OUR BENEVOLENT, COMPASSIONATE, FORGIVING GOD

 Readings for Sunday, OCTOBER 30, 2022 

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 153

Il-Wieħed u Tletin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

 
Reading 1                WISDOM 11:22-12:2

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance  or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.  But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;  and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.  For you love all things that are  and loathe nothing that you have made;  for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.  And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;  or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?  But you spare all things, because they are yours,  O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!  Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,  that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Qari 1                mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 11:22–12:2

Mulej, quddiemek id-dinja kollha qisha traba fil-miżien, jew qatra nida tal-għodwa li tinżel fuq l-art. Iżda int tħenn għal kulħadd, għax tista’ kollox; int tagħlaq għajnejk għal dnubiet il-bnedmin biex huma jindmu. Għax int tħobb il-ħlejjaq kollha, u xejn ma tistmell minn kulma għamilt; li kien hemm xi ħaġa li stajt tobgħodha, int ma kontx tagħmilha. Kif setgħet tibqa’ xi ħaġa fid-dinja kieku int ma ridthiex? Jew kif setgħet iżżomm, kieku int ma sejjaħtilhiex? Imma int, o Sid li tħobb kulma jgħix, lil kulħadd tagħder, għax kollox huwa tiegħek. Għax f’kulħadd hemm nifsek bla ma qatt jintemm. Għalhekk int twiddeb bil-ftit il-ftit lil dawk li jonqsu, twissihom u tfakkarhom fejn dinbu, biex jerġgħu lura mill-ħażen tagħhom,  u fik, Mulej, iqiegħdu t-tama tagħhom.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Salm Responsorjali               Salm 144(145):1-2,8-9,10-11,13ċd-14

R/.(1) Mulej, inbierek ismek għal dejjem ta’ dejjem.

Ħa nkabbrek, Alla tiegħi, sultan,
u nbierek ismek għal dejjem ta’ dejjem.
Kuljum irrid inbierkek,
u nfaħħar ismek għal dejjem ta’ dejjem. R/.

Twajjeb u ħanin il-Mulej,
idum biex jagħdab u kollu tjieba.
Twajjeb ma’ kulħadd il-Mulej,
tjubitu fuq kulma għamel. R/.

Kulma għamilt iroddlok ħajr, Mulej;
iberkuk il-ħbieb tiegħek kollha.
Is-sebħ tas-saltna tiegħek ixandru,
fuq is-setgħa tiegħek jitkellmu. R/.

Ta’ kelmtu l-Mulej fil-wegħdiet tiegħu kollha,
twajjeb f’dak kollu li għamel.
Iwieżen il-Mulej ’il kull min se jaqa’,
iqajjem ’il kull min hu mitluq. R/.

Reading 2               2 THESSALONIANS 1:11-2:2

Brothers and sisters: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Qari 2                 mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 1:11–2:2

Ħuti, aħna dejjem nitolbu għalikom li Alla tagħna jagħmilkom denji tas-sejħa tiegħu, u jagħmel li bil-qawwa tiegħu sseħħ kull rieda tajba tagħkom għall-ġid u kull ħidma tal-fidi tagħkom. U hekk l-isem ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu jkun igglorifikat fikom u intom fih skont il-grazzja ta’ Alla tagħna u tal-Mulej Ġesù Kristu. Ħuti, għal dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-miġja ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu u l-ġemgħa tagħna biex ningħaqdu miegħu, nitolbukom biex ma toqogħdux tħawdu raskom malajr u tinħasdu bħallikieku l-miġja ta’ jum il-Mulej qorbot, u la jekk tkunu mnebbħin mill-ispirtu u lanqas jekk tisimgħu xi kelma jew taqraw xi ittra taparsi mingħandna. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel               LUKE 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Evanġelju               Qari skond San Luqa 19:1-10

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù daħal Ġeriko u kien għaddej mit-triq. Mela jkun hemm raġel, jismu Żakkew; dan kien wieħed mill-kapijiet tal-pubblikani, u kien għani. Kellu xewqa li jara min kien Ġesù, imma ma setax minħabba l-folla, billi kien raġel qasir. Għalhekk mar jiġri ’l quddiem u xxabbat ma’ siġra tat-tin selvaġġ, għax minn dik in-naħa kien se jgħaddi. Ġesù, kif wasal hemm, ħares ’il fuq u qallu: “Żakkew, isa, inżel minn hemm, għax illum jeħtieġli noqgħod għandek”. Dak niżel bla telf ta’ żmien, u kollu ferħan laqgħu għandu. In-nies, meta rawh, ilkoll bdew igemgmu bejniethom u jgħidu li għand wieħed midneb daħal jistrieħ. Imma Żakkew, wieqaf, qal lill-Mulej: “Ara, Mulej, nofs ġidi se nagħtih lill-foqra, u jekk jien qarraqt b’xi ħadd irroddlu għal erba’ darbiet iżjed”. Qallu Ġesù: “F’din id-dar illum daħlet is-salvazzjoni, għax dan ir-raġel ukoll huwa bin Abraham. Għax Bin il-bniedem ġie jfittex u jsalva l-mitluf”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil  

THE LOVED SINNER

Introduction:

The common theme of Sunday’s readings is the benevolent, compassionate, forgiving mercy of God for sinners and the response of repentance and conversion expected from us.

Scripture lessons summarized:

The first reading reminds us that God’s Almighty Power includes His strength to be merciful. That is why God, Who created the universe mercifully, waits for sinners to repent. God continues to love us, even when we do not love Him in return. The reading focuses on the love God has for all He has created, the love that overlooks sin so that we all have time for repentance. God shows us His redemptive love through His mercy.

In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145), the Psalmist also tells us that the Lord is good to all, and His compassion covers all that He has made. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness (Ps 145:8). In the second reading, St. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to persevere in their Christian Faith, giving glory to God without idly waiting for the “second coming” of Christ in their lifetime. He advises them to continue to live good Christian lives every day, allowing God to work in them so that they may be worthy of their vocation as Christians.

Sunday’s Gospel presents the story of the instantaneous conversion of the tax-collector, Zacchaeus, whom God’s grace led to a moment of conversion. The account describes how Jesus recognized Zacchaeus for exactly what he was, a lost sinner in need of a Saviour, and shows us how God’s grace worked in Zacchaeus to lead him from idle curiosity to repentance, conversion, and restitution. The episode emphasizes the fact that such a conversion can only result from a person’s fully receiving the love, acceptance, and grace offered to everyone one by a merciful Lord.

Life messages:

1) We need to accept the Divine invitation for repentance. We are all sinners to a greater or lesser degree. Jesus is inviting each one of us to total conversion today. Let us remember that Jesus loves us in spite of our ugly thoughts, broken promises, sullied ideals, lack of prayer and Faith, resentments, and lusts. Hence, let us admit our sinfulness and accept God’s call to repentance, conversion and renewal of life.

2) Let us love others as Jesus loved Zacchaeus, despite his sins. Parents and teachers need to accept children lovingly, without first setting up standards of behavior as conditions for being loved. Husband and wife may have qualities that irritate each other. But they should not, because of that, withhold love from each other. Nor should they withhold their love from a rebellious teenager making stupid and even dangerous choices because of immaturity and peer-pressure.

3) We are called to generosity: Jesus wants us to move from our small and feeble Faith to a greater and more powerful Faith, just as Zacchaeus did. He also wants us to be financially and spiritually generous.

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