Readings for Sunday, April 3rd, 2022
Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C
Lectionary: 36
Il-Ħames Ħadd tar-Randan
Reading 1 ISAIAH 43:16-21
Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 43:16-21
Dan
jgħid il-Mulej, li fetaħ triq fil-baħar, mogħdija fl-ilmijiet qawwija;
dak li ħareġ karrijiet u żwiemel, eżerċti u rġiel qalbiena f’daqqa;
inxteħtu fl-art, biex aktar ma qamux; inħlew bħal ftila, u ntfew: “La
tiftakrux iżjed fi ġrajjiet l-imgħoddi; la taħsbux fuq dak li ġara
qabel. Arawni, sejjer nagħmel ħaġa ġdida: feġġet issa; għadkom ma
ttendejtux? Se niftaħ triq fix-xagħri, xmajjar fid-deżert. Ifaħħruni
l-bhejjem selvaġġi, ix-xakalli u wlied in-ngħam, għax noħroġ l-ilma
fix-xagħri, xmajjar fid-deżert, biex nisqi l-poplu tiegħi, il-maħtur
tiegħi, il-poplu li sawwart għalija, biex ixandar it-tifħir tiegħi”.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 125(126):1-2ab,2ċd-3,4-5,6
R/: Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna!
Meta l-Mulej reġġa’ lura l-imjassra ta’ Sijon,
konna qisna mitlufa f’ħolma;
imbagħad bid-daħk imtela fommna,
u bl-għajat ta’ ferħ ilsienna. R/.
Imbagħad bdew jgħidu fost il-ġnus:
“Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħhom”.
Kbir f’għemilu l-Mulej magħna!
U aħna bil-ferħ imtlejna. R/.
Biddel, Mulej, xortina
bħall-widien tan-Negeb!
Dawk li jiżirgħu fid-dmugħ
jaħsdu bl-għana ta’ ferħ. R/.
Huma u sejrin, imorru jibku,
iġorru ż-żerriegħa għaż-żrigħ.
Iżda huma u ġejjin lura, jiġu b’għana ta’ ferħ,
iġorru l-qatet f’idejhom. R/.
Reading 2 PHILIPPIANS 3:8-14
Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
Qari 2 i mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 3:8-14
Ħuti,
jiena ngħodd kollox bħala telf ħdejn il-qligħ kbir li hemm filli
nagħraf lil Kristu Ġesù Sidi; minħabba fih ridt li nitlef kollox, u
ngħodd kollox bħala knis, biex nirbaħ lil Kristu, u nkun ninsab fih;
mhux għax għandi xi ġustizzja tiegħi, dik li tiġi permezz tal-Liġi, iżda
dik li tiġi permezz tal-fidi fi Kristu, il-ġustizzja ġejja minn Alla u
mibnija fuq il-fidi. Irrid nagħraf lilu u l-qawwa tal-qawmien tiegħu
mill-imwiet, u naqsam miegħu t-tbatijiet tiegħu, u nsir nixbhu fil-mewt,
biex jirnexxili nikseb il-qawmien mill-imwiet. M’iniex ngħid li jiena
ġa ksibtu, jew li jien ġa perfett. Imma nross ’il quddiem biex naħtaf
dan, bħalma Kristu Ġesù ġa ħataf lili. Ħuti, ma jidhirlix li dan ġa
lħaqtu; imma ħaġa waħda ngħid: waqt li ninsa lil ta’ warajja kollu,
jiena nagħmel ħilti kollha biex nilħaq dak li hemm quddiemi; niġri ’l
quddiem lejn it-tmiem, biex nikseb il-premju li għalih Alla qed
isejħilna hemm fuq fi Kristu Ġesù. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel JOHN 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.”n Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Evanġelju Qari skont San Ġwann 8:1-11
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù telaq lejn l-Għolja taż-Żebbuġ. Imma l-għada qabel is-sebħ raġa’ mar fit-tempju, u l-poplu kollu ġie ħdejh, u hu qagħad bilqiegħda jgħallimhom. Imbagħad il-kittieba u l-Fariżej ħadulu quddiemu waħda mara li kienet inqabdet fl-adulterju. Huma qegħduha fin-nofs u qalulu: “Mgħallem, din il-mara nqabdet fil-fatt fl-adulterju. Issa fil-Liġi tagħna Mosè ordnalna biex nisa bħal dawn inħaġġruhom. Int, imma, xi tgħid?”. Dan qaluhulu biex iġarrbuh, ħalli jkollhom fuqiex jixluh. Imma Ġesù tbaxxa lejn l-art u beda jikteb b’sebgħu fit-trab. Billi dawk baqgħu jistaqsuh, qam dritt u qalilhom: “Min fostkom hu bla dnub jitfgħalha hu l-ewwel ġebla”. U raġa’ tbaxxa jikteb fit-trab. Kif semgħuh jgħid dan, qabdu u telqu wieħed wara l-ieħor, ibda mix-xjuħ. Ġesù baqa’ waħdu mal-mara, wieqfa fin-nofs. Qam dritt u qalilha: “Dawk fejnhom, mara? Ħadd minnhom ma kkundannak?”. “Ħadd, Sinjur”, qaltlu. “Mela anqas jien ma nikkundannak”, qalilha Ġesù. “Mur, u mil-lum ’il quddiem tidnibx iżjed”.
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Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil
Introduction:
Reminding us of God’s readiness to forgive sin, gives the sinner a second chance, bind up broken lives, and restore people to His friendship, today’s readings challenge us to show the same mercy to the sinners around us and to live as forgiven people, actively seeking reconciliation with God and one another. The central theme of all three readings is a merciful God’s steadfast love. The readings remind us that we should not be self-righteous and condemn the lives of others when God is calling them tenderly to conversion.
Scripture lessons summarized:
Explaining how a merciful God forgives the sins of His chosen people and leads them back from the Babylonian exile, the first reading reminds us that we too are forgiven, and we are saved from our own sinfulness. In the second reading, Paul presents himself as a forgiven sinner who has been completely transformed by his Faith in Christ Jesus. His life is an example of the Gospel exhortation,
“Sin no more.” Paul loves Christ so much he wants to share in His sufferings and even in His death so that he may share Christ’s Resurrection. The sinful woman’s story of sin committed, and sin forgiven in today’s Gospel, shows the inexhaustible mercy and compassion Jesus offers to repentant sinners. In addition, by making sinlessness the condition for throwing the first stone, Jesus forces the accusers to assess their own souls and to leave. Thus, He grants justice to the accusers and mercy to the sinful woman.
In our own lives, we bear witness to the Justice of God by confessing our sinfulness and resolving to avoid sin, and we bear witness to God’s Mercy by accepting the forgiveness of our sins and promising to forgive those who have offended us.
Life messages:
# 1: We need to become forgiving people, ready for reconciliation: Jesus has shown inexhaustible mercy and compassion to sinners by dying for our sins. But we are often self-righteous, like the Pharisees, and ready to spread scandal about others with a bit of spicy gossip. We are judgmental about the unmarried mother, the alcoholic, the drug addict, or the shoplifter, ignoring Jesus’ command: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Let us learn to acknowledge our sins, ask God’s forgiveness every day and extend the same forgiveness to our erring brothers and sisters. We need to learn to hate the sin but love the sinners, showing them Jesus’ compassion and working with the Holy Spirit to make our own lives exemplary so that we can help lead them to Jesus’ ways.
# 2: We have no right to judge others: We have no right to judge others because we often commit the very faults we condemn, we are often partial and prejudiced in our judgments, and we do not know the circumstances which have led someone to sin. Hence, let us leave the judgment to our merciful God Who does read people’s hearts. We should show mercy and compassion to those who sin because we ourselves are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. The apostle Paul reminds us: “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” (1 Cor 11:31).
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