Readings for Sunday, June 18, 2023
Lectionary: 91
Ħdax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 EXODUS 19:2-6a
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Eżodu 19, 2-6a
F’dak iż-żmien, wara li refgħu t-tined, minn Rafidim ulied Iżrael waslu fid-deżert tas-Sinaj u waqqfu t-tined fid-deżert. Iżrael waqqaf it-tined hemm, biswit il-muntanja. Mosè tala’ ħdejn Alla, u l-Mulej sejjaħlu mill-muntanja u qallu: “Dan għid lil dar Ġakobb u għarraf lil ulied Iżrael: “Rajtu intom x’għamilt lill-Eġizzjani, u kif lilkom ġarrejtkom fuq il-ġwienaħ tal-ajkli u ressaqtkom lejja. Issa, jekk tisimgħu leħni u żżommu l-patt tiegħi, intom tkunu l-wirt tiegħi minn fost il-popli kollha, għax l-art kollha tiegħi. Intom tkunu għalija saltna ta’ qassisin u ġens qaddis””. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 100:1-2, 3, 5
serve the LORD with gladness;
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
R/. (3c): Aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu
Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej, nies kollha tal-art,
aqdu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej,
idħlu quddiemu b’għana ferrieħi. R/.
Kunu afu li Jaħweh hu Alla,
hu ħalaqna u aħna tiegħu,
aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tal-mergħa tiegħu. R/.
Għax twajjeb il-Mulej,
għal dejjem it-tjieba tiegħu;
minn żmien għal żmien il-fedeltà tiegħu. R/.
Reading 2 ROMANS 5:6-11
Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Qari 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl Appostlu lir-Rumani 5, 6-11
Ħuti, meta aħna konna bla saħħa, Kristu, meta wasal iż-żmien, miet għall-ħżiena. Bilkemm wieħed imut għal wieħed tajjeb, għad li wieħed għandu mnejn jagħmel il-qalb u jmut għal wieħed ġeneruż. Iżda Alla wriena l-imħabba tiegħu meta Kristu miet għalina, aħna li konna għadna midinbin. Kemm aktar u aktar issa li aħna ġġustifikati b’demmu, insalvaw permezz tiegħu mill-korla ta’ Alla! Jekk meta konna għadna għedewwa ta’ Alla tħabbibna miegħu bis-saħħa tal-mewt ta’ Ibnu, kemm iktar issa, li aħna ħbieb miegħu, insalvaw permezz tal-ħajja tiegħu? Mhux hekk biss, imma niftaħru wkoll f’Alla b’Sidna Ġesù Kristu li permezz tiegħu ksibna din il-ħbiberija. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MATTHEW 9:36—10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 9, 36 – 10, 8
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A Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr. Tony Kadavil
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Introduction:
The main theme of today’s readings is that we are commissioned or sent, to transform others with the “Good News” of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus His Son.
Scripture lessons:
The first reading gives Israel the good news that the God of Mount Sinai loves and cares for his people. God showed His continuing care for Israel by liberating the people from slavery in Egypt and by offering them a relationship in which they would be God’s “special possession,”-- “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
Paul, in Sunday’s second reading, reflects on how Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection made manifest God’s love and care for mankind. According to Paul, the greatest proof of God’s love and care for us is Jesus’ willingness to die on behalf of sinful mankind and so make possible a new and better relationship with God.
Today’s Gospel is, in effect, a reminder from God to each one of us: “You have received grace and talents from Me without charge, and so you have to give without charge through your simple, responsible, sharing lives.” This is indeed the core of the priestly vocation and of the vocation of every Christian through his or her Baptism.
Up to this point in the story, Jesus himself was the focus of the healing, teaching, and controversy. With the commissioning of his disciples, others began to assume some of the responsibility for the new movement that heralded the kingdom of God. That new movement was destined to grow later, with increasing diversity, as it extended beyond the borders of Galilee, into Gentile territory, becoming the Universal Christian Church.
Life Messages:
1) Be Jesus-Presenters: Jesus continues to be active in our lives through the Bible and the Sacraments. In addition, the Lord God gives us the Holy Spirit, the One Who teaches us, and reminds us of all that Jesus has said to us. We are invited to become one with God and Jesus, and to let the Holy Spirit work through us. We are asked to perform the works of Jesus, and through these works to reveal the power and character of God to the world. If we accept this invitation and live it out wholeheartedly, with God’s grace people will look at us and say, “Jesus”
2) Be healers in the modern world: People are sick in body as well as mind. As Christians sharing Jesus’ mission, we can bring healing and wholeness to people with whom we come into contact. Although we cannot raise the dead, we can help people to recover interest and a zest for living. People can be physically alive but dead in many other respects.
“Cleansing the lepers” means rehabilitating and bringing back fully into our communities all those who, for one reason or another, are marginalized, rejected, despised, and ostracized on the basis of race, nationality, marital status, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We have to help casting out from our people the demons who possess them by means of addictions to alcohol, nicotine, drugs, pornography, sexual deviations, and the like, first by getting ourselves liberated and then helping others to get liberated from their evil addictions.
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