Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 138
Is-Sitta u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ matul is-Sena
Reading 1 AMOS 6:1a, 4-7
Thus says the LORD the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Għamos 6:1a,4-7
Dan
jgħid il-Mulej li jista’ kollox: “Ħażin għalihom dawk li f’Sijon
għandhom moħħhom mistrieħ, dawk li qalbhom qawwija fil-muntanja
tas-Samarija! Fuq sodod tal-avorju mimduda, jitmattru fuq il-friex; u
ħrief il-merħla jieklu, għoġiela mill-istalla. Mal-arpa jqabblu l-għana,
bħal David strumenti jivvintaw. L-inbid ilegilguh minn bwieqi kbar, u
bl-ifjen żjut jindilku, bla xejn ma jsewdu qalbhom għall-qerda ta’
Ġużeppi. Għalhekk ikunu l-ewwel fost dawk li jittieħdu fl-eżilju, u
tintemm imbagħad l-għajta tal-imhejmin”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
Blessed is he who 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 he 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/.(1b): Faħħar, ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Il-Mulej li jagħmel ħaqq lill-maħqurin,
u jagħti l-ħobż lill-imġewħin.
Il-Mulej li jeħles lill-imjassrin. R/.
Il-Mulej li jiftaħ għajnejn l-għomja;
il-Mulej li jerfa’ lill-milwijin;
il-Mulej li jħobb lill-ġusti;
il-Mulej li jħares lill-barranin. R/.
Il-Mulej iżomm 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 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-16
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Qari 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra lil Timotju 6:11-16
Int,
bniedem ta’ Alla, fittex li jkollok il-ġustizzja, it-tjieba, il-fidi,
l-imħabba, is-sabar, il-ħlewwa. Tqabad it-taqbida t-tajba tal-fidi; qis
li tirbaħ il-ħajja ta’ dejjem li għaliha kont imsejjaħ u li tagħha
għamilt l-istqarrija sabiħa quddiem ħafna xhieda. Inwissik quddiem Alla
li jagħti l-ħajja lill-ħlejjaq kollha, u quddiem Kristu Ġesù li xehed u
għamel l-istqarrija sabiħa quddiem Ponzju Pilatu. Inwissik biex tħares
l-istruzzjonijiet li rċevejt u żżomm ruħek bla tebgħa u bla ħtija sa jum
id-dehra ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu, li għad juriha f’waqtha. Dak li hu
l-hieni u waħdu setgħani, is-Sultan tas-slaten u s-Sid tas-sidien, li hu
biss ma jmut qatt u jgħammar f’dawl li ħadd ma jista’ jersaq lejh, hu
li ebda bniedem qatt ma rah u anqas qatt jista’ jarah. Lilu ġieħ u
setgħa għal dejjem! Amen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel LUKE 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"
Evanġelju Qari skont San Luqa 16:19-31
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lill-Fariżej: “Mela kien hemm raġel għani, jilbes il-porpra u għażel mill-ifjen; l-hena tiegħu kien li kuljum jagħmel ikla mill-aħjar. U wieħed fqir jismu Lazzru, li kellu ġismu ġerħa waħda, kien imur jinxteħet ħdejn il-bieb ta’ daru, bix-xewqa li jixba’ b’dak li jaqa’ mill-mejda tal-għani. Sal-klieb kienu jmorru jilagħqu l-ġrieħi tiegħu. Ġara li l-fqir miet, u l-anġli ħaduh fi ħdan Abraham. Imbagħad miet ukoll l-għani, u difnuh. Dan, kif sab ruħu fi tbatijiet ħorox f’Art l-Imwiet, rafa’ ħarstu, u mill-bogħod lemaħ lil Abraham, b’Lazzru fi ħdanu. U għolla leħnu u qallu: “Missier Abraham, ikollok ħniena minni u ibgħat lil Lazzru jbill tarf sebgħu fl-ilma ħa jtaffili n-nixfa li għandi fi lsieni, għax qiegħed ninħaqar wisq f’dan in-nar”. Iżda Abraham qallu: “Ibni, ftakar li t-tajjeb tiegħek irċevejtu f’ħajtek; hekk ukoll Lazzru, il-ħażin irċevieh f’ħajtu. Imma issa hu hawnhekk qiegħed jitfarraġ, waqt li inti qiegħed tbati. Barra minn dan, hemm vojt bla qies bejnkom u bejnna, biex min ikun irid jaqsam minn hawn għal għandkom ma jkunx jista’, u anqas ma jgħaddu minn hemm għal għandna”. Qallu l-għani: “Mela nitolbok, missier, ibagħtu f’dar missieri, għax għandi ħames aħwa, ħalli jagħmlilhom twissija kif imiss, li ma jmorrux huma wkoll jiġu f’dan il-post ta’ tbatijiet ħorox!”. Qallu Abraham: “Għandhom lil Mosè u l-Profeti; jisimgħu lilhom”. Qallu dak: “Le, missier Abraham, imma jekk imur għandhom xi ħadd mill-imwiet, jindmu”. Iżda wieġbu Abraham: “Jekk ma jisimgħux lil Mosè u l-Profeti, anqas jekk iqum xi ħadd mill-imwiet ma jemmnu”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Eight-minute Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil
Introduction:
The main theme of this Sunday’s readings is the warning that the selfish and extravagant use of God’s blessings, like wealth, without sharing them with the poor and the needy, is a serious sin deserving eternal punishment. Sunday’s readings stress the Covenant responsibility of the rich for the poor, reminding us of the truth that wealth without active mercy for the poor is great wickedness. It warns us against making money the goal of our existence.
Scripture lessons:
Amos, in the first reading, issues a powerful warning to those who seek wealth at the expense of the poor and who spend their time and their money on themselves alone. He prophesies that those rich and self-indulgent people will be punished by God with exile because they don’t care for their poor and suffering brothers.
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 146) praises Yahweh, who cares for the poor. In the second reading, Paul admonishes us to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” – noble goals in an age of disillusionment – rather than riches.
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a warning, pointing to the destiny of the rich man who neglected his duty to show mercy to poor Lazarus. The rich man was punished, not for having riches, but for neglecting the Scriptures and what they taught on sharing his blessings with the poor.
Life messages:
1) We are all rich enough to share our blessings with others. God has blessed each one of us with wealth or health or special talents or social power or political influence or a combination of many blessings. The parable invites us to share what we have been given with others in various ways instead of using everything exclusively for selfish gains.
2) We need to remember that sharing is the criterion of Last Judgment: Matthew (25:31ff) tells us that all six questions to be asked of each one of us by Jesus when He comes in glory as our judge are based on how we have shared our blessings from him (food, drink, home, mercy and compassion), with our brothers and sisters, anyone in need, for Jesus identifies himself with each of them.
3) We need to treat the unborn as our brother/sister Lazarus. Lazarus in the 21st century is also our pre-born brother and sister. Many of these babies are brutally executed in their mother’s wombs. Their cries for a chance to live are rejected 4400 times a day in our country. The rich man was condemned for not treating Lazarus as his brother. We also will be condemned for our selfishness if we do not treat the preborn as our brothers and sisters.
4) Our choices here determine the kind of eternity we will have. It has been put this way: “Where we go hereafter depends on what we ‘go after,’ here!” Where we will arrive depends on what road we travel. We will get what we choose, what we live for. We are shaping our moral character to fit forever in one of two places.
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