Readings for Sunday, July 24, 2022
Lectionary: 111
Is-Sbatax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 GENESIS 18:20-32
In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out." While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather tha spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there." But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty." Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." Still Abraham went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?" The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty." But he still persisted: "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?" He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."
Qari 1 Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 18:20-32
F’dak
iż-żmien il-Mulej qal: “L-għajta ta’ Sodoma u Gomorra hi tassew
qawwija, u t-toqol ta’ dnubhom hu kbir. U issa se ninżel u nara jekk
għamlux għalkollox skont l-għajta tagħhom li waslet għandi. Jekk le,
inkun naf”. Dawk l-irġiel kisru minn hemm, u rħewlha lejn Sodoma; imma
l-Mulej baqa’ wieqaf quddiem Abraham. Abraham resaq lejn il-Mulej u
staqsieh: “U int se teqred it-tajjeb mal-ħażin? U jekk hemm ħamsin
bniedem ġust f’nofs il-belt, jaqaw lil dawn se teqridhom u ma taħfirx
lill-pajjiż minħabba l-ħamsin ġust li hemm f’nofsha? Ma jkun qatt li
inti tagħmel ħaġa bħal din, li toqtol il-bniedem ġust mal-ħażin, u
l-ġust u l-ħażin tmisshom l-istess xorti. Ma jkun qatt minnek,
l-imħallef tal-art kollha, li ma tagħmilx ġustizzja”. U l-Mulej wieġeb:
“Jekk jiena nsib ħamsin bniedem ġust f’nofs il-belt, jien naħfirha
lill-post kollu minħabba fihom”. Wieġeb Abraham u qal: “Arani, jien
issugrajt nitkellem mal-Mulej, għalkemm jien trab u rmied. U jekk hemm
nieqsa ħamsa għall-ħamsin ġust, minħabba ħamsa u erbgħin se teqred
il-belt kollha?”. U wieġbu l-Mulej: “Ma neqridhiex jekk insib fiha ħamsa
u erbgħin”. Imma Abraham kompla jitkellem miegħu u jgħidlu: “U jekk
issib hemm erbgħin?”. U wieġbu: “Ma nagħmilx dan, minħabba l-erbgħin”.
Qal Abraham: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa’ nitkellem: u jekk jinstabu
tletin?”. U hu wieġeb: “Ma nagħmilx dan, jekk insib hemm tletin”. U
raġa’ qallu: “Ara kif nissogra nkellem lil Sidi: U jekk jinstabu hemm
għoxrin?”. U l-Mulej wieġeb: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba l-għoxrin”. U
wieġeb: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa’ nitkellem darba oħra biss: U
jekk jinstabu hemm għaxra?”. U hu qallu: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba
l-għaxra”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 137(138):1-2a,2bċ-3,6-7ab,7ċ-8
R/.(3a): Meta sejjaħtlek, int weġibtni, Mulej.
Irroddlok ħajr, Mulej, b’qalbi kollha,
għaliex int smajt kliem fommi.
Quddiem l-allat irrid ngħannilek.
B’wiċċi fl-art ninxteħet quddiem is-santwarju tiegħek. R/.
Irroddlok ħajr għat-tjieba u l-fedeltà tiegħek,
għax int kabbart ismek u kelmtek fuq kollox.
Meta sejjaħtlek, int weġibtni,
kattarli l-qawwa f’ruħi. R/.
Kbir il-Mulej, imma jieħu ħsieb iż-żgħar;
u, għalkemm fl-għoli, jagħraf mill-bogħod.
Jekk insib ruħi fl-għali, inti tħarisli ħajti;
terfa’ idek kontra l-għedewwa tiegħi. R/.
Il-leminija tiegħek issalvani mill-qilla tagħhom.
Il-Mulej iżomm kelmtu miegħi.
It-tjieba tiegħek, Mulej, tibqa’ għal dejjem;
la titlaqx għemil idejk! R/.
Reading 2 COLOSSIANS 2:12-14
Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.
Qari 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl lill-Kolossin 2:12-14
Ħuti,
intom indfintu ma’ Kristu bil-magħmudija u rxuxtajtu miegħu permezz
tal-fidi tagħkom fil-qawwa ta’ Alla li qajmu mill-imwiet. Kontu mejta
minħabba dnubietkom u għax ma kellkomx iċ-ċirkonċiżjoni f’ġisimkom; imma
issa Alla takom il-ħajja flimkien ma’ Kristu: Ħafrilna dnubietna
kollha. Ħassar il-kont tad-dejn li kellna bl-obbligi li kien hemm
kontrina; neħħieh min-nofs u sammru mas-salib. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel LUKE 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
Evanġelju Qari skont San Luqa 11:1-13
Darba Ġesù kien qiegħed xi mkien jitlob. Kif spiċċa mit-talb, wieħed mid-dixxipli tiegħu qallu: “Mulej, għallimna nitolbu, bħalma Ġwanni wkoll għallem lid-dixxipli tiegħu”. U qalilhom: “Meta titolbu, għidu: ‘Missier, jitqaddes ismek, tiġi Saltnatek. Ħobżna ta’ kuljum agħtina kuljum. U aħfrilna dnubietna, għax aħna wkoll naħfru lil kull min hu ħati għalina, u la ddaħħalniex fit-tiġrib’”. Qalilhom ukoll: “Wieħed minnkom ikollu ħabib li jiġih f’nofs ta’ lejl u jgħidlu: ‘Ħabib, islifni tliet ħobżiet, għax ġie għandi wieħed ħabib tiegħi mill-vjaġġ u ma għandix x’nagħtih’. U l-ieħor iwieġbu minn ġewwa u jgħidlu: ‘Iddejjaqnix; issa l-bieb magħluq, u wliedi qegħdin fis-sodda miegħi; ma nistax inqum nagħtik’. Ngħidilkom jien, li jekk ma jqumx jagħtih għax ħabib tiegħu, iqum u jagħtih kulma jkollu bżonn minħabba l-wiċċ sfiq tiegħu. U jiena ngħidilkom: Itolbu u jingħatalkom, fittxu u ssibu, ħabbtu u jiftħulkom. Għax min jitlob, jaqla’; min ifittex, isib; u min iħabbat, jiftħulu. Min hu dak il-missier fostkom li, jekk ibnu jitolbu ħuta, minflok ħuta jagħtih serp? Inkella jekk jitolbu bajda jagħtih skorpjun? Mela jekk intom, nies ħżiena bħalkom, tafu tagħtu lil uliedkom ħwejjeġ tajba, kemm aktar il-Missier mis-smewwiet jagħti spirtu qaddis lil dawk li jitolbuhulu!”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
/////////////////////////////////////////////// Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil
Introduction:
The main themes of Sunday’s Scripture readings are the power of intercessory prayer, the Our Father as the ideal prayer, and the necessity for persistence and perseverance in prayer with trusting faith and boldness. In short, the readings teach us what to pray and how to pray. (An anecdote may be added)
Scripture lessons, summarized:
The first reading, taken from the book of Genesis, gives us the model for intercessory prayer provided by Abraham in his dialogue with God. Although Abraham seems to be trying to manipulate God through his skillful bargaining and humble, persistent intercession, God is actually being moved to mercy by the goodness of a few innocent souls.
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 138), with the Psalm Response, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me,” is a hymn of hope and trust in the Lord, reminding us that God is close to the humble of heart and to all those who call upon Him in their need. The second reading, taken from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, though it does not address prayer,reminds us of the need of perseverance in our living faith in Christ, which provides the basis for all Christian prayers, especially for liturgical prayer: the mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paul assures us that even when we were dead in sin, God gave us new life through Jesus and pardoned all our sins.
In the Gospel passage, after teaching a model prayer, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray to God their Heavenly Father with the same boldness, daring, intimacy, conviction, persistence and perseverance Abraham displayed and the friend in need in the parable employed. He gives us the assurance that God will not be irritated by our requests or unwilling to meet them with generosity.
Life Messages:
1) Prayer is essential for Christian family life. To remain faithful in marriage, the spouses must pray, not only individually, but together. They must thank God and offer intercessory prayers for each other, for their children and for their dear ones. Daily prayer will help married couples tocelebrate and reverence God’s vision of human sexuality and honor life from conception to natural death. Here is St. John Marie Vianney’s advice to a couple: “Spend three minutes praising and thanking God for all you have. Spend three minutes asking God’s pardon for your sins and presenting your needs before Him. Spend three minutes reading the Bible and listening to God in silence. And do this every day.”
2) We need to accept others as children of God and thereby our brothers and sisters: Through the Our Father, Jesus is giving us a new vision of human relationships: that we all, irrespective of our color, creed or social background, are the children of God and thereby are brothers and sisters.
When we learn this lesson – if we can learn this lesson, if we are able to treat God as our Father and love Him accordingly, and if we are able to treat every other human being as our own dear brothers and sisters and love them accordingly — then, and then only, shall we experience the Kingdom of God here on earth and enjoy this in the next life. When we love each other and forgive each other’s failings God also will love us and forgive us. This is the foundation of true faith. (Joe Vemp).
////////////////////////////////////// http://frtonyshomilies.com
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