Readings for Sunday, December 24, 2023
Fourth Sunday of Advent and the vigil of the birth of our Lord Jesus Lectionary: 11
Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Avvent u l-Vġili tat-Twelid ta’ Sidna Ġesu’ Kristu
Reading 1
2 SAMUEL 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you." But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?' "It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever."
mit-Tieni Ktieb ta’ Samwel 7:1-5,8b-12,14a,16
Meta s-Sultan David mar joqgħod f’daru, u l-Mulej serrħu mill-għedewwa kollha ta’ madwaru, is-sultan qal lil Natan il-profeta: “Issa, ara jien qiegħed f’dar taċ-ċedru, u l-arka ta’ Alla qiegħda f’nofs ta’ tinda!”. U qal Natan lis-sultan: “Kulma għandek fi ħsiebek li tagħmel, mur agħmlu, għax il-Mulej miegħek”. Imma dak il-lejl stess ġiet il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Natan u qallu: “Mur għid lill-qaddej tiegħi David: ‘Dan jgħid il-Mulej: Se tibnili int dar biex noqgħod fiha? Ara, jiena ħadtek mill-mergħat minn wara l-imrieħel biex tkun prinċep fuq il-poplu tiegħi Iżrael. Dejjem kont miegħek f’kulma kont tidħol għalih; u meta int qridt l-għedewwa tiegħek kollha minn quddiemek. Issa jiena nibnilek isem kbir jixbah l-ismijiet il-kbar li hawn fid-dinja. Nagħmel post għall-poplu tiegħi Iżrael, u nqiegħdu hemm fejn jgħammar bla biża’, u ma jgħakksuhx iżjed il-ħżiena bħalma għamlu sa minn dejjem, jiġifieri sa minn meta qajjimt l-imħallfin fuq il-poplu tiegħi Iżrael; u nserrħek mill-għedewwa tiegħek kollha. Lilek imbagħad il-Mulej jagħtik kelma li jibnilek dar. U meta inti ttemm żmienek, u tkun striħajt ma’ missirijietek, jiena nqajjem nislek warajk, nisel ħiereġ mill-ġewwieni tiegħek, u nsaħħaħ is-saltna tiegħu. Jiena nkun għalih missier, u hu jkun għalija iben. Il-familja tiegħek u s-saltna tiegħek jibqgħu sħaħ għal dejjem quddiemi. It-tron tiegħek jibqa’ sħiħ għal dejjem’”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 89(88):2-5,27,29
R/.(2): It-tjieba tal-Mulej irrid dejjem ngħanni.
Għax jien għedt:
“Tjubitek tibqa’ sħiħa għal dejjem;
bħas-smewwiet int wettaqt il-fedeltà tiegħek”. R/.
“Għamilt patt mal-magħżul tiegħi,
ħlift lil David, il-qaddej tiegħi:
Jien nagħmel li nislek jibqa’ għal dejjem,
li f’kull żmien jibqa’ sħiħ it-tron tiegħek”. R/.
“Hu jsejjaħli: ‘Int missieri
u Alla tiegħi, fortizza u salvazzjoni tiegħi!’.
It-tjieba tiegħi nżommha fuqu għal dejjem,
u l-patt tiegħi miegħu jibqa’ sħiħ”. R/.
Reading 2 ROMANS 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters: To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
QARI 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl Appostlu lir-Rumani 16:25-27
Ħuti, lil Alla li għandu l-qawwa li jwettaqkom fl-Evanġelju li nħabbar jien, jien u nxandar lil Ġesù Kristu, skont ir-rivelazzjoni tal-misteru li kien moħbi fis-skiet tal-eternità; lil dan Alla li issa rrivelalna dan il-misteru, u għarrfu lill-ġnus bil-kitba tal-Profeti, skont l-ordni tiegħu, Alla ta’ dejjem, biex iwassalhom għall-ubbidjenza tal-fidi; lil dan Alla, waħdu fl-għerf, il-glorja għal dejjem ta’ dejjem b’Ġesù Kristu. Ammen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel LUKE 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Luqa 1:26-38
F’dak iż-żmien, Alla bagħat l-anġlu Gabrijel f’belt tal-Galilija, jisimha Nazaret, għand xebba, mgħarrsa ma’ raġel jismu Ġużeppi mid-dar ta’ David. Dix-xebba kien jisimha Marija. L-anġlu daħal għandha u qalilha: “Sliem għalik, mimlija bil-grazzja, il-Mulej miegħek”. Hi tħawdet ħafna għal dan il-kliem, u bdiet taħseb bejnha u bejn ruħha x’setgħet qatt tfisser din it-tislima. Iżda l-anġlu qalilha: “Tibżax, Marija, għax int sibt grazzja quddiem Alla. Ara, int se tnissel fil-ġuf u jkollok iben u ssemmih Ġesù. Hu jkun kbir, u jkun jissejjaħ Bin l-Għoli. Il-Mulej Alla jagħtih it-tron ta’ David missieru, u jsaltan għal dejjem fuq dar Ġakobb, u ma jkunx hemm tmiem għas-saltna tiegħu”. Iżda Marija qalet lill-anġlu: “Kif ikun dan, ladarba ma nagħrafx raġel?”. Wieġeb l-anġlu u qalilha: “L-Ispirtu s-Santu jiġi fuqek, u l-qawwa tal-Għoli tixħet id-dell tagħha fuqek. U għalhekk dak li jitwieled minnek ikun qaddis, u jissejjaħ Bin Alla. Ara, l-qariba tiegħek Eliżabetta, fi xjuħitha, hi wkoll nisslet iben fil-ġuf, u ġa għandha sitt xhur dik li għaliha kienu jgħidu li ma jistax ikollha tfal, għax għal Alla ma hemm xejn li ma jistax isir”. Imbagħad qalet Marija: “Ara, jien il-qaddejja tal-Mulej: ħa jsir minni skont kelmtek!”. U l-anġlu telaq minn quddiemha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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Eight-minute Homily by Fr Tony Kadavil
BY YOUR "YES", JESUS WILL BE BORN - OR REBORN - IN OTHERS TOO!
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings - Christmas eve - focus on the circumstances leading up to the first coming of Jesus, the event which sets the pattern for His coming to us now and at the end of time. The Gospel stresses the key role of Mary in the work of our salvation. In addition, today’s Scripture texts describe God’s promise to David and its fulfilment in Jesus, the Son of David. They also tell us that God’s preparation for the coming of Jesus was full of surprises.
Scripture lessons:
The unfolding of God’s plan of salvation though history has contained many surprises. The first reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. In the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 89), the Psalmist recalls all of God’s promises and surprises us, describing God’s promise to David and his descendants in terms of a Covenant.
The second reading surprises us with Paul’s explanation of the unveiling of God’s plan for human salvation through Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the Angel Gabriel surprises Mary with seven announcements.
i) Even as a virgin betrothed to Joseph, she will become a mother.
ii) She will become a mother through “the Holy Spirit [Who] will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
iii) The angel continues, “Therefore, the Child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.”
iv) She is to “name the child Jesus,” which means Saviour.
v) God will make Him a King and, as a descendant in the line of David,
vi) “He will rule over the House of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”
vii) As a Divine sign, Elizabeth, Mary’s aged barren cousin is six months pregnant, “for,” says Gabriel, “nothing shall be impossible with God!” The Gospel narrative also surprises us by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary who trusted in God’s promise.
Life messages:
1) We need to say a courageous and generous “yes” to God: True obedience comes from a free choice made in the light of what is true and good. Such a self-surrender often requires a great deal of courage because it can involve going against the tide of social expectations. True obedience also aims at putting oneself at the service of something/Someone that is greater than oneself, accepting what God clearly wants us to do or what He wants to do through us. It is by saying, with Jesus and Mary, a wholehearted and totally unconditional “Yes” – “Fiat! May it be done in me,” to Jesus that he will be re-born in each of us, or maybe even born in me for the first time. By my saying “Yes,” Jesus will be born or re-born in others, too.
2) We need to try to learn God’s plan for our lives: The Good News in today’s Scripture message is not only that God is making provision for the salvation of His people, but also that He has a plan for each individual person. In many cases, our work for God seems rather ordinary, but each ordinary task which we carry out fits into God’s plan in ways that we cannot yet understand. God desires not only the skill of our hands and talents but the love of our hearts. The Babe in the Manger reminds us of what God has done and is still doing for us. What are we doing for Him in return? Let us show our gratitude to God by living as true followers of Christ: “Behold, here I am, Lord! I come to do Your will.”
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