Lectionary: 31
Ir-Raba Hadd matul ir-Randan
Reading 1 1 SAMUEL 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The LORD said to Samuel: "Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons." As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is here before him." But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any one of these." Then Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here." Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There—anoint him, for this is the one!" Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
QARI 1 mill-Ewwel Ktieb ta’ Samwel 16:1b,6-7,10-13a
F’dak iz-zmien, il-Mulej qal lil Samwel: “Imla l-qarn biz-zejt u itlaq. Jien se nibaghtek ghand Gesse l-Betlemita, ghaliex minn fost uliedu jien ghazilt ghalija sultan”. Gara li malli wasal, Samwel ra lil Elijab u qal: “Hawn quddiem il-Mulej il-midluk tieghu?”. U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: “Tharisx lejn is-sura tieghu, jew it-tul ta’ persuntu, ghax jiena digà warrabtu. Ghax il-Mulej ma jarax bhalma jara l-bniedem, dak biss li jidher fl-ghajn, imma l-qalb”. Gesse ressaq quddiem Samwel sebgha minn uliedu; imma Samwel qallu: “Il-Mulej ma hatar lil hadd minn dawn”. U ssokta jghidlu: “Dawn huma t-tfal kollha?”. Gesse wiegbu: “Ghad fadal iz-zghir, qieghed jirgha n-naghag”. U Samwel qal lil Gesse: “Ibghat ghalih u gibu, ghax ma noqoghdux fuq il-mejda qabel ma jigi hawn”. U baghat ghalih u giebu. Kien zaghzugh ruxxan, ghajnejh helwin, u sabih fis-sura tieghu. U l-Mulej qal lil Samwel: “Qum u idilku, ghax dan hu”. Samwel ha f’idejh il-qarn biz-zejt, u dilku quddiem hutu. Minn dakinhar ’il quddiem nizel fuq David u hakmu l-ispirtu tal-Mulej. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 22(23):1-3a,3b-4,5,6
R/. (1): Il-Mulej hu r-raghaj tieghi, xejn ma jonqosni.
xejn ma jonqosni;
f’merghat kollha hdura jqeghedni.
Hdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieh, jehodni;
hemm hu jrejjaqni. R/.
Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa
minhabba l-isem tieghu.
Imqar jekk nimxi f’wied mudlam,
ma nibzax mill-hsara, ghax inti mieghi.
Il-hatar tieghek u l-ghaslug tieghek,
huma jwennsuni. R/.
Int thejji mejda ghalija
quddiem l-ghedewwa tieghi.
Biz-zejt tidlikli rasi,
u l-kalci tieghi tfawwarli. R/.
Mieghi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-hniena
l-jiem kollha ta’ hajti.
U nghammar f’dar il-Mulej
sakemm indum haj! R/.
Reading 2 EPHESIANS 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."
QARI 2 mill-Ittra lill-Efesin 5:8-14
Huti, intom kontu darba dlam, imma issa intom dawl fil-Mulej; ghixu ta’ wlied id-dawl li intom; frott id-dawl jinsab f’kulma hu tjieba, f’kulma hu gustizzja, f’kulma hu verità. Fittxu li taghrfu dak li joghgob lill-Mulej, u tissehbux fl-ghemejjel tad-dlam bla frott, imma ikxfuhom fil-berah. Ghax dak li qeghdin jaghmlu huma fil-mohbi, tisthi mqar jekk issemmih; imma meta wiehed johroghom fil-berah, id-dawl juri kollox, ghax kulma jidher hu dawl; ghal hekk jinghad: “Stenbah int, li int rieqed, u qum mill-imwiet, ha jiddi fuqek Kristu”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel JOHN 9:1-41
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" —which means Sent—. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbours and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is, " but others said, "No, he just looks like him." He said, "I am." So they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He replied, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went there and washed and was able to see." And they said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I don't know." They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see." So some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a sinful man do such signs?" And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, "What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. They asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?" His parents answered and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; question him."So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner." He replied, "If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see." So they said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" They ridiculed him and said, "You are that man's disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from." The man answered and said to them, "This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything." They answered and said to him, "You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?" Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered and said, "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he." He said, "I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind." Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not also blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains.”
EVANGELJU Qari skond San Gwann 9:1-41
F’dak iz-zmien, kif kien ghaddej, Gesù lemah ragel aghma minn twelidu, u d-dixxipli tieghu staqsewh: “Rabbi, dan twieled aghma ghax dineb hu stess, jew ghax dinbu l-?enituri tieghu?”. Gesù wiegeb: “Mhux ghax dineb hu jew il-genituri tieghu, imma gralu hekk biex l-ghemil ta’ Alla jidher fih. Sakemm ghadu binhar, jehtigilna naghmlu x-xoghol ta’ dak li baghatni, ghax jasal il-lejl meta hadd ma jkun jista’ jahdem. Sakemm ghadni fid-dinja, jiena hu d-dawl tad-dinja”. Kif qal dan, bezaq fl-art, ghamel minnu qisu tajn, u dilek bih ghajnejn ir-ragel aghma u qallu: “Mur inhasel fil-menqgha ta’ Silwam”. Din tfisser “il-Mibghut”. Mela dak mar, inhasel u gie jara. Il-girien u dawk li s-soltu kienu jarawh, ghax hu kien tallab, qalu: “Dan mhuwiex dak li kien joqghod bilqiehda jittallab?”. Xi whud qalu: “Iva, hu”. Orajn qalu: “Le, imma jixbhu”. Izda hu qalilhom: “Jiena hu”. Qalulu: “Mela kif infethulek ghajnejk?”. Wegibhom: “Wiehed ragel, jghidulu Gesù, ghamel ftit tajn, dilikli ghajnejja bih, u qalli: ‘Mur fis-Silwam u nhasel hemm’. Mort, inzsilt, u gejt nara”. Qalulu: “Fejn huwa dan ir-ragel?”. Qalilhom: “Ma nafx”. Lil dan il-bniedem li fl-imghoddi kien aghma haduh ghand il-Farizej. Issa dakinhar li Gesù ghamel it-tajn u fetah ghajnejn l-aghma nzerta kien is-Sibt. Il-Farizej ukoll staqsew mill-gdid lill-aghma kif sar jara. U hu qalilhom: “Qeghedli ftit tajn fuq ghajnejja, mort ninhasel, u issa qieghed nara”. Xi whud mill-Farizej qalu: “Dan il-bniedem mhuwiex gej minghand Alla, ghax ma harisx is-Sibt”. Izda ohrajn qalu: “Kif jista’ wiehed midneb jaghmel sinjali bhal dawn?”. U ma qablux bejniethom. U regghu qalu lill-aghma: “Int x’jidhirlek minnu, issa li fetahek ghajnejk?”. Qalilhom: “Dak profeta”. Il-Lhud ma ridux jemmnu li hu kien aghma u ha d-dawl qabel ma baghtu ghagenituri ta’ dak li sar jara, u staqsewhom: “Dan, li intom qeghdin tghidu li twieled aghma, dan binkom? Mela issa kif gie jara?”. Il-genituri tieghu wiegbu u qalulhom: “Nafu li dan hu t-tifel taghna u li twieled aghma; imma kif issa gie jara, dan ma nafuhx, u anqas ma nafu min fetahlu ghajnejh. Staqsu lilu: Zmien ghandu, Ha jitkellem hu ghalih innifsu”. Il-genituri tieghu wiegbu hekk ghaliex bezghu mil-Lhud, ghax il-Lhud kienu ga ftiehmu bejniethom li jekk xi hadd jistqarr li Gesù hu l-Messija, isib ruhu barra mis-sinagoga. Kien ghalhekk li l-genituri wiegbu: “Zmien g?andu, staqsu lilu”. Ghal darb’ohra regghu baggtu ghal dak li kien aghma u qalulu: “Aghti glorja lil Alla! Ahna nafu li dan il-bniedem huwa midneb”. Dak wegibhom: “Jekk hux midneb ma nafx.Haga wahda naf: li jien kont aghma u issa qieghed nara”. Qalulu: “Imma hu x’ghamillek? Kif fetahhomlok ghajnejk?”. U hu wegibhom: “Ga ghedtilkom u ma smajtux! Xi tridu tisimghu izjed? Jaqaw tridu intom ukoll issiru dixxipli tieghu?”. U qabdu jghajruh u qalulu: “Dak int dixxiplu tieghu! Ahna ta’ Mosè dixxipli! Ahna nafu li lil Mosè kellmu Alla, imma dan ma nafux minn fejn hu!”. Wegibhom ir-ragel u qalilhom: “Sewwa! Hawn qieghed l-ghageb, li intom ma tafux minn fejn inqala’, u madankollu lili fetahli ghajnejja! Ahna nafu li Alla mhux se jisma’ lill-midinbin; izda mbaghad jekk wiehed ikun iqim lil Alla u jaghmel ir-rieda tieghu, lil dan jisimghu. Qatt fid-dinja ma nstema’ li xi ?add fetah ghajnejn wiehed aghma mit-twelid. Li kieku dan ma kienx gej minghand Alla, xejn ma kien ikollu hila jaghmel”. Imbaghad qabzu u qalulu: “Int se tghallem lilna, int li twelidt dnubiet wahdek!”. U keccewh ’il barra. Gesù sama’ li keccewh ’il barra; sabu u qallu: “Temmen inti f’Bin il-bniedem?”. Dak wiegeb u qallu: “Min hu, Mulej, biex nemmen fih?”. Qallu Gesù: “Mhux biss rajtu, imma huwa dak stess li qieghed ikellmek”. Qallu: “Nemmen, Mulej!”. U nxtehet gharkupptejh quddiemu. Imbaghad Gesù qal: “Jien gejt fid-dinja biex naghmel haqq, biex min ma jarax isir jara, u min jara jaghma”. Xi whud mill-Farizej li kienu hemm madwaru semghuh jghid dan u staqsewh: “Ahna wkoll ghomja?”. Wegibhom Gesù: “Li kieku kontu ghomja, ma kontux tkunu hatja ta’ dnub. Imma issa qeghdin tghidu: ‘Ahna naraw’, mela d-dnub taghkom ghadu fuqkom”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr. Anthony Kadavil
Introduction:
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is known as “Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday,” expressing the Church’s joy in anticipation of the Resurrection of our Lord. Sunday’s readings remind us that it is God Who both gives us proper vision in body as well as in soul and instructs us that we should be constantly on our guard against spiritual blindness.
Scripture lessons summarized:
By describing the anointing of David as the second king of Israel, the first reading, taken from the First Book of Samuel, illustrates how blind we are in our judgments and how much we need God’s help. It reminds us that those whom God involves in his saving plans are not necessarily those whom the world perceives as great. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds the Ephesians of their new responsibility as children of light “to live as children of the light, producing every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”
In Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, (Ps 23), we celebrate the care of God, our Good Shepherd, who keeps us safe in the darkness of this world. Presenting the miracle of Jesus’ giving of sight to a man born blind, today’s Gospel teaches us the necessity of being willing to have our eyes opened by Faith, and warns us that those who assume they see the truth are often blind, while those who acknowledge their blindness are given clear vision.
In this episode, the most unlikely person, namely the beggar born blind, receives the light of Faith in Jesus, while the religion-oriented, law-educated Pharisees remain spiritually blind. To live as a Christian is to see and to grow continually, gaining clearer vision about God, about ourselves and about others. Our Lenten prayers and sacrifices should help to heal our spiritual blindness so that we can look at others, see them as children of God, and love them as our own brothers and sisters, saved by the death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Life messages:
1) We need to allow Jesus to heal our spiritual blindness. We all have blind-spots — in our marriages, our parenting, our work habits, and our personalities. We are often blind to the presence of the Triune God dwelling within us and fail to appreciate His presence in others. Even practicing Christians can be blind to the poverty, injustice, and pain around them. Let us remember, however, that Jesus wants to heal our blindness. We need to ask him to remove from us the root causes of our blindness: self-centeredness, greed, anger, hatred, prejudice, jealousy, addiction to evil habits, hardness of heart, and the like. Let us pray with the Scottish Bible scholar William Barclay, “God our Father, help us see Christ more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more nearly” day by day.
2) We need to get rid of cultural blindness. Our culture also has blind-spots. Often it is blind to things like selfless love, happiness, fidelity with true, committed sexual love in marriage, and the value of human life from birth to natural death. Our culture has become anesthetized to the violence, the sexual innuendo, and the enormous suffering in the world around us. Let us counteract this cultural blindness as, with His grace, we experience Jesus dwelling within us and within others, through personal prayer, meditative reading of the Bible, and a genuine Sacramental life.
////////////////////////////////////// © 2023, Fr. Anthony Kadavil - https://frtonyshomilies.com
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