"I WILL RISE AND GO TO MY FATHER..."

Readings for Sunday, SEPTEMBER 11 2022

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 132

 L-Erbgħa u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

 

 

Reading 1               EXODUS 32:7-11, 13-14

The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of  Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!' "I see how stiff-necked this people is, " continued the LORD to Moses. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'" So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Qari 1                  mill-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 32:7-11,13-14

 F’dak iż-żmien, il-Mulej qal lil Mosè: “Mur u inżel, għaliex tħassar il-poplu tiegħek, li inti tellajt mill-Eġittu. Malajr warrbu mit-triq li jiena wrejthom: għamlu għalihom għoġol tal-metall imdewweb, niżlu wiċċhom fl-art iqimuh, u offrewlu sagrifiċċju u qalu: ‘Dawn huma l-allat tiegħek, Iżrael, li tellgħuk mill-art tal-Eġittu’”. U l-Mulej issokta jgħid lil Mosè: “Jiena ħarist lejn dan il-poplu, u rajt li hu poplu ta’ ras iebsa. Ħallini waħdi, issa, ħalli nixgħel il-korla tiegħi għalihom u neqridhom. U lilek nagħmlek ġens kbir”. Mosè mbagħad talab bil-ħniena quddiem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħu, u qal: “Għaliex, Mulej, tixgħel bil-korla tiegħek għall-poplu tiegħek, li int, b’ħila kbira u b’id qawwija, ħriġtu mill-art tal-Eġittu? Ftakar f’Abraham, f’Iżakk u f’Iżrael, il-qaddejja tiegħek, li int ħliftilhom bik innifsek u għedtilhom: ‘Inkattar in-nisel tagħkom bħall-kwiekeb tas-sema, u din l-art kollha, li jien wegħedt, nagħtiha lil nisilkom bħala wirt għal dejjem’”. U l-Mulej nidem mill-ħsara li qal li kien se jagħmel lill-poplu tiegħu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

Salm Responsorjali               Salm 50(51):3-4,12-13,17,19

R/. (Lq 15:18): Inqum u mmur għand missieri.

Ikollok ħniena minni, o Alla, fi tjubitek;
fil-kobor tal-ħniena tiegħek ħassar ħtijieti.
Aħsilni kollni mill-ħtija tiegħi;
naddafni mid-dnub tiegħi. R/.

Oħloq fija qalb safja, o Alla,
u spirtu qawwi ġedded fija.
La twarrabnix minn quddiemek;
tneħħix minni l-ispirtu qaddis tiegħek. R/.

Iftaħli xufftejja, Sidi,
u fommi jxandar it-tifħir tiegħek.
Is-sagrifiċċju tiegħi, o Alla, hu l-qalb niedma;
qalb maqsuma u sogħbiena ma twarrabhiex, o Alla. R/.

Reading 2               1 TIMOTHY 1:12-17

Beloved:  I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Qari 2                mill-Ewwel Ittra lil Timotju 1:12-17

Għażiż, niżżi ħajr lil Kristu Ġesù Sidna, li tani l-qawwa għal dan ix-xogħol u li deherlu li kienet tistħoqqli l-fiduċja tiegħu u għamilni ministru tiegħu, lili li qabel kont dagħaj, persekutur u żeblieħi tiegħu. Iżda sibt il-ħniena, għax dak li għamilt għamiltu bla ma kont naf, billi kont għadni bla fidi. Anzi lili l-grazzja ta’ Sidna kienet mogħtija bil-kotra, flimkien mal-fidi u mal-imħabba, li hi fi Kristu Ġesù. Din hija kelma ta’ min jemminha u jilqagħha għalkollox: li Kristu Ġesù ġie fid-dinja biex isalva l-midinbin; u fosthom, lili l-ewwel wieħed. Iżda jien minħabba f’hekk sibt il-ħniena, biex bija, bħala l-ewwel wieħed, Kristu Ġesù juri s-sabar kollu tiegħu, b’eżempju għal dawk li kienu għad iridu jemmnu fih biex ikollhom il-ħajja ta’ dejjem. Lis-Sultan ta’ dejjem, li ma jmutx u li ma jidhirx, lil Alla waħdu, ġieħ u glorja għal dejjem ta’ dejjem! Amen.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel                LUKE 15:1-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?  And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

Evanġelju               Qari skond San Luqa 15:1-32

F’dak iż-żmien, il-pubblikani u l-midinbin kienu jersqu lejn Ġesù bi ħġarhom biex jisimgħuh. U kemm il-Fariżej u kemm il-kittieba kienu jgemgmu u jgħidu: “Nies midinba jilqa’ għandu dan u jiekol magħhom”. Ġesù qabad u qalilhom din il-parabbola: “Min hu dak fostkom li jkollu mitt nagħġa u jitlef waħda minnhom, u ma jħallix id-disgħa u disgħin l-oħra fid-deżert biex imur wara l-mitlufa sa ma jsibha? U meta jsibha, jifraħ biha u jerfagħha fuq spallejh, imur id-dar, isejjaħ għandu lil ħbiebu u l-ġirien, u jgħidilhom: ‘Ifirħu miegħi, għax sibt in-nagħġa li kienet intilfitli’. Ngħidilkom li l-istess jiġri fis-smewwiet: ikun hemm aktar ferħ għal midneb wieħed li jindem milli għal disgħa u disgħin bniedem tajjeb li ma kellux bżonn ta’ ndiema. Jew min hi dik il-mara li jkollha għaxar drakmiet u titlef waħda minnhom, li mhijiex sejra tixgħel il-musbieħ u tiknes id-dar, u tibqa’ tfittex bil-għaqal sa ma ssibha? U meta ssibha, issejjaħ għandha lil ħbiebha u l-ġirien, u tgħidilhom: ‘Ifirħu miegħi, għax sibt id-drakma li kienet intilfitli’. Ngħidilkom jien li l-istess ferħ ikun hemm fost l-anġli ta’ Alla għal midneb wieħed li jindem”.  Qalilhom ukoll: “Kien hemm raġel li kellu żewġ ulied. Iż-żgħir qal lil missieru: ‘Missier, agħtini s-sehem li jmiss lili mill-ġid’. U dak qassmilhom il-ġid. Ma kinux għaddew wisq ġranet, meta ż-żgħir sarr kollox u telaq minn beltu lejn pajjiż imbiegħed, u hemmhekk berbaq ġidu kollu f’ħajja mtajra. Meta ħela kulma kellu, fuq dak il-pajjiż waqa’ ġuħ kbir, u beda jħoss ruħu fil-bżonn. U mar daħal ma’ wieħed minn dak il-pajjiż, li bagħtu fir-raba’ tiegħu jirgħa l-ħnieżer. Kien jixtieq kieku jimla żaqqu mqar bil-ħarrub li kienu jieklu l-ħnieżer, imma ħadd ma kien jagħtih. Imbagħad daħal fih innifsu u qal: ‘Kemm lavranti ma’ missieri għandhom ħobż bix-xaba’, u jien qiegħed hawn immut bil-ġuħ! Ħa nqum u mmur għand missieri, u ngħidlu: Missier, dnibt kontra s-sema u kontra tiegħek; ma jistħoqqlix iżjed nissejjaħ ibnek; żommni b’wieħed mil-lavranti tiegħek’. Qam, u telaq għal għand missieru. Iżda kif kien għadu fil-bogħod missieru lemħu u tħassru, u b’ġirja waħda mar inxteħet fuq għonqu u biesu. Qallu ibnu: ‘Missier, dnibt kontra s-sema u kontra tiegħek; ma jistħoqqlix iżjed nissejjaħ ibnek’. Iżda l-missier qal lill-qaddejja tiegħu: ‘Isaw! Ġibulu l-isbaħ libsa u xidduhielu, libbsulu ċ-ċurkett f’sebgħu u s-sandli f’riġlejh! Ġibu l-għoġol l-imsemmen u oqtluh, ħa nieklu u nagħmlu festa, għax dan ibni kien mejjet u raġa’ qam, kien mitluf u nstab!’. U għamlu festa. Mela ibnu l-kbir kien fl-għalqa. Huwa u rieġa’ lura, kif wasal qrib id-dar sama’ daqq u żfin. Sejjaħ wieħed mill-qaddejja u staqsieh dak x’kien. Qallu dak: ‘Hawn ħuk, u missierek qatillu l-għoġol l-imsemmen, għax raġa’ kisbu qawwi u sħiħ’. Hu inkorla, u ma riedx jidħol ġewwa, iżda missieru ħareġ jitolbu jidħol. Iżda hu qal lil missieru: ‘Ara, ili dawn is-snin kollha naqdik, kelmtek ma ksirthielek qatt, u kieku qatt tajtni gidi lili biex nagħmel ikla u nifraħ ma’ ħbiebi! Imbagħad jiġi dan ibnek, li belagħlek ġidek man-nisa żienja, u lilu toqtollu l-għoġol l-imsemmen!’. Wieġbu missieru: ‘Ibni, inti dejjem miegħi, u kulma hu tiegħi huwa tiegħek. Imma kien meħtieġ li nagħmlu festa u nifirħu, għax dan ħuk kien mejjet u raġa’ qam, kien mitluf u nstab’”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Jesus and Sinners -
 

Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Cardinal Raneiro Cantalamessa, reflects on the readings for this Sunday's liturgy.

The Gospel this Sunday is one of the most celebrated pages of Luke's Gospel and of all four Gospels: the parable of the prodigal son. Everything in this parable is surprising; men had never portrayed God in this way. This parable has touched more hearts than all the sermons that have been preached put together. It has an incredible power to act on the mind, the heart, the imagination, and memory. It is able to touch the most diverse chords: repentance, shame, nostalgia.

The parable is introduced with these words: "All the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him to listen to him. The Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.' So he told them this parable ..." (Luke 15:1-2). Following this lead, we would like to reflect on Jesus' attitude toward sinners, going through the whole Gospel.

The welcome that Jesus reserves for sinners in the Gospel is well known, as is the opposition that this procures him on the part of the defenders of the law who accuse him of being "a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34). Jesus declares in one of his better historically attested to sayings, "I have not come to call the just but sinners" (Mark 2:17). Feeling welcomed and not judged by him, sinners listened to him gladly.

But who were the sinners, what category of persons was designated by this term? Someone, trying to completely justify Jesus' adversaries, the Pharisees, has argued that by this term is understood "the deliberate and impenitent transgressors of the law," in other words, the criminals, those who are outside the law. If this were so, then Jesus' adversaries would have been entirely right to be scandalized and see him as an irresponsible and socially dangerous person. It would be as if a priest today were to regularly frequent members of the mafia and criminals and accept their invitations to dinner with the pretext of speaking to them of God.

In reality, this is not how things are. The Pharisees had their vision of the law and of what conformed to it or was contrary, and they considered reprobate all those who did not follow their rigid interpretation of the law. In their view, anyone who did not follow their traditions or dictates was a sinner. Following the same logic, the Essenes of Qumran considered the Pharisees themselves to be unjust and violators of the law! The same thing happens today. Certain ultraorthodox groups consider all those who do not think exactly as they do to be heretics.

An eminent scholar has written: "It is not true that Jesus opened the gates of the kingdom to hard-boiled and impenitent criminals, or that he denied the existence of 'sinners.' What Jesus opposed were the walls that were erected within Israel and those who treated other Israelites as if they were outside the covenant and excluded from God's grace" (James Dunn).

Jesus does not deny the existence of sin and sinners. This is obvious from the fact that he calls them "sick." On this point he is more rigorous than his adversaries. If they condemn actual adultery, Jesus condemns adultery already at the stage of desire; if the law says not to kill, Jesus says that we must not even hate or insult our brother. To the sinners who draw near to him, he says "Go and sin no more"; he does not say: "Go and live as you were living before."

What Jesus condemns is the Pharisees' relegating to themselves the determination of true justice and their denying to others the possibility of conversion. The way that Luke introduces the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is significant: "He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others" (Luke 18:9). Jesus was more severe with those who condemned sinners with disdain than he was with sinners themselves.

But the novel and unheard of thing in the relationship between Jesus and sinners is not his goodness and mercy toward them. This can be explained in a human way. There is, in his attitude, something that cannot be humanly explained, that is, it cannot be explained so long as Jesus is taken to be a man like other men. What is novel and unheard of is Jesus' forgiveness of sins.

Jesus says to the paralytic: "My son, your sins are forgiven you."

"Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus' horrified adversaries cry out. And Jesus replies: "'So that you might know that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins, Get up!' he said to the paralytic, 'Pick up your mat and go home.'" No one could verify whether the sins of that man were forgiven but everyone could see that he got up and walked. The visible miracle attested to the invisible one.

Even the investigation of Jesus' relationship with sinners contributes therefore to an answer to the question: Who was Jesus? A man like other men, a prophet, or something different still? During his earthly life Jesus never explicitly affirmed himself to be God but he did attribute to himself powers that are exclusive to God.

Let us now return to Sunday's Gospel and to the parable of the prodigal son. There is a common element that unites the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, which are told in succession in Chapter 15 of Luke's Gospel. What do the shepherd who finds the lost sheep and the woman who finds her coin say? "Rejoice with me!" And what does Jesus say at the end of each parable? "There will be more joy in heaven for a converted sinner than for ninety-nine just people who do not need to convert."

The leitmotiv of the three parables is therefore the joy of God. (There is joy "before the angels of God," is an entirely Jewish way to speak of joy "in God."). In our parable joy overflows and becomes a feast. That father is overcome with joy and does not know what to do: He orders the best robe for his son, a ring with the family seal, the killing of the fatted calf, and says to all: "Let us eat and make merry, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

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