Readings for Sunday, April 11, 2021 - Year/Sena B
Third Sunday of Easter
Lectionary: 47
It-Tielet Ħadd tal-Għid
Reading 1 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3:13-15, 17-19
Peter said to the people: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence when he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 3, 13-15.17-19
F’dak iż-żmien, Pietru qal lill-poplu: “Alla ta’ Abraham, Alla ta’ Iżakk, u Alla ta’ Ġakobb, Alla ta’ missirijietna gglorifika lill-qaddej tiegħu, Ġesù, li intom ittradejtuh u ċħadtuh quddiem Pilatu, għalkemm dan kien qatagħha li jitilqu. Intom ċħadtu l-Qaddis u l-Ġust, tlabtu l-ħelsien ta’ wieħed qattiel u qtiltu lill-awtur tal-ħajja. Imma Alla qajmu mill-imwiet, u ta’ dan aħna xhieda. Issa, ħuti, jiena naf li kemm intom u kemm il-kapijiet tagħkom, għamiltu dan għaliex ma kontux tafu. Imma b’hekk Alla temm dak li hu kien ħabbar sa minn qabel b’fomm il-profeti, jiġifieri, li l-Messija tiegħu kellu jbati. Indmu, mela, u erġgħu lura minn dnubietkom biex jinħafrulkom”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 4, 2.4.7.9
R/. (7a): Ixħet fuqna, Mulej, id-dawl ta’ wiċċek
Weġibni, meta nsejjaħlek,
Alla tal-ġustizzja tiegħi;
oħroġni fil-wisa’ meta nkun imdejjaq,
ħenn għalija u isma’ talbi. R/.
Kunu afu li l-Mulej
wera tjieba kbira miegħi;
jismagħni l-Mulej meta nsejjaħlu. R/.
Ħafna jgħidu: “Min jurina r-riżq?”.
Ixħet fuqna, Mulej, id-dawl ta’ wiċċek.
Nimtedd u norqod minnufih fis-sliem,
għax int waħdek, Mulej, fis-sod tqegħedni. R/.
Reading 2 1 JOHN 2:1-5a
My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.
QARI 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Ġwann Appostlu 2, 1-5a
Uliedi, dan qiegħed niktibhulkom biex ma tidinbux; imma jekk xi ħadd jidneb, aħna għandna Difensur quddiem il-Missier, lil Ġesù Kristu, il-ġust. U hu jħallas għal dnubietna, mhux għal tagħna biss, iżda wkoll għal dawk tad-dinja kollha. U b’dan nafu li nagħrfu ’l Ġesù: jekk inżommu l-kmandamenti tiegħu. Min jgħid: “Jiena nafu” u ma jżommx il-kmandamenti tiegħu, hu giddieb u l-verità mhijiex fih. Iżda kull min iżomm ilkelma tiegħu, fih hemm tassew l-imħabba ta’ Alla fil-milja tagħha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel LUKE 24:35-48
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them. He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Luqa 24, 35-48
F’dak iż-żmien, iż-żewġ dixxipli li reġgħu lura Ġerusalemm minn Għemmaws kienu qegħdin itarrfu lill-Ħdax u lil dawk li kienu magħħom xi ġralhom fit-triq, u kif kienu għarfu lil Ġesù fil-qsim tal-ħobż! Kif kienu għadhom jitkellmu, Ġesù nnifsu waqaf f’nofshom u qalilhom: “Is-sliem għalikom!” Huma twerwru bil-biża’ għax ħasbu li qegħdin jaraw xi fantażma. Iżda hu qalilhom: “Għaliex tħawwadtu? Għaliex dan it-tħassib kollu f’qalbkom? Araw idejja u riġlejja. Jiena hu! Missuni, u ifhmuha li l-ispirtu ma għandux laħam u għadam bħalma qegħdin taraw li għandi jien”. Huwa u jgħidilhom dan, uriehom idejh u riġlejh. Iżda billi huma, fil-ferħ tagħhom, kienu għadhom ma jridux jemmnu u baqgħu mistagħġba, qalilhom: “Għandkom xi ħaġa tal-ikel hawn?” Huma ressqulu quddiemu biċċa ħuta mixwija, u hu ħadha u kielha quddiemhom. Imbagħad qalilhom: “Meta kont għadni magħkom għedtilkom dawn il-kelmiet: jeħtieġ li jseħħ kull ma nkiteb fuqi fil-Liġi ta’ Mosè, fil-Profeti u fis-Salmi”. Imbagħad fetħilhom moħħhom biex jifhmu l-Iskrittura. U qalilhom: “Hekk kien miktub, li l-Messija jbati u fit-tielet jum iqum mill-imwiet, u li l-indiema għall-maħfra tad-dnubiet tixxandar f’ismu lill-ġnus kollha, ibda minn Ġerusalemm. Intom xhud ta’ dan”.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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by Fr Antony Kadavil
EASTER III - -
Adjusting our lives to His living presence
Introduction:
The common theme of this Sunday’s readings is the challenge to adjust our lives to the living presence of the risen Lord as we grow daily more aware of the presence of His Holy Spirit within us and surrounding us. This awareness should strengthen our hope in His promises, bring us to true repentance for our sins and the renewal of our lives, and lead us to bear witness to Christ by our works of charity. The readings also remind us that the purpose of the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus was to save us from our sins.
Scripture lessons:
The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, gives us Peter’s second sermon addressing the Jewish assembly at the Portico of Solomon in Jerusalem. Peter forcefully shows how the messianic prophecies have been fulfilled in the crucified and risen Jesus and challenges the Jews to repent and turn toward God so that their sins may be wiped away.
In the second reading, John answers doubts raised by the heretics of his time, asserting the fundamental Christian doctrine that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice offered as expiation for our sins.
Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ appearance on the evening of His Resurrection to his apostles who were in the locked Upper Room, the Cenacle. We see Jesus remove the doubts of his apostles about his Resurrection by inviting them to touch him and by eating a piece of cooked fish. Jesus explains how the prophecies have been fulfilled in him. Then he commissions them to bear witness to him and preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name” after receiving the Holy Spirit.
Life messages:
1) We need to share the apostles’ “Upper Room Experience” in the Holy Mass: The same Jesus who, in the Upper Room, the Cenacle, prepared the disciples for their preaching and witnessing mission, is present with us in the Eucharistic celebration. In the “Liturgy of the Word” of God, Jesus speaks to us. In the “Liturgy of the Eucharist,” Jesus becomes our spiritual food and drink. Thus, today’s Gospel scene is repeated every Sunday on our parish altars. Like the early disciples, we come together to repent of our sins, express our gratitude for blessings received, listen to God’s word, and offer our lives to God along with our petitions and His gifts of consecrated Bread and Wine. We also consume the spiritual food Jesus supplies, thus gaining the strength necessary for sharing Christ’s message with the entire world, mainly by living transparent Christian lives.
2) Jesus needs us as witnesses to continue his mission. Jesus needs Spirit-filled followers to be his eyes, ears, hands, and feet, to bear witness to his love, mercy and forgiveness by our interactions with our brother and sisters.
3) Our daily lives are meant to serve as a means for us to experience and share the risen Lord with others. Just as the disciples experienced the risen Lord in their community, let us learn to recognize the presence of Jesus in our own homes, social service centers, nursing facilities, hospitals, workplaces, and schools. Jesus wants us to be a community which shares and cares, a community which knows how to recognize Jesus in the poor, the marginalized, the sick – that is, in everyone – and does so.
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