Readings for Sunday, June 16, 2024
Lectionary: 92
Qari tal-Ħdax-il Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 EZEKIEL 17:22-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 17, 22-24
Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: “Jien naqta’ mill-quċċata taċ-ċedru l-għoli, minn tarf il-friegħi l-għolja, rimja żgħira, u nxettilha fuq il-muntanja għolja u kbira; fuq il-muntanja l-għolja ta’ Iżrael inxettilha. U hi toħroġ il-friegħi, u tagħmel il-frott, u ssir siġra sabiħa taċ-ċedru. U taħtha jistkenn kull tajr tal-ġwienaħ, jistkennu għad-dell tal-friegħi tagħha. U jagħrfu s-siġar kollha tar-raba’ li jien il-Mulej, li siġra għolja nċekkinha, u siġra żgħira nkabbarha; innixxef is-siġra l-ħadra, u n-niexfa bil-weraq inħaddarha. Jien, il-Mulej, tkellimt, u li għedt nagħmlu”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 91 (92), 2-3.13-14.15-16
Tajjeb li nfaħħru l-Mulej,
li ngħannu lil ismek, inti l-Għoli,
inxandru filgħodu t-tjieba tiegħek,
u billejl il-fedeltà tiegħek. R/.
Il-bniedem ġust bħall-palma jħaddar,
bħal ċedru tal-Libanu jikber.
Imħawlin f’dar il-Mulej,
iħaddru fil-btieħi tat-tempju ta’ Alla tagħna. R/.
Sa fi xjuħithom il-frott jagħmlu,
kollhom ħajja u ħdura,
biex ixandru li ġust hu l-Mulej, blata tiegħi,
u ebda qerq ma jinsab fih. R/.
Reading 2 2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-10
Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
QARI 2 mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korintin 5, 6-10
Ħuti, aħna dejjem qalbna qawwija u nafu li sakemm indumu mlibbsa b’dan il-ġisem, nibqgħu ’l bogħod mill-Mulej – għax aħna ngħixu bil-fidi u mhux bil-viżjoni. Aħna qalbna qawwija u persważi li aħjar noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem u mmorru noqogħdu għand il-Mulej. Għalhekk fuq kollox aħna nfittxu li nogħġbu lilu, sew jekk nibqgħu hawn, sew jekk noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem. Jeħtieġ li lkoll kemm aħna nidhru quddiem it-tribunal ta’ Kristu, ħalli kulħadd jieħu skont it-tajjeb jew il-ħażin li jkun għamel meta kien għadu ħaj fil-ġisem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MARK 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
EVANĠELJU mill-Evanġelju skont San Mark 4, 26-34
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lill-kotra tan-nies: “Is-Saltna ta’ Alla hi bħal meta raġel ikun xeħet iż-żerriegħa fl-art. Rieqed jew imqajjem, billejl jew binhar, iż-żerriegħa tinbet u tikber, bla ma jaf kif. L-art trodd minnha nfisha l-ewwel il-barma, imbagħad is-sbula, imbagħad il-qamħ mimli fis-sbula. U meta l-frott isir, malajr il-bidwi jmidd idu għall-minġel, għax ikun wasal żmien il-ħsad”. U qal: “Ma’ xiex sejrin inqabbluha s-Saltna ta’ Alla, jew b’liema parabbola nfissruha? Qisha żerriegħa tal-mustarda; din meta tinżara’ fil-ħamrija, hi l-iċken fost iż-żrieragħ kollha fuq l-art; imma wara li tinżara’ tikber u ssir l-akbar waħda fost il-ħxejjex kollha, u toħroġ friegħi wesgħin, hekk li l-għasafar tal-ajru jkunu jistgħu jistkennu għad-dell tagħha”. B’ħafna parabboli bħal dawn kien ixandrilhom il-kelma, kif kienu jistgħu jifhmuha huma, u mingħajr xi parabbola ma kienx ikellimhom; imma lid-dixxipli tiegħu, meta kien ikun waħdu magħhom, kien ifissrilhom kollox. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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by Fr Anthony Kadavil
God's Slow and Mysterious growth in Us
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings focus our attention on the birth and growth of the reign or rule of God (the Kingdom of God), in our human lives and on the gigantic growth of the Church from very humble beginnings. Both growths are slow and mysterious, guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture lessons summarized:
The first reading, taken from Ezekiel 17:22-24, is a Messianic prophecy. Ezekiel tells us how the Lord God of Israel will allow a descendant of King David to become the Messiah and Saviour of the world. In contrast with the parable of the tiny mustard seed in today’s Gospel, Ezekiel sees the Messiah originating in a royal family (lofty Cedar, David). In today's Responsorial Psalm (Ps 92), the Psalmist sings of Jesus, “The Just One shall flourish like the palm tree, like a Cedar of Lebanon shall He grow.”
In the second reading, St. Paul teaches the Corinthian Christians that they are to advance the growth of God’s Kingdom and His rule in their lives by doing His will so that they may be amply rewarded in the final judgment. In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the growth of the Kingdom of God to the germination of a wheat seed and that of a tiny mustard seed. Both have exceedingly small beginnings. The wheat seeds, by gradual but steady growth, give the farmer a bumper crop. In the same way, the life principle in a tiny mustard seed enables it to grow into a large bush.
The reign of God in human hearts and the growth of the Church in the world also have small beginnings. But the Source of all life, God the Holy Spirit, gives to both a steady, persistent, and gigantic growth, provided we, the members of the Church, ask for and cooperate with God’s grace.
Life messages:
1) We need to cooperate in the growth of God’s Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is the growth of God’s rule in human hearts that occurs when man does the will of God and surrenders his life to God. The seed of Faith lies dormant within each of us. When we permit the Holy Spirit to nurture it with TLC (tender loving care), it grows miraculously to gigantic proportions. The growth is slow and microscopic in the beginning. But the seed grows by using the power of the Holy Spirit, given to us through the Word of God, the Mass, the Sacraments, and prayer.
As we learn God’s will from His words and try to put these words into practice, we participate in the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth, a growth which will be completed in our Heavenly life. But since we need the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to be doers of the Word of God, let us offer our lives before God every day, asking for this special anointing.
2) We need to avoid discouragement: Since the acceptance of God’s rule by human beings is a terribly slow process, there is the danger of discouragement and hopelessness among preachers, evangelizers, and believers. The conviction that growth of the Kingdom of God is the work of the Holy Spirit and needs our humble cooperation should make us optimistic in continuing our work of witnessing. We should continue sowing tiny seeds in the form of words of love, acts of encouragement, deeds of charity, mercy and forgiveness.
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