Readings for Sunday, October 8, 2023
Lectionary: 139
Is-Sebgħa u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 ISAIAH 5:1-7
Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Iżaija 5:1-7
Ħa ngħanni lill-maħbub tiegħi l-għanja ta’ mħabbtu għall-għalqa tad-dwieli tiegħu. Il-maħbub tiegħi kellu għalqa tad-dwieli fuq għolja għammiela. Għażaqha u naddafha miż-żrar, u ħawwel fiha dwieli mill-aħjar; bena torri f’nofsha, u wkoll ħaffer magħsar fiha. Stennieha tagħmel l-għeneb tajjeb, iżda kulma għamlet kien għeneb qares. U issa, intom li tgħammru f’Ġerusalemm, irġiel ta’ Ġuda, agħmlu intom ħaqq bejni u bejn l-għalqa tad-dwieli tiegħi. X’kien fadalli nagħmel għall-għalqa tiegħi u ma għamiltux? Stennejtha tagħmel għeneb tajjeb, u kulma għamlet kien għeneb qares. U issa ħa nurikom x’sejjer nagħmel jien lill-għalqa tiegħi tad-dwieli. Inneħħilha l-ilqugħ ta’ madwarha, u jħarbtuha; inġarrfilha l-ħajt, biex in-nies tgħaffiġha. Nagħmel minnha xagħra; ħadd ma jiżborha jew jaħdimha, u jinbet fiha x-xewk u l-ħurrieq. Jien ngħid lis-sħab biex ma jagħmilx xita fuqha! Għax l-għalqa tad-dwieli tal-Mulej tal-eżerċti hija d-dar ta’ Iżrael; u l-irġiel ta’ Ġuda huma l-mixtla tal-għalqa tiegħu. Huwa stenna l-ġustizzja, u araw sab it-tixrid tad-demm, stenna s-sewwa, u araw sama’ l-għajat tal-maħqura. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted,
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
R/. (Iż 5:7a): Il-għalqa tal-Mulej hija d-dar ta’ Iżrael.
Inti qlajt dielja mill-Eġittu,
warrabt il-ġnus biex tħawwel lilha.
Meddet sal-baħar il-friegħi tagħha,
sax-xmara ż-żraġen tagħha. R/.
Għaliex, mela, ġarraft il-ħitan tagħha,
u kull min jgħaddi jqaċċat minnha?
Iħarbatha l-ħanżir selvaġġ,
il-bhejjem tar-raba’ jirgħu fiha. R/.
Erġa’ ejja, Alla tal-eżerċti;
ħares mis-sema, u ara,
u żur ’il din id-dielja.
Ħu ħsieb dak li ħawlet lemintek,
ir-rimja li int kabbart għalik. R/.
Aħna ma nitbegħdux minnek;
roddilna l-ħajja, u aħna nsejħu ismek.
Reġġagħna għal li konna, Alla tal-eżerċti;
itfa’ fuqna d-dija ta’ wiċċek, u nkunu salvi. R/.
Reading 2 PHILIPPIANS 4:6-9
Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.
QARI 2 mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4:6-9
Ħuti, tħabbtu raskom b’xejn. Fit-talb kollu tagħkom itolbu u uru lil Alla xi jkollkom bżonn, u iżżuh ħajr. U s-sliem ta’ Alla, sliem li jgħaddi kulma l-moħħ jista’ jifhem, iżommilkom qalbkom u moħħkom sħaħ fi Kristu Ġesù. Mill-bqija, ħuti, f’dan għandkom taħsbu: f’kulma hu veru, f’kulma hu xieraq, f’kulma hu ġust, f’kulma hu safi, f’kulma jiġbed l-imħabba, f’kulma jistħoqqlu ġieħ, f’kulma hu virtù, f’kulma ħaqqu t-tifħir; f’dan kollu aħsbu. U kulma tgħallimtu u ħadtu mingħandna, u smajtu u rajtu fina, agħmluh. Alla tas-sliem ikun magħkom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej. .
Gospel MATTHEW 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mattew 21:33-43
F’dak iż-żmien Ġesù qal lill-qassisin il-kbar u lix-xjuħ tal-poplu: “Isimgħu parabbola oħra: Kien hemm wieħed, sid ta’ għalqa, u ħawwilha bid-dwieli; tellgħalha ħajt tas-sejjieħ madwarha, ħaffer magħsar fiha, u bnielha torri; u qabbilha lil xi bdiewa. U siefer f’art oħra. Meta wasal żmien il-frott, bagħat il-qaddejja tiegħu għand dawk il-bdiewa biex jiġbrulu l-frott li kien imissu. Iżda l-bdiewa qabdu lill-qaddejja, u lil wieħed sawtuh, lil ieħor qatluh, u lil ieħor ħaġġruh. Reġa’ bagħtilhom qaddejja oħra, aktar minn qabel, u għamlulhom l-istess. Fl-aħħar bagħtilhom lil ibnu. “Minn ibni jistħu”, qal. Iżda kif raw lil ibnu l-bdiewa bdew jgħidu bejniethom: “Ara l-werriet! Ejjew noqtluh, biex il-wirt tiegħu niħduh aħna”. Qabduh, xeħtuh ’il barra mill-għalqa u qatluh. Issa sid l-għalqa x’jagħmlilhom lil dawk il-bdiewa meta jiġi?”. Qalulu: “Jeqridhom bla ħniena, ta’ ħżiena li huma, u l-għalqa jqabbilha lil bdiewa oħra li jroddulu l-frott fi żmienu”. Qalilhom Ġesù: “Qatt ma qrajtu fl-Iskrittura li: ‘Il-ġebla li warrbu l-bennejja saret il-ġebla tax-xewka; bis-saħħa tal-Mulej seħħ dan: ħaġa tal-għaġeb f’għajnejna’? Għalhekk ngħidilkom li s-Saltna ta’ Alla tittieħed mingħandkom u tingħata lil ġens li jagħmel il-frott minnha”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
////////////////////////////////////
Eight-minute Homily by Fr Tony Kadavil
Introduction:
The common theme of today’s readings is the necessity of bearing fruit in the Christian life. The readings warn us of the punishment for spiritual sterility, ingratitude, and wickedness.
Scripture lessons summarized:
In Sunday’s first reading, called, Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard, the prophet describes God’s care of, and expectations for, His Chosen People. God’s Chosen People failed to bear fruit, in spite of the blessings lavished upon them by a loving and forgiving God. Further, they were poor tenants in the Lord’s vineyard. Hence, God laments: “I expected My vineyard to yield good grapes. Why did it yield sour ones instead?”
In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 80), the Psalmist pleads with God to look down from Heaven and to “take care of this vine,” knowing that if any good is to come of the vine, it will be the doing of God, not the people.
In the second reading, Paul tells Philippians about the high expectations he has for them, reminding them that they need to become fruit-producing Christians by praying and giving thanks to God and by practicing justice, purity, and graciousness in their lives.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells an allegorical parable in which the landowner is God, the vineyard is Israel as God’s special people, and the tenants are the political and religious leaders of Israel. The story emphasizes the failure of the tenants, the Chosen People of God and their leaders, to produce fruits of righteousness, justice, and mercy. Giving a theological explanation of Israel’s history of gross ingratitude through the parable, Jesus reminds us Christians that, since we are the “new” Israel, enriched with additional blessings and provisions in the Church, we are expected to show our gratitude to God by bearing fruits of the kingdom, fruits of the Holy Spirit, in our lives, giving Him all the Glory.
Life messages:
1) Are we good fruit-producers in the vineyard of the Church? Jesus has given the Church everything necessary to make Christians fruit-bearing.
a) The Bible to know the will of God.
b) The Sacrament of Holy Orders to consecrate bishops, priests, and deacons to lead the people in God’s ways.
c) The Sacrament of Reconciliation for the remission of sins.
d) The Holy Eucharist as our spiritual food.
e) The Sacrament of Confirmation for a dynamic life of Faith.
f) The Sacrament of Matrimony for the sharing of love in families, the fundamental unit of the Church.
g) The Sacrament of (Last) Anointing to restore and strengthen spiritual life and bring mental emotional and physical healing as well, if that is what God wills.
h) Role models in thousands of saints. We are expected make use of these gifts to produce fruits for God.
2) Are we fruit-producers in the vineyard of the family? By the mutual sharing of blessings, by sacrificing time and talents for the members of the family and by humbly and lovingly serving others in the family, whether this is at home or in our spiritual family.
////////////////////////////////////// © https://frtonyshomilies.com
No comments:
Post a Comment