Readings for Sunday, June 25, 2023
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 94
Tnax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 JEREMIAH 20:10-13
Jeremiah said: "I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.' But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O LORD of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Ġeremija 20, 10-13
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġeremija qal: Ma nismax ħlief taqsis il-kotra; biża’ madwari kollu! “Ixluh! Ħa nixluh!”. Jgħajtu saħansitra ħbiebi kollha, ifittxu l-qerda tiegħi: “Għandu mnejn jitqarraq u negħlbuh; ta’ kollox nitħallsu minnu!”. Il-Mulej miegħi bħal raġel qalbieni, għalhekk dawk li jagħmlu għalija jogħtru, ma jagħmlu xejn,jitħawdu bis-sħiħ, għax ħsiebhom ma jseħħx; għajb għalihom li ma jintesa qatt. Int, Mulej tal-eżerċti, li ġġarrab il-ġust, li tara l-ġewwieni u l-qalb, ħallini nara l-vendetta tiegħek kontrihom, għax f’idejk ħallejt il-kawża tiegħi. Għannu lill-Mulej, faħħru lill-Mulej, għaliex ħajjet l-imsejken ħelisha minn id il-ħżiena. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother's children,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!''
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 68 (69), 8-10.14.17.33-35
R/. (14ċ): Fil-kobor ta’ tjubitek weġibni, O Alla
u l-mistħija tiksili wiċċi.
Sirt barrani għal ħuti,
ulied ommi ma jagħrfunix.
Għax il-ħeġġa għal darek fnietni,
it-tagħjir ta’ min jgħajjar lilek waqa’ fuqi. R/.
fil-kobor ta’ tjubitek
u skond il-wegħda tas-salvazzjoni tiegħek.
Weġibni, Mulej, għax mill-aħjar tjubitek;
dur lejja fil-kobor tal-ħniena tiegħek. R/.
u tagħmlu l-qalb, intom li tfittxu lil Alla.
Għax jisma’ l-fqajrin il-Mulej,
ma jistmellx l-imjassrin tiegħu.
Ifaħħruh is-sema u l-art,
l-ibħra u kull ma jitħarrek fihom. R/.
Reading 2 ROMANS 5:12-15
Brothers and sisters: Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned— for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.
Qari 2 mill-ittra lir-Rumani 5, 12-15
Ħuti, kien permezz ta’ bniedem wieħed li fid-dinja daħal id-dnub, u permezz tad-dnub il-mewt, u hekk il-mewt laħqet il-bnedmin kollha, għax kollha dinbu. Kienet għadha ma waslitx il-Liġi, id-dnub kien ġa fid-dinja: imma d-dnub ma kienx magħdud, ladarba Liġi ma kienx hemm. Madankollu l-mewt saltnet ukoll minn Adam sa Mosè, mqar fuq dawk li ma waqgħux fid-dnub li fih kien waqa’ Adam, li kien xbieha ta’ dak li kellu jiġi. Imma d-don mhuwiex bħall-ħtija. Għax jekk permezz ta’ ħtija waħda mietet il-kotra, aktar u aktar issa l-grazzja ta’ Alla u d-don mogħti bil-grazzja ta’ bniedem wieħed li hu Ġesù Kristu, xterdu bil-bosta fuq il-kotra. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MATTHEW 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 10, 26-33
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lill-Appostli tiegħu: “La tibżgħux millbnedmin. Għax xejn ma hu mgħotti li ma jinkixifx, u xejn ma hu moħbi li ma jsirx magħruf. Dak li jien ngħidilkom fid-dlam għiduh fid-dawl, u dak li ngħidilkom f’widnejkom xandruh minn fuq il-bjut. U tibżgħux minn dawk li joqtlu l-ġisem bla ma jistgħu joqtlu r-ruħ; imma aktar ibżgħu minn dak li jista’ jeqred kemm ir-ruħ u kemm il-ġisem flinfern. Żewġ għasafar tal-bejt mhux b’ħabba jinbiegħu? U b’danakollu anqas wieħed minnhom ma jaqa’ fl-art mingħajr ir-rieda ta’ missierkom. Intom imbagħad sax-xagħar ta’ raskom kollu hu magħdud. Mela xejn la tibżgħu; intom aqwa minn ħafna għasafar tal-bejt. Kull min jistqarr quddiem il-bnedmin li hu miegħi, jien ukoll nistqarr li jiena miegħu quddiem Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet. Iżda min jiċħad lili quddiem il-bnedmin, jien ukoll niċħad lilu quddiem Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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“Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than any sparrow.”
Introduction:
Our Scripture readings for this Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time challenge us to preach Christ through our words and lives without fear.
Scripture lessons summarized:
The first reading tells us how the prophet Jeremiah trusted in the power of God while he faced opposition for his prophetic ministry. He was intimidated by attacks upon his character, but he was unafraid to speak out in the name of the Lord. The psalmist in today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 69) trusts in God when he is misunderstood and ill-treated even by his brothers and relatives. In the second reading, Paul assures the Christians in Rome that they need not be afraid of opposition both because they share in the death of Jesus and because they are united with Christ, the new Adam, in his Resurrection.
Sunday’s Gospel passage is taken from the end of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples as he sends them forth to carry on his mission of preaching and healing. He asks them to live simple lives and to expect opposition and rejection. After having foretold future opposition and persecution, Jesus encourages his disciples to stand firm. Three times they are urged, “Do not fear!” “Do not be afraid!” Instead of shrinking from their task, they are to proclaim the Gospel boldly because they will be protected, just as Jeremiah was assured of God’s protection.
Hence, Jesus commands his disciples not to fear their persecutors. He presents before them the image of the sparrow to reinforce the disciples’ trust and hope in God. The readings hint at the opposition we future Christians will encounter as we carry on the work of Jesus in the world, and they encourage us to persevere in doing the work of Jesus. They assure us that we will be successful, despite the opposition we encounter.
Life messages:
We need not be afraid because our life is in the hands of a loving God. Sometimes we are afraid that we will make a wrong decision. At other times, we are afraid of what others will think when we speak up for Jesus. We are afraid of what the future will bring to our children. We are also afraid of growing old. Sometimes we are afraid of what declining health will bring us.
At the root of these fears is the fear of loss. Every fear we have is grounded in the knowledge that we have something or someone to lose. I can lose my job, family, house, money, reputation, health, and even life itself. Rejection and loss are the basis of our fears. But we forget one thing: whatever trouble or crisis affects us, we know that God understands it better than we ourselves do.
Our Heavenly Father knows exactly what is happening. What a release from fear it is to know that God is with us; that our life is in the hands of a loving God! The next time fear grips us we need to remember that being faithful to Christ wherever we meet him in this life is much more important than our fear of loss or rejection by others. Also, let us take a moment to recall some of the great promises of God.
Let us remind ourselves that God cares – we are each a dear child of His, and He cares for each of us. “Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” The last verse of Psalm 27 sums it up nicely: “Trust in the Lord. Have Faith; do not despair. Trust in the Lord.”
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