem; il-ġudizzji tal-Mulej sewwa, u mseddqa għalkollox. R/.
Huma egħżeż mid-deheb, mid-deheb l-aktar fin, oħla mill-għasel u mill-qtar tax-xehda. R/.
Reading II 1 CORINTHIANS 1:22-25
Brothers and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ rucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
QARI II mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 1:22-25
Ħuti, il-Lhud jitolbu s-sinjali, u l-Griegi jfittxu l-għerf, imma aħna nxandru ’l Kristu msallab, skandlu għal-Lhud u bluha għall-Griegi; iżda għal dawk li huma msejħin, sew Lhud sew Griegi, Kristu huwa l-qawwa ta’ Alla u l-għerf ta’ Alla. Għax il-bluha ta’ Alla hija għarfa iktar mill-bnedmin, u d-dgħufija ta’ Alla hija aqwa mill-bnedmin. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel JOHN 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
Kien qorob l-Għid tal-Lhud, u Ġesù tela’ Ġerusalemm. Fit-tempju sab min qiegħed ibigħ barrin, nagħaġ u ħamiem, u min kien bilqiegħda jsarraf il-flus. Għamel sawt mill-ħbula, u keċċiehom ilkoll ’il barra mit-tempju, bin-nagħaġ u l-barrin tagħhom; xerred il-flus ta’ dawk li kien jsarrfu, u qalbilhom l-imwejjed. U lill-bejjiegħa tal-ħamiem qalilhom: “Warrbu dawn minn hawn, u dar Missieri tagħmluhiex dar tan-negozju!”. Id-dixxipli ftakru f’dak li kien hemm miktub fl-Iskrittura: “Il-ħeġġa għal darek fnietni”. Imbagħad il-Lhud qabdu u qalulu: “X’sinjal se turina li inti tista’ tagħmel dan?”. Ġesù weġibhom: “Ħottu dan it-tempju, u fi tlitt ijiem jien nerġa’ntellgħu”. Għalhekk il-Lhud qalulu: “Dan it-tempju ħa sitta u erbgħin sena biex inbena, u int se ttellgħu fi tlitt ijiem?”. Iżda hu tkellem fuq it-tempju tal-ġisem tiegħu. Meta mbagħad qam mill-imwiet, id-dixxipli tiegħu ftakru f’dak li kien qal, u emmnu fl-Iskrittura u fil-kliem li kien qal Ġesù. Waqt li kien Ġerusalemm għall-festa tal-Għid, kien hemm ħafna li emmnu f’ismu billi raw is-sinjali li kien jagħmel. Imma Ġesù, min-naħa tiegħu, ma kienx jafda fihom, għax hu kien jaf lil kulħadd u ma kellux bżonn min jagħtih xhieda fuq il-bniedem, għax hu stess kien jaf x’hemm fil-bniedem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Time to clean out the Temple of our own hearts
Introduction:
Today’s readings from Holy Scripture teach us that Lent is the ideal time to clean out the Temple of our own hearts and to offer to God proper Divine worship by obeying the Ten Commandments. They also teach us that our New Covenant with God demands that we should keep our parish Church holy and our Divine worship vibrant by our active participation in the liturgy with hearts cleansed by repentance, and holy by allowing the Holy Spirit to control our hearts and lives.
Scripture lessons summarized:
Today’s first reading teaches us that the Ten Commandments are the basis of our religious and spiritual life. Instead of restricting our freedom, the Commandments really help us to love and respect our God and our neighbours. The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 19) depicts the Mosaic Law’s life-enhancing attributes: it refreshes the soul and rejoices the heart; it is pure and true, more precious than gold. The second reading reminds us that we must appreciate the Divine “foolishness” of the crucified Christ and obey His commandment of love as our expression of Divine worship.
Today’s Gospel gives us the dramatic account of Jesus’ cleansing the Temple of its merchants and moneychangers, followed by a prediction of his death and Resurrection. The synoptic Gospels place the “cleansing of the Temple” immediately after Jesus’ triumphant arrival in Jerusalem on the back of a colt on Palm Sunday, while John places it at the beginning of his Gospel.
Jesus cleansed the Temple which King Herod began to renovate in 20 BC. The abuses which kindled the prophetic indignation of Jesus were the conversion of God’s Temple into a “noisy marketplace” by the animal merchants and into a “hideout of thieves” by the moneychangers with their grossly unjust business practices – sacrilege in God’s Holy Place. Jesus’ reaction to this commercialized Faith was fierce. Since no weapons were allowed inside the Temple, Jesus had to construct his own weapon, a whip of cords to drive out the merchants and moneychangers from the Court of the Gentiles.
Life messages:
1) We need to avoid a calculating mentality in Divine worship: Our relationship with God must be that of a child to his parent, one of mutual love, respect and a desire for the family’s good, with no thought of personal loss or gain. We are not supposed to think of God as a vending machine into which we put our sacrifices and good deeds to get back His blessings.
2) Let us remember that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit: St. Paul reminds us that we are God’s temples, body and soul, because the Spirit of God dwells in us. Hence, we have no right to desecrate God’s temple by impurity, injustice, pride, hatred, or jealousy. Let us be cleansed by asking God’s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
3) Let us love our parish Church as our “Father’s house” and use it: Let us make our Church, our “Heavenly Father’s house” a holier place by our active participation in the liturgy, by offering our time and talents in the various ministries and by our financial support for its maintenance and development.
////////////////////////////////////// http://frtonyshomilies.com/lent
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