Readings for Sunday, March 20, 2022
It-Tielet Ħadd tar-Randan
Reading 1 EXODUS 3:1-8a, 13-15
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, “I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers, “ he continued, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But the LORD said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?” God replied, “I am who am.” Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.” God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. “This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Eżodu3:1-8a,13-15
F’dak iż-żmien, Mosè kien jirgħa l-merħla ta’ ħatnu Ġetru, qassis ta’ Midjan, u ħa l-merħla ’l hemm fid-deżert, u wasal sa ħdejn Ħoreb, il-muntanja ta’ Alla. Hawn deherlu l-anġlu tal-Mulej f’ħuġġieġa nar qalb l-għollieq. Mosè ħares u ra l-għollieq jaqbad bin-nar bla ma jintemm. Mosè qal: “Ħ nersaq u nara din id-dehra tal-għaġeb: għala mhux jinħaraq l-għllieq?”. Il-Mulej rah riesaq biex jara, u Alla sejjaħlu minn qalb l-għollieq u qallu: “Mosè, Mosè!”. U Mosè wieġeb: “Hawn jien!”. U l-Mulej qallu: “La tersaqx ’l hawn. Neħħi l-qorq minn riġlejk, għax il-post li inti fuqu hu art qaddisa”. U ssokta jgħidlu: “Jien hu Alla ta’ missirijietek: Alla ta’ Abraham, Alla ta’ Iżakk u Alla ta’ Ġakobb”. Mosè għatta wiċċu, għax beża’ jħares lejn Alla. U l-Mulej qallu: “Jien ħarist u rajt it-tbatija tal-poplu tiegħi fl-Eġittu. U jien smajt il-karba tagħhom minħabba fl-argużini tagħhom u għaraft l-uġigħ tagħhom. Issa nżilt biex neħlishom minn idejn l-Eġizzjani u biex intellagħhom minn dik l-art u neħodhom f’art tajba u wiesgħa, art tnixxi ħalib u għasel”. Mosè reġa’ wieġeb: “Ara, jiena mmur għand ulied Iżrael u ngħidilhom: ‘Alla ta’ missirijietkom bagħatni għandkom’. Huma jistaqsuni: ‘X’jismu?’. Jiena xi ngħidilhom?”. Alla wieġbu: “Jien li Jien”. U kompla jgħidlu: “Hekk għidilhom lil ulied Iżrael: ‘Jiena-Hu bagħatni għandkom’”. U Alla kompla jgħidlu: “Hekk għandek tgħidilhom lil ulied Iżrael: ‘Jaħweh, Alla ta’ missirijietkom, Alla ta’ Abraham, Alla ta’ Iżakk, Alla ta’ Ġakobb, bagħatni għandkom’. Dan ikun ismi għal dejjem u dan l-isem ifakkarkom fija minn nisel għal nisel”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 102(103):1-2,3-4,6-7,8,11
R/.(8): Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej.
Bierek, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
B’qalbi kollha nbierek l-isem qaddis tiegħu.
Bierek, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej,
u la tinsiex il-ġid kollu li għamel miegħek. R/.
Hu li jaħfer dnubietek kollha;
ifejjaq il-mard tiegħek kollu;
jifdi lil ħajtek mill-qabar;
iħaddnek bit-tjieba u l-ħniena. R/.
Il-Mulej jagħmel is-sewwa,
u l-ħaqq mal-maħqurin kollha.
Hu għarraf lil Mosè l-ħsieb tiegħu,
l-għemejjel tiegħu lil ulied Iżrael. R/.
Ħanin u twajjeb il-Mulej,
idum ma jagħdab u kollu mogħdrija.
Daqskemm huma s-smewwiet ’il fuq mill-art,
hekk hi kbira tjubitu ma’ min jibża’ minnu. R/.
Reading 2 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-6, 10-12
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.
Qari 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 10:1-6,10-12
Ma rridkomx ma tkunux tafu, ħuti, li missirijietna lkoll kienu taħt is-sħaba, ilkoll qasmu l-baħar, ilkoll kienu mgħammda f’Mosè fis-sħaba u fil-baħar, ilkoll kielu mill-istess ikel spiritwali – xorbu tassew mill-blata spiritwali li kienet timxi magħhom, u din il-blata kienet Kristu – madankollu l-biċċa l-kbira minnhom lil Alla ma għoġbuhx għax ilkoll waqgħu mejta fid-deżert. Dan ġara b’eżempju għalina, biex ma nixxennqux għal ħwejjeġ ħżiena, bħalma xxennqu huma. Anqas ma għandkom tgergru, kif għamlu xi wħud minnhom, u qeridhom il-Qerried. Dan kollu ġralhom b’eżempju, u nkiteb bi twiddiba għalina li fuqna wasal tmiem iż-żminijiet. Min jidhirlu li hu wieqaf, joqgħod attent li ma jaqax. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel LUKE 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”
Evanġelju Qari skont San Luqa 13:1-9
F’dak iż-żmien, ġew xi wħud għand Ġesù u qalulu b’dawk il-Galilin li Pilatu kien ħallat demmhom mad-demm tal-vittmi tas-sagrifiċċji tagħhom. U Ġesù qabad u qalilhom: “Taħsbu intom li dawn il-Galilin kienu iżjed midinbin mill-Galilin l-oħra biex sofrew dan kollu? Le, ngħidilkom; imma jekk ma tindmux, ilkoll tintilfu bħalhom. Jew dawk it-tmintax-il ruħ li fuqhom waqa’ t-torri ta’ Silwam u qatilhom, taħsbu intom li kienu iżjed ħatja min-nies l-oħra ta’ Ġerusalemm? Le, ngħidilkom; imma jekk ma tindmux, ilkoll tintilfu xorta waħda”. U qalilhom din il-parabbola: “Wieħed kellu siġra tat-tin imħawla fl-għalqa. Mar ifittex il-frott fiha, u ma sabx. Għalhekk qal lil dak li kien jaħdimlu l-għalqa: ‘Ara, ili tliet snin niġi nfittex il-frott f’din is-siġra tat-tin, u qatt ma sibtilha. Mela aqlagħha! Għax għalfejn se tibqa’ tkidd l-art?’. Iżda dak wieġbu: ‘Inti ħalliha, sinjur, għal din is-sena, sa ma nagħżqilha madwarha u nagħtiha d-demel. Id-dieħla għandha mnejn tagħmel il-frott; jekk le, aqlagħha’”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil
GOD'S MERCY AND COMPASSION
Central theme:
All three of this Sunday’s readings speak of God’s mercy and compassion in disciplining His children by occasional punishment while giving them another chance despite their repeated sins. Although God’s love for us is constant and consistent, He will not save us without our co-operation. That is why He invites us during Lent to repent of our sins and to renew our lives by producing fruits of love, compassion, forgiveness, and faithful service.
Scripture lessons:
The first reading tells us how God shows His mercy to His chosen people by giving them Moses as their leader and liberator. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v 6) reveals Himself to Moses from the burning bush and assures Moses of His Divine presence with His people and of His awareness of their sufferings in Egypt. He declares His intention to use Moses as the leader who will rescue His enslaved people. Then God reveals His name as Yahweh (“I AM Who AM”) and renews His promise to the patriarchs (v 8), to give them a “land flowing with milk and honey.”
Our Responsorial Psalm, (Ps 103) reminds us of God’s unfailing mercy: “Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.” The second reading warns us that our merciful God is also a disciplining God. Paul reminds the Christians of Corinth that they must learn from the sad experience of the Israelites who were punished for their sins by a merciful but just God. The merciful and gracious God is also just and demanding; hence, they must be free from sexual sins and idolatry.
Sunday’s Gospel explains how God disciplines His people and invites them to repent of their sins, to renew their lives, and to produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Citing two tragic events, Jesus exhorts the Jews to repent and reform their lives. With the parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus also warns them that the merciful God will not put up with them indefinitely. Although God patiently waits for sinners to repent, giving them grace to do so, He will not wait forever. Time may run out; therefore, timely repentance is necessary. Hence, one can say, “A Lent missed is a year lost from the spiritual life.”
Life Messages:
1) We need to live lives of repentance, because:
(a) we never know when we will meet a tragedy of our own.Let us turn to Christ, acknowledge our faults and failings, and receive from him mercy, forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. There is no better way to take these words of Jesus to heart than to go to sacramental confession, and there is no better time to go to confession than during Lent.
(b) repentance helps us in life and in death. It helps us to live as forgiven people and helps us to face death without fear. 2) We need to be fruitful trees in God’s orchard. Lent is an ideal time “to dig around and manure” the tree of our life so that it may bring forth fruits of repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sensitivity to the feelings of others.
3) We need to make the best use of the “second chances” God gives us. Our merciful Father always gives us second chances. During Lent, too, we are given another chance to repent and return to our Heavenly Father’s love.
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