Readings for Sunday, September 1, 2024
WHY DO WE HAVE RULES?
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 125
It-Tnejn u Għoxrin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 DEUTERONOMY 4:1-2, 6-8
Moses said to the people: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?"
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 4:1-2,6-8
Mosè kellem lill-poplu u qal: “U issa, Iżrael, agħti widen għal-liġijiet u l-ordnijiet li qiegħed ngħallimkom tagħmlu, ħalli tgħixu, u tidħlu tieħdu l-art li se jagħtikom il-Mulej, Alla ta’ missirijietkom. La żżidu xejn ma’ dak li qiegħed nordnalkom u lanqas tnaqqsu minnu; qisu li tħarsu l-liġijiet tal-Mulej, Alla tagħkom, bħalma qiegħed nagħtihomlkom jien. Ħarsuhom u agħmluhom, għax hekk tidhru għorrief u għaqlin f’għajnejn il-ġnus li, kif jisimgħu b’dawn il-liġijiet kollha, jgħidu: ‘M’hemmx poplu ieħor għaref u għaqli għajr dan il-ġens kbir’. Għax liema ġens hu hekk kbir li għandu l-allat hekk qrib tiegħu daqskemm hu qrib tagħna l-Mulej, Alla tagħna, kull xħin insejħulu? Jew liema ġens hu hekk kbir li għandu liġijiet u ordnijiet hekk sewwa daqs dak kollu li fiha din il-liġi li qiegħed noffrilkom illum jien?”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5
R. (1a) The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 14(15):2-3a,3ċd-4ab,5
R/. (1a): Mulej, min jgħammar fid-dar tiegħek?
Min jgħix bla ħtija u jagħmel it-tajjeb,
min jgħid is-sewwa f’qalbu;
min ma jqassasx bi lsienu. R/.
Min ma jagħmilx deni lil ġaru,
u ma jgħajjarx lil għajru;
min ma jistmax lill-bniedem ħażin,
imma jweġġaħ lil dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej. R/.
Min jislef u ma jitlobx imgħax,
u ma jixxaħħamx kontra min hu bla ħtija.
Min jagħmel dan qatt ma jitħarrek. R/.
Reading 2 JAMES 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Dearest brothers and sisters: All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
QARI 2 mill-Ittra ta’ San Ġakbu 1:17-18,21b-22,27
Għeżież, kull ħaġa tajba li tingħata u kull don perfett jiġi mis-sema, jinżel mingħand il-Missier, l-għajn tad-dawl, li fih ma hemm ebda tibdil u anqas dell ta’ tidwir. Għax ried hu, wilidna bil-kelma tal-verità, biex inkunu l-ewwel frott tal-ħlejjaq tiegħu. Ilqgħu bil-ħlewwa l-Kelma mħawla fikom, li tista’ ssalvalkom ruħkom. Kunu intom dawk li jagħmlu l-Kelma, u mhux tisimgħuha biss u hekk tqarrqu bikom infuskom. Quddiem Alla u Missierna r-reliġjon ġenwina u bla tebgħa hija din: iżżur l-iltiema u r-romol fl-hemm tagħhom, u żżomm ruħek bla tinġis ’il bogħod mid-dinja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MARK 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. —For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. — So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition. He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."
EVANĠELJU Qari skont San Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23
F’dak iż-żmien, il-Fariżej u xi wħud mill-kittieba li ġew minn Ġerusalemm inġabru ħdejn Ġesù, u raw li xi wħud mid-dixxipli tiegħu kienu qegħdin jieklu b’idejhom mhumiex indaf, jiġifieri mhumiex maħsulin. Għax il-Fariżej, u l-Lhud kollha, biex iħarsu t-tradizzjoni ta’ missirijiethom, ma jmissux ikel qabel ma jkunu ħaslu jdejhom sewwa; hekk ukoll wara li jerġgħu lura mis-suq, ma jiklux jekk ma jinħaslux; u għandhom bosta drawwiet oħra li baqgħu marbutin magħhom minn żmien għal ieħor, bħalma huma l-ħasil tat-tazzi u tal-buqari u tal-ktieli tal-bronż. Mela, il-Fariżej u l-kittieba staqsewh: “Dan l-għala d-dixxipli tiegħek ma jġibux ruħhom skont it-tradizzjoni ta’ missirijiethom, imma jieklu b’idejhom mhumiex indaf?”. Iżda hu weġibhom: “Sewwa ħabbar Iżaija fuqkom, ja nies ta’ wiċċ b’ieħor, bħalma hu miktub: ‘Dan il-poplu bix-xufftejn biss jagħtini ġieħ, imma qalbhom hija ’l bogħod minni. Fiergħa hi l-qima li jagħtuni; jgħallmu duttrina li mhijiex għajr preċetti tal-bnedmin’. Hekk intom, twarrbu l-kmandamenti ta’ Alla biex tħaddnu t-tradizzjoni tal-bnedmin”. Raġa’ sejjaħ in-nies lejh u qalilhom: “Isimgħuni, intom ilkoll, u ifhmuni! Ma hemm xejn minn barra li meta jidħol fi bniedem itebbgħu; imma dak li joħroġ minn ġol-bniedem, dak hu li jtabba’ lill-bniedem. Għax hu minn ġewwa, mill-qalb tal-bniedem, li joħorġu l-ħsibijiet il-ħżiena, żína, serq, qtil, adulterju, regħba, ħażen, qerq, libertinaġġ, għira, malafama, suppervja u bluha. Dal-ħażen kollu minn ġewwa joħroġ u jtabba’ lill-bniedem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil
OUR LOVING, OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Introduction:
Sunday’s readings explain that true religion is not simply a scrupulous, external observance of rules, laws, traditions and rituals. It is, instead, a loving, obedient relationship with God expressed in obeying His Commandments, worshipping Him, recognizing His presence in other human beings and rendering them loving and humble service. Prayers, rituals, Sacraments, and religious practices are our God-given helps to practice this true religion in our daily lives.
Scripture lessons summarized:
The first reading explains that religion is a Covenant relationship with a caring, providing, and protecting God, fostered by keeping His Commandments given through Moses. God gave Israel the Law so that the Israelites might keep their Covenant with Yahweh and thank Him for His love and fidelity to His Chosen People. The Law was also intended to keep them a united, holy, and intelligent nation, proud of their powerful, protective, single God.
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 15) describes a person who practices true religion — blameless and just, thoughtful and honest in dealing with others. In the second reading, St. James defines true religion as keeping the word of God and doing His will by helping the needy, the poor, and the weak in the community. He challenges Christians to become doers of the word, not merely hearers.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes true religion as serving God and all His children with a pure and holy heart. The Gospel explains the encounter of Jesus with the Sanhedrin observers and the Pharisees who had been sent to assess Jesus’ unique, controversial teachings. These experts had found Jesus’ teachings an open violation of the “Traditions of the Elders,” and judged Jesus’ implied and spoken claims blasphemous. They also noticed that Jesus’ disciples omitted the required ritual washing before meals. It was in the fifth century BC that the scribes started adding oral traditions as interpretations and practical applications of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees observed them and insisted that all the Jews should do so.
The original noble purpose was to sanctify the daily lives of the people, making them “holy as God is holy” (“You are a priestly kingdom, a holy nation” — Ex 19:6), and lived a different in lifestyle from their pagan neighbors. Jesus uses the occasion as a teachable moment to give them the following lessons: 1) Don’t teach human “rules” as dogmas of Faith. 2) Sincerity of heart, internal disposition, purity, and holiness are more important than mere external ritual observances. 3) Keep your heart holy as it is the source of sins, vices and evil habits. The observance of traditions and of washing rituals does not correct the internal motivations and inclinations that really defile people. 4) External piety without internal holiness is hypocrisy.
Life messages:
1) We need to learn and keep the spirit of the Church’s laws and ritual practices. For example, our Sunday obligation is intended to allow us to worship God in the parish community, to offer our lives to God, to ask His pardon for sins, to thank God for His blessings, and to receive Divine Life and strength from Him in Holy Communion. Our daily family prayers are meant to thank God for His blessings, to present the family’s needs before God, to ask pardon for our sins, to maintain the spirit of unity and love in the family, and to keep a close relationship with God.
2) Let us avoid the tendency to become “cafeteria Christians” — that is, to choose certain Commandments and Church laws to follow, while ignoring the others as we choose certain food items and ignore others in a cafeteria.
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