Readings for Sunday, June 30, 2024
Qari tat-Tlettax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might have being; and the creatures of the world are wholesome, and there is not a destructive drug among them nor any domain of the netherworld on earth, for justice is undying. For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it.
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 1:13-15; 2:23-24
Il-mewt mhux Alla għamilha; u lanqas togħġbu l-qerda tal-ħajjin. Hu ħalaq kollox biex jgħix; għall-ħajja huma l-ħlejjaq tad-dinja, m’hemmx fihom velenu tal-mewt. Is-saltna tal-mewt ma taħkimx fuq l-art, għax il-ġustizzja ma taqax taħt il-mewt. Alla ħalaq il-bniedem biex ma jmutx, u għamlu xbieha tiegħu nnifsu. Bl-għira tax-xitan daħlet il-mewt fid-dinja; u jafu xi tfisser dawk li huma tiegħu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 29(30):2,4,5-6,11,12a,13b
Ngħollik, Mulej, għax erfajtni,
u ma ferraħtx l-għedewwa tiegħi bija.
Mulej, tellajtli mill-mewt ’il ruħi,
ħlistni minn fost dawk li jinżlu fil-ħofra. R/.
Għannu lill-Mulej, ħbieb tiegħu,
faħħru l-isem imqaddes tiegħu.
Għax ftit iddum is-saħna tiegħu,
iżda għomor sħiħ l-imħabba tiegħu.
Filgħaxija jidħol il-biki,
filgħodu jidwi l-għajat ta’ ferħ. R/.
Ismagħni, Mulej, u ħenn għalija;
kun, Mulej, l-għajnuna tiegħi.
Int bdilt fi żfin l-għali tiegħi,
Mulej, Alla tiegħi, infaħħrek għal dejjem! R/.
Brothers and sisters: As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also. For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality. As it is written: Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.
QARI 2 mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korintin 8:7,9,13-15
Ħuti, bħalma intom għonja f’kollox, fil-fidi u fil-kelma, fl-għerf u fiż-żelu kollu, fl-imħabba li aħna rawwimna f’qalbkom, hekk għandkom tistagħnu f’din il-ħidma ta’ ħniena. Intom tafu l-grazzja ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu, li għad li kien għani, ftaqar minħabba fikom, sabiex intom tistagħnu permezz tal-faqar tiegħu. Mhux biex il-piż iħeff minn fuq l-oħrajn u jaqa’ kollu fuqkom, imma kulħadd indaqs. Bħalissa ħallu ż-żejjed tagħkom jagħmel tajjeb għan-nieqes ta’ dawk li ma għandhomx, biex iż-żejjed tagħhom għad ikun jista’ jpatti għan-nieqes tagħkom. U hekk ikun kulħadd indaqs, bħalma hu miktub: “Min ġabar ħafna ma sabx iż-żejjed, u min ġabar ftit ma baqax bin-nieqes”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MARK 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with haemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to Jesus, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child's father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mark 5:21-43
F’dak iż-żmien, wara li Ġesù raġa’ qasam bid-dgħajsa għax-xatt l-ieħor, waqt li kien ħdejn il-baħar inġabret madwaru kotra kbira ta’ nies. U ġie wieħed mill-kapijiet tas-sinagoga, jismu Ġajru. Dan, malli rah, inxteħet f’riġlejh, u talbu ħafna u qallu: “Binti ż-żgħira waslet fl-aħħar; ejja qiegħed idejk fuqha, ħalli tfiq u tgħix”. U Ġesù telaq miegħu, b’kotra kbira miexja warajh, kulħadd iross fuqu. U kien hemm mara li kienet ilha tnax-il sena sħaħ tbati bit-tnixxija tad-demm. Kienet batiet wisq taħt ħafna tobba, u nefqet kulma kellha, u mhux biss ma swielha xejn, imma talli marret għall-agħar. Meta semgħet b’Ġesù, ġiet qalb il-folla, resqet minn warajh u messitlu l-mantar, għax qalet: “Jekk immiss imqar il-mantar tiegħu nkun imfejqa”. F’daqqa waħda t-tnixxija tad-demm waqfitilha, u ġewwa fiha ħasset li kienet fieqet mill-marda tagħha. Ġesù minnufih intebaħ bil-qawwa li ħarġet minnu, u dar lejn il-kotra u staqsa: “Min messli l-mantar?”. Id-dixxipli tiegħu qalulu: “Qiegħed tara dawn in-nies kollha jrossu madwarek, u tistaqsi: ‘Min messni?’”. Hu beda jħares madwaru biex jara jilmaħx lil dik li kienet għamlet dan. Imbagħad il-mara, tirtogħod bil-biża’ għax għarfet x’kien ġralha, resqet, inxteħtet f’riġlejh u stqarritlu s-sewwa kollu. U qalilha: “Binti, il-fidi tiegħek fejqitek; mur bis-sliem, u kun imfejqa mill-marda tiegħek”. Kif kien għadu jitkellem, waslu xi wħud mid-dar tal-kap tas-sinagoga u lil dan qalulu: “Bintek mietet; għalfejn tħabbtu iżjed l-Imgħallem?”. Iżda Ġesù sama’ x’kienu qegħdin jgħidu, u qal lill-kap tas-sinagoga: “Tibżax, biss inti emmen”. U ma ħalla lil ħadd imur miegħu ħlief lil Pietru, lil Ġakbu, u lil Ġwanni, ħu Ġakbu. Waslu d-dar tal-kap tas-sinagoga, u ra storbju sħiħ u nies jibku u jixhru. Daħal, u qalilhom: “Dan l-istorbju kollu u dan il-biki għalfejn? It-tfajla mhijiex mejta, imma rieqda”. U qabdu jiddieħku bih. Imma hu keċċiehom ilkoll ’il barra, ħa miegħu lil missier it-tfajla u lil ommha u lil dawk li kienu miegħu u daħal fejn kienet it-tfajla. Qabdilha idha, u qalilha: “Talitha, qum!” – jiġifieri: “Tfajla, qiegħed ngħidlek, qum!”. Minnufih it-tfajla qamet u qabdet timxi; għax kellha tnax-il sena. U baqgħu miblugħin bil-għaġeb. U hu wissiehom bis-sħiħ biex dan ma jkun jaf bih ħadd, u qalilhom jagħtuha tiekol. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings speak of the gift of life, both physical and spiritual, that God has given us. They urge and challenge us to be grateful for our health in body and soul and to use God’s gifts of life and health responsibly.
Scripture lessons:
The first reading, taken from the Book of Wisdom, tells us that God gave us life and health, and that it was the jealousy of the Satan that produced illness and death. The reading also suggests that God’s intent for our lives on earth is that we be able to know, to love, and to serve God here, with perfect health in body and soul, and to share His immortal Life forever.
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 30) celebrates Christ’s victory over death. The Psalm refrain, “I will praise you Lord, for You have rescued me,”allows us to join the Psalm in thanksgiving. In the second reading, St. Paul asks the Corinthian Christian community to show to their suffering, starving Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, living in poverty and sickness, the same generous kindness and compassion Jesus showed in healing all who came, believing, to ask. The generosity of Jesus is the central theme here also, for Paul describes Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection as “the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,” as a motive for generous giving.
Today’s Gospel describes two of our Lord’s miracles, the healing of a woman who suffered from a chronic bleeding disease and the returning of the dead daughter of Jairus to life. These healings show us that, like God described in Wisdom today, Jesus wills life, and wills full life for all God’s children, and wields Divine power and the Infinite Mercy as our Saviour. These miracles were worked by Jesus as reward for the trusting Faith of a synagogue ruler and of a woman with a haemorrhage. Although the Faith of the ruler may have been defective, and the woman’s Faith may have been a bit superstitious, Jesus amply rewarded the Faith they had by granting them health and life.
Life messages:
# 1: We need to accept God’s call to health, wholeness, and holiness. Jesus accepts us as we are. Hence, let us bring before him our bodily illnesses and spiritual wounds and ask for his healing touch. As Christians, we believe that Jesus continues to heal us through God’s instruments in the medical profession like doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. Hence, when we go to a doctor, we need to offer a prayer to Christ, The Divine Healer, that we may choose the right doctor, who will make the correct diagnosis, prescribe the correct treatment, and give us the right medicine. Let us not forget the truth that Christ still works wonders of healing. Let us also thank God for the great gift of health and use it for helping those who are sick.
#2: We need to continue the healing mission of the Church: As members of the Church, we are not excused from our vocation to be healers. We do our share of Christ’s healing mission by visiting the sick, by praying for their healing, and by boosting their morale with our loving presence, and words of encouragement and inspiration. Thus, we may enable them to experience the compassion of Jesus the healer.
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