Readings for February 12, 2023
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 76
Qari tas-Sitt Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 SIRACH 15:15-20
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand. Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him. Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing. The eyes of God are on those who fear him; he understands man's every deed. No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb ta’ Bin Sirak 15:15-20
Jekk
trid tista’ tħares il-kmandamenti, u b’rieda tajba tista’ tkun fidil.
Hu qegħedlek quddiemek in-nar u l-ilma; liema trid minnhom, midd idek
għalih. Quddiem il-bniedem hemm il-ħajja u l-mewt, u liema tixtieq qalbu
lesta għalih. Għax għerf il-Mulej hu bla qies, qawwi f’setegħtu u jara
kollox. Għajnejh fuq dawk li jibżgħu minnu, u jagħraf kulma jagħmel
il-bniedem. Lil ħadd ma qabbad jgħix ħażin, u lil ħadd ma rħielu jidneb.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 118(119):1-2,4-5,17-18,33-34
R/. (1b): Henjin dawk li jimxu fil-liġi tal-Mulej.
Henjin dawk li triqthom bla ħtija,
li jimxu fil-liġi tal-Mulej.
Henjin dawk li jħarsu l-preċetti tiegħu,
u li jfittxuh b’qalbhom kollha. R/.
Int tajt il-preċetti tiegħek,
biex inħarsuhom bir-reqqa.
Ħa jżomm sħiħ il-mixi tiegħi
fil-ħarsien tal-kmandamenti tiegħek! R/.
Kun twajjeb mal-qaddej tiegħek,
agħtini li ngħix u nħares il-kelma tiegħek.
Iftaħli għajnejja,
biex nara l-għeġubijiet tal-liġi tiegħek. R/.
Għallimni, Mulej, it-triq tal-kmandamenti tiegħek;
jiena rrid nibqa’ fiha sal-aħħar.
Fehemni biex inħares il-liġi tiegħek
u nagħmilha b’qalbi kollha. R/.
Reading 2 1 CORUINTHIANS 2:6-10
Brothers and sisters: We speak a wisdom to those who are mature, not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. Rather, we speak God's wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
QARI 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 1 Kor 2:6-10
Ħuti,
aħna ngħallmu l-għerf fost dawk li huma perfetti, imma mhux l-għerf ta’
din id-dinja, anqas l-għerf tal-prinċpijiet ta’ din id-dinja, li se
jintemmu fix-xejn. Ngħallmu l-għerf ta’ Alla moħbi f’misteru, li Alla
fassal qabel iż-żmien għall-glorja tagħna. Ebda wieħed mill-mexxejja ta’
din id-dinja ma għarfu; kieku għarfuh, qatt ma kienu se jsallbu
lill-Mulej tal-glorja. Imma, bħalma hu miktub: “Dak li għajn qatt ma rat
u widna qatt ma semgħet, u dak li qatt ma tnissel f’qalb il-bnedmin,
dak Alla lesta għal dawk li jħobbuh”. Alla rrivelahulna permezz
tal-Ispirtu; għax l-Ispirtu jgħarbel kollox, sa fil-qiegħ ta’ Alla.
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MATTHEW 5:17-37
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these Commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny. "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. "It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife - unless the marriage is unlawful - causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. "Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one."
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mattew 5:17-37
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Xejn taħsbu li ġejt inwaqqa’ l-Liġi jew il-Profeti; jiena ma ġejtx biex inwaqqagħhom, iżda biex inwassalhom għall-milja tagħhom. Tassew ngħidilkom li sa ma jkunu għaddew is-sema u l-art anqas l-iżgħar ittra jew tikka waħda mil-Liġi ma titneħħa sa ma jkun seħħ kollox. Jekk mela xi ħadd iġib fix-xejn wieħed mill-iżgħar minn dawn il-kmandamenti u jgħallem lin-nies biex jagħmlu l-istess, dan jissejjaħ l-iżgħar fis-Saltna tas-Smewwiet. Imma min iħarishom u jgħallimhom, dan kbir jissejjaħ fis-Saltna tas-Smewwiet. Ngħidilkom li jekk il-ħajja tajba tagħkom ma tkunx ħafna aħjar minn dik tal-kittieba u l-Fariżej, ma tidħlux fis-Saltna tas-Smewwiet. Smajtu xi ntqal lin-nies ta’ dari: ‘La toqtolx. Jekk xi ħadd joqtol ikun ħaqqu l-kundanna’. Imma jiena ngħidilkom li l-kundanna tistħoqq ukoll lil min jinkorla għal ħuh. Jekk imbagħad xi ħadd lil ħuh jgħidlu: ‘Ġifa’, ikun ħaqqu l-kundanna tas-Sinedriju; u jekk jgħidlu: ‘Iblah’, ikun ħaqqu n-nar tal-infern. Mela jekk tkun qiegħed ittalla’ l-offerta tiegħek fuq l-altar u hemm tiftakar li ħuk għandu xi ħaġa kontra tiegħek, ħalli l-offerta tiegħek hemmhekk quddiem l-altar u mur l-ewwel irranġa ma’ ħuk, u mbagħad ejja talla’ l-offerta tiegħek. Lil min ikun se jtellgħek il-qorti ħudu bil-kelma t-tajba mill-aktar fis waqt li tkun għadek miegħu fit-triq, li ma jmurx jagħtik f’idejn l-imħallef, u l-imħallef f’idejn l-għassies, u hekk issib ruħek fil-ħabs. Tassew ngħidlek, minn hemm ġew ma toħroġx qabel ma tkun ħallast l-aħħar tliet ħabbiet. Smajtu xi ntqal: ‘La tagħmilx adulterju’. Imma jiena ngħidilkom li kull min iħares lejn mara biex jixtieqha jkun ġa għamel adulterju magħha f’qalbu. Jekk għajnek il-leminija hi għalik okkażjoni ta’ dnub, aqlagħha barra u armiha ’l bogħod minnek, għax aktar ikun jaqbillek jekk tintiliflek biċċa waħda minn ġismek milli ġismek kollu jinxteħet fl-infern. U jekk idek il-leminija hi għalik okkażjoni ta’ dnub, aqtagħha barra u armiha ’l bogħod minnek, għax aktar ikun jaqbillek jekk tintiliflek biċċa waħda minn ġismek milli ġismek kollu jmur fl-infern. Intqal ukoll: ‘Min jibgħat lil martu jkollu jagħtiha l-kitba tad-divorzju’. Imma jiena ngħidilkom li kull min jibgħat lil martu barra l-każ ta’ żwieġ ħażin, iwaqqagħha fl-adulterju; u min jiżżewweġ waħda mibgħuta minn ħaddieħor, jagħmel adulterju. Smajtu wkoll xi ntqal lin-nies ta’ dari: ‘Tonqosx mill-wegħda li ħlift imma rodd lill-Mulej il-wegħdiet li ħliftlu’. Imma jiena ngħidilkom biex ma taħilfu xejn, u la bis-sema, għax hu t-tron ta’ Alla, u la bl-art, għax fuqha jserraħ riġlejh, u lanqas b’Ġerusalemm, għaliex hija l-Belt tas-Sultan il-kbir. U lanqas b’rasek ma għandek taħlef, għaliex inti anqas biss xagħra waħda ma għandek ħila tagħmilha bajda jew sewda. Mela ħa jkun id-diskors tagħkom: ‘iva, iva’; ‘le, le’; kulma hu iżjed minn hekk ikun ġej mill-Ħażin”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr. Anthony Kadavil
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings challenge us to choose freely and wisely to observe the laws given by a loving and caring God. He revealed His laws to His Chosen People through Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament, and through His own Son, Jesus, in the New Testament. For the Israelites, the Torah was not a set of laws, but the instruction or teaching intended to promote the holiness and wholeness of each believer. It was the revealed will of a caring God, for the people with whom had He made His covenant. (You may add an anecdote)
Scripture lessons:
The first reading, taken from Sirach, contains the clearest statement in the Old Testament concerning the God-given freedom of the human will. It exonerates God from all responsibility for evil in the world. “If you choose, you can keep the commandments . . . before you are life and death, whichever you choose shall be given you.”
In the second reading, Paul challenges his Corinthian believers to appreciate the wisdom of God’s saving plan for His people, a plan hidden for ages but now revealed by the Spirit. In the selection from the Sermon on the Mount in Sunday’s Gospel, while challenging his disciples to live a life of justice and righteousness which should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus, as the new lawgiver, sets forth his own position with regard to the Law given through Moses, by providing new interpretation and meaning for the old laws. In Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus explains the real meaning of three Mosaic laws concerning murder, adultery and divorce.
Life messages:
1) We need to obey God’s Law, appreciating its basic principles: In obeying God’s law and Church law, let us remember the two basic principles on which these laws are based, namely, the principle of reverence and the principle of respect. In the first four of the Ten Commandments, we are asked to reverence God, reverence His holy Name, reverence His holy day, and reverence our father and mother. The next six commandments instruct us to respect life, one’s personal integrity and good name, the legal system, another’s property and another’s spouse. Our obedience to these laws must be prompted by love of God and gratitude to God for His blessings.
2) We need to forgive, forget, and move toward reconciliation as soon as possible. St. Paul advises us “Be angry (righteous anger) but do not sin” (Eph 4:26). When we keep anger in our spirit, we are inviting physical illnesses, like hypertension, and mental illnesses, like depression. Let us relax and keep silence when we are angry, wait before acting on our anger, giving it time to detoxify and cool off, pray for God’s strength for self-control, and give the Holy Spirit time to help us to see the event through Jesus’ eyes instead of through anger’s eyes.
3) We need to be true to God, to ourselves, and to others. Let us allow God’s word of truth to penetrate our minds and hearts and to form our consciences, making us men and women of integrity.
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