Readings for Sunday, September 5th, 2021 - Year/Sena B
It-Tlieta u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 ISAIAH 35:4-7a
Thus says the LORD: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
QARI I mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 35:4-7a
Għidu lil dawk b’qalbhom imbeżżgħa: “Agħmlu l-ħila, la tibżgħux! Araw, Alla tagħkom ġej jitħallas; il-ħlas ta’ Alla wasal; hu stess ġej biex isalvakom”. Imbagħad jinfetħu għajnejn l-għomja, jinfetħu widnejn it-torox. Imbagħad iz-zopp jaqbeż bħal għażżiela u lsien l-imbikkma jinħall bil-ferħ. Iva, igelgel l-ilma fid-deżert, u l-widien fix-xagħri. L-art maħruqa tinbidel f’għadira, u l-art niexfa f’għejun ta’ ilma ġieri. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-1
The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 145(146):7,8-9a,9bċ,10
R/. (1): Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Il-Mulej iżomm kelmtu għal dejjem,
jagħmel ħaqq lill-maħqurin,
u jagħti l-ħobż lill-imġewħin.
Il-Mulej jeħles lill-imjassrin. R/.
Il-Mulej jiftaħ għajnejn l-għomja;
il-Mulej jerfa’ lill-milwijin;
il-Mulej iħobb lill-ġusti;
il-Mulej iħares lill-barranin. R/.
Hu li jżomm lill-iltim u lill-armla,
imma lill-ħżiena jħarbtilhom triqathom.
Il-Mulej isaltan għal dejjem;
Alla tiegħek, Sijon, minn nisel għal nisel. R/.
Reading 2 JAMES 2:1-5
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please, ”while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
QARI 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Ġakbu Appostlu 2:1-5
Ħuti, tħalltux il-fidi f’Ġesù Kristu, il-Mulej tagħna tal-glorja, mal-ħarsien lejn l-uċuħ. Għax jekk fil-laqgħat tagħkom jidħol xi ħadd biċ-ċrieket tad-deheb f’subgħajh u bi lbies ilellex, imbagħad jidħol xi ħadd ieħor fqir liebes imċerċer, u intom idduru ma’ dak bl-ilbies ilellex u tgħidulu: “Int oqgħod komdu bilqiegħda”, waqt li lill-fqir tgħidulu: “Int oqgħod bilwieqfa”, jew: “Oqgħod bilqiegħda fuq il-mirfes ta’ riġlejja”, ma jidhrilkomx li tkunu qegħdin tagħmlu għażla bejniethom, u hekk issiru mħallfin qarrieqa? Isimgħu, ħuti għeżież: mhux Alla kien li għażel lill-foqra għad-dinja biex jistagħnu fil-fidi u jsiru werrieta tas-Saltna li hu wiegħed lil dawk li jħobbuh? Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MARK 7:31-37
Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mark 7:31-37
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù telaq mill-inħawi tal-belt ta’ Tir, għadda minn Sidon lejn il-baħar tal-Galilija, fl-inħawi tad-Dekapoli. U ġibulu wieħed, trux u mbikkem, u talbuh iqegħedlu idu fuqu. Ġesù ħarġu għalih waħdu minn qalb in-nies, daħħal subgħajh f’widnejh u messlu lsienu bir-riq tiegħu. Imbagħad refa’ għajnejh lejn is-sema, tniehed tnehida, u qallu: “Effata!”, jiġifieri: “Infetaħ!”. U minnufih widnejh infetħulu, l-irbit ta’ lsienu nħallu u qabad jitkellem sewwa. Ġesù wissiehom biex ma jgħidu lil ħadd; iżda aktar ma wissiehom, aktar bdew ixandruh. U mimlijin bil-għaġeb, bdew jgħidu: “Kollox għamel tajjeb: jagħti s-smigħ lit-torox u l-kliem lill-imbikkmin!”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil
TWO CHALLENGES TO CONTEMPLATE
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings offer two challenges:
1) Become humble instruments of healing in Jesus’ hands by giving voice to the voiceless and caring love to the needy and the marginalized in our society.
2) Open your ears to hear the word of God, open your eyes to see God’s presence in everyone, and loosen your tongue to praise and worship God loudly and to convey the Good News of God’s love and salvation to others. (Anecdote of the “little monk” who opened blind eyes & deaf ears).
Scripture lessons summarized:
In the first reading (Is 35:4-7), the prophet Isiah reminds us that God’s eyes are constantly focused on the helpless. “He comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.”
Today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 146) sings of a God who gives sight to the blind, raises up those who are bowed down and welcomes strangers.
That is why, in today’s second reading (Jas 2:1-5), the apostle gives us some basic and challenging principles of social justice. He exhorts Christians to show no partiality based on external appearance and to practice God’s “preferential option” for the poor. He warns the faithful against scorning or shaming the poor while showing special consideration to the rich.
Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus, by healing a deaf man with speech impediment, fulfilled Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” The ailments listed by Isaiah are symbolic of our interior illnesses: blindness to the needs of our neighbor, unwillingness to hear God’s voice and the inability to speak words of praise, apology, forgiveness, and gratitude. Through this miracle story, Mark also reminds us that no one can be a follower of the Lord without reaching out to the helpless (“preferential option for the poor”).
Life messages:
1) We need to allow Jesus to heal our spiritual deafness, muteness, and blindness. We may find it hard to speak to God in prayer and harder still to hear Him speaking to us through the Bible and through the Church. Let us ask God’s help to open our ears so that we may hear Him while reading the Bible, and praise and worship Him loudly in our family prayer and in our public worship by actively participating in the Holy Mass, singing with the choir and praying with the congregation. Jesus’ compassionate touch will help us to hear the cries of the poor and the sick, and to show kindness, mercy and consideration to others. His healing touch will also help us convey peace and hope to those around us.
2) We need to help Jesus to heal the deaf and the mute today. Let us lend Jesus our hands to give the touch that heals the sick. Let us lend Jesus our tongues to speak to the spiritually hungry through us. Let us lend Jesus our hearts to touch the lives of people in our day through us, just as Jesus touched the lives of millions through saintly souls like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Jeanne Jugan, and St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa).
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