Readings for Sunday, November 19, 2023
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
It-Tlieta u Tletin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 PROVERBS 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labours, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Qari 1 Għeluq tal-Ktieb tal-Proverbi 31, 10-13.19-20.30-31
Mara ta’ ħila min isibha?Tiswa ħafna aktar mill-ġawhar. Fuqha tistrieħ qalb żewġha, u dan żgur ikunlu ta’ ġid. Riżq tajjeb iġġiblu, u mhux ħażin, il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajjitha. Tfittex suf u ħjut tal-qoton, u taħdmu bil-qalb b’idejha. Tmidd idejha għall-magħżel, jaqbdu d-dussies idejha. Tiftaħ mal-fqir idejha, tmidd idejha lejn l-imsejken. Qarrieqa l-ħlewwa tal-mara, fiergħa sbuħitha; mara li tibża’ mill-Mulej ta’ min ifaħħarha. Agħtuha mill-frott ta’ xogħol idejha. Ħa jfaħħruha f’bibien il-belt l-għemejjel tagħha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 127 (128), 1-2.3.4-5
R/. (1a): Hieni kull min jibża’ mill-Mulej
kull min jimxi fit-triqat tiegħu!
Mix-xogħol ta’ idejk inti tiekol;
hieni int, u riżqek tajjeb! R
fl-irkejjen ta’ darek;
uliedek bħal xitel taż-żebbuġ
madwar il-mejda tiegħek. R/.
Ara, kif ikun imbierek il-bniedem
li jibża’ mill-Mulej!
Ibierkek il-Mulej minn Sijon!
Jalla tara l-ġid ta’ Ġerusalemm
tul ħajtek kollha!
Jalla tara wlied uliedek! R/.
Reading 2 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are Saying, "Peace and security, " then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
QARI 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra lit-Tessalonkin 5, 1-6
Dwar il-ħin u ż-żmien, ħuti, ma għandix bżonn niktbilkom. Intom tafu sewwa li Jum il-Mulej jiġi għal għarrieda bħal ħalliel bil-lejl. Meta kulħadd jibda jgħid: “Sliem u mistrieħ”, dak il-ħin stess, bħal-luġigħ fuq mara li tkun waslet għall-ħlas, tiġi fuqhom għal għarrieda l-qerda u ma jeħilsu b’xejn. Ħuti, intom m’intomx fid-dlam biex Jum il-Mulej jeħodkom għal għarrieda bħal ħalliel. Intom ilkoll ulied id-dawl u wlied il-jum; aħna m’aħniex ulied il-lejl, anqas ulied id-dlam. Għalhekk ma għandniex norqdu bħall-oħrajn, iżda nishru u ngħixu bil-qjies. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MATTHEW 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one-- to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. "After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mattew 25, 14-30
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu din il-parabbola: “Wieħed li kien se jsiefer, sejjaħ lill-qaddejja tiegħu u ħallielhom ġidu f’idejhom. Lil wieħed tah ħames talenti, lil ieħor tnejn, u lil ieħor wieħed, kull wieħed skond il-ħila tiegħu. U siefer. Dak li kien ħa l-ħames talenti mar minnufih iħaddimhom u qala’ ħamsa oħra. Hekk ukoll dak li kien ħa tnejn qala’ tnejn oħra. Iżda dak li ħa wieħed mar ħaffer fl-art u ħeba flus sidu. Wara ħafna, sid dawk il-qaddejja raġa’ lura u beda jagħmel il-kontijiet magħhom. Resaq quddiemu dak li kien ħa ħames talenti u ġieblu ħames talenti oħra. “Sinjur – qallu – ħames talenti ħallejtli f’idejja; hawn, ara, qlajt ħamsa oħra”. Qallu s-sinjur: “Sewwa, qaddej tajjeb u fidil; int kont fidil fil-ftit, u jien se nafdak fuq ħafna; idħol fl-hena ta’ sidek”. Resaq ukoll dak li kien ħa żewġ talenti, u qallu: “Sinjur, żewġ talenti ħallejtli f’idejja; hawn, ara, qlajt tnejn oħra”. Qallu s-sinjur: “Sewwa, qaddej tajjeb u fidil; int kont fidil fil-ftit, u jien se nafdak fuq ħafna; idħol fl-hena ta’ sidek”. Iżda resaq ukoll dak li kien ħa talent wieħed, u qal: “Sinjur, lilek nafek bħala raġel aħrax, taħsad fejn ma żrajtx u tiġbor fejn ma xerridtx. Bżajt, u mort ħbejt it-talent tiegħek fl-art: hawn, ara, għandek dak li hu tiegħek”. Qabeż is-sinjur u qallu: “Qaddej ħażin u għażżien, kont taf li jien naħsad fejn ma żrajtx u niġbor fejn ma xerridtx. Mela kien imissek mort qegħedt flusi l-bank biex, meta niġi, kont immur niġborhom bl-imgħax. Ħudulu mela t-talent u agħtuh lil dak li għandu l-għaxar talenti. Għax kull min għandu, jingħatalu, u jkollu żżejjed ukoll; iżda min ma għandux, jitteħidlu saħansitra dak li għandu. U lil dan il-qaddej bla fejda itfgħuh ’il barra fid-dlam; hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u t-tgħażżiż tas-snien””. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Eight-minute Homily by Fr Tony Kadavil
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Introduction:
This penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year reminds us not only of the end of the liturgical year but also of the end of all things and of the preparations we need to make to reach Heaven. The main theme of the three readings is an invitation to live in such a way that we make the best use of the talents God has given us, so that at the hour of our death Our Lord will say: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!… Come and share the joy of your master” Mt 25: 21).
The Scripture lessons:
The first reading suggests that we should be as diligent and industrious as a loyal and faithful wife, in the use of our God-given gifts and talents with “the fear of the Lord.” Unlike the one-talent man, she takes her gifts and “brings forth good, not evil”; she “reaches her hands to the poor and extends her arms to the needy.”
In Sunday’s Responsorial Psalm, Ps 128, the Psalmist echoes the concept of the blessedness of the faithful servant of the Lord. The Psalm affirms that the fear of the Lord is the key to human happiness and success. In the second reading, Paul advises us to keep awake and be sober, encouraging and building each other up as we wait for the “Day of the Lord.” He challenges the Thessalonians to turn fear of the Lord into positive, constructive and life-affirming action.
Sunday’s Gospel challenges us to ask the questions: Are we using our talents and gifts primarily to serve God? Are we doing everything we can to carry out God’s will? The parable of the talents challenges us to do something positive, constructive and life-affirming with our talents here and now.
Life messages:
1) We need to trust God enough to make use of the gifts and abilities we have been given. We may be especially talented in teaching children or cooking meals or repairing homes or programming computers. So, we should ask ourselves how we are using our particular gifts in the service of our Christian community and the wider society.
2) We need to make use of our talents in our parish. In addition to our homes and families, the best place to do this is in our parish. This means that we should be always willing to share our abilities in creative worship in the Church and in various ministries of our parish, such as Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, lector, usher, Sunday school teacher, singer in the choir, volunteer, and member of one or more parish organizations and community outreach programs.
3) We need to “trade” with our talent of Christian Faith: All of us in the Church today have received at least one talent namely, the gift of Faith. Our responsibility is not just to preserve and “keep” the Faith, but to work with it. We need to promote and add value to Faith by living it out. The way to preserve the Faith, or any other talent that God has given us, is to put it to work and make it bear fruit.
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