Miracles and Signs

Readings for June 9, 2013

 Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

L-Għaxar Ħadd matul is-Sena C

Messalin C 310

Reading 11- 1 Kings17:17-24

Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow.  The son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing. So she said to Elijah, “Why have you done this to me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?” Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room where he was staying, and put him on his bed. Elijah called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.” The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived. Taking the  child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.” The woman replied to Elijah,  “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God. The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.” This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni -  mill-Ewwel Ktieb tas-Slaten 17, 17-24

F'dak iż-żmien, marad it-tifel ta' dik il-mara li kienet sidt id-dar, l-armla ta' Sarefta ta' Sidon.   U ġara li l-marda tqawwiet tant li ma kienx baqagħlu iżjed nifs.   U hi qalet lill-Elija:  "X'hemm bejni u bejnek, bniedem ta' Alla?    Jaqaw ġejt hawn biex  tfakkarni fi ħżuniti u toqtolli 'l ibni?"       U hu wieġeb:  "Agħtini lil ibnek."  U ħadu minn ħoġorha, u tellgħu fl-għorfa fejn kien jgħammar hu, u meddu fuq il-mitraħ tiegħu.    U sejjaħ lill-Mulej u qal:  "Mulej, Alla tiegħi, fuq din l-armla wkoll, li qiegħed magħha, ridt iġġib il-ħsara u toqtlilha lil binha?"    U  mtedd tliet darbied fuq it-tifel, u sejjaħ lill-Mulej u qal:  "Mulej, Alla tiegħi, ħalli ruħ it-tifel tarġa' lura fih!" U l-Mulej sama' leħen Elija, u ruħ it-tifel reġgħet lura fih, u ħa l-ħajja.   U Elija qabad it-tifel u niżżlu d-dar mill-għorfa, u tah lil ommu; u Elija qalilha:  "Ara, ibnek, ħaj." U l-mara qalet lil Elija:  "Issa naf li int bniedem ta' Alla, u l-kelma tal-Mulej fuq fommok hi s-sewwa."   Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm  -   PSALM 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13

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 nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.                 R/

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
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/

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.                                           R/

Salm Responsorjali  - Salm 29 (30)

                        R/                  Ngħollik, Mulej, għax erfajtni.

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-għajjat 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/

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Reading 2 - GALATIANS 1:11-19

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me;  rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni - -Ittra lill-Galatin 1, 11-19

Dan ngħarrafkom, ħuti:  l-Evanġelju li ħabbartilkom jien mhuwiex Evanġelju tal-bnedmin.   Għaliex jiena mhux mingħand bniedem irċevejtu jew tgħallimtu, imma kien irrivelat lili minn Ġesu' Kristu. Intom smajtu bl-imġieba tiegħi mieta kont għandi fir-reliġjon Lhudija,  kif kont nipersegwieta bis-sħiħ il-Knisja ta' Alla u nfittex li nħarbatha;  u kemm kont 'il quddiem fir-reliġjon   Lhudija fost il-poplu tiegħi aktar minn sħabi kollha ta' mpari, imġennen kif  kont  għat-tradizzjonijiet ta' missirijieti. Imma meta Dak li għażilni sa minn ġuf ommi, u li sejjaħli permezz tal-grazzja tiegħu, għoġbu jirrivelali lil Ibnu biex inħabbru fost il-ġnus, minnufih, bla ma qgħadt infittex li nieħu parir mingħand bnedmin tad-demm u l-laħam, bla ma tlajt Ġerusalemm għand dawk li kienu appostli qabli, jiena mort  fl-Għarabja, u mbagħad erġajt lura lejn Damasku. Imbagħad, tliet snin wara, tlajt Ġerusalemm inżur lil Kefa, u bqajt miegħu ħmistax-il ġurnata; mill-appostli l-oħra ma rajt lil ħadd; iżda rajt lil Ġakbu, ħu l-Mulej. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Gospel     -  LUKE 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju - Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Luqa  7, 11-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' mar b'belt jisimha Najn, u marru miegħu d-dixxipli tiegħu u kotra kbira ta' nies. Kif wasal qrib il-bieb tal-belt, kienu qegħdin iġorru wieħed mejjet li ommu, mara armla, ma kellhiex ħliefu;  u magħha kien hemm għadd ġmielu ta' nies mill-belt. Kif raha l-Mulej tħassarha u qalilha:  "Tibkix!"   Resaq,u mess it-tebut.   Dawk li kienu qegħdin jerfgħuh waqfu. U hu qal:  "Żagħżugħ, qiegħed ngħidlek, qum!"   U l-mejjet qam bilqiegħda u beda jitkellem.  U Ġesu' taħ lil ommu.   In-nies kollha tkexkxu bil-biża', u bdew  jagħtugGlorja lil Alla u jgħidu:  "Profeta kbir  qam fostna!" u: "Alla żar il-poplu tiegħu." U dan il-kliem li qalu xtered mal-Lhudija u dawk l-inħawi kollha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY

    A Story of Compassion

By Larry Broding: word-Sunday.com

When have you seen an act of compassion? How did that act affect you?

News on the Global War on Terrorism most times lacks one key ingredient. No, it’s not a lack of good news (although it doesn’t accent the positive). It lacks compassion. News on terrorism and counter-terrorism seems to be built on a spirit of righteousness, vengeance, and rage. Scratch below the surface and hatred rears its ugly head.

Imagine news reports of compassion from the Middle East. Sure, they make great human interest stories, but they don’t sell air time very well. Still, our primary sources on the Middle East are full of stories where compassion trumps hatred, rage, vengeance, even death. The Gospels tell us that one compassionate man can raise the dead to life and bring God to live among his people

This simple, yet poignant story is unique to Luke among the gospels. The incident echoed the ministries of the two great prophets from Galilee: Elijah and Elisha. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, Elijah raised up the son of the widow from Zarephath. In 2 Kings 4:32-37, Elisha raised the only son of the couple from Shunem. In both cases, the prophets enjoyed the hospitality of the boys’ mothers. In Luke, Jesus didn’t know the mother, much less enjoy her hospitality.

Like many of these miracles, this story looked forward to the Resurrection. The appearance of and tenderness for the widow’s dead son reflected John (John 19:25-26) more than Luke. The thrust of the story, however, revolved around the word “rise,” mentioned in the Jesus’ command (7:14) and the crowds’ reaction (7:16). The boy was raised up by the word of Jesus; the prophet rising was proclaimed by the word of the people. Notice the Good News involved both meanings of the term “rise.”

For Luke, the other reaction of the crowd in 7:16 made a greater theological statement. “God looked upon his people” meant more than the idea we might get of God looking down from heaven and smiling. When a king “looked” upon someone, the king granted favour upon the person; it implied a relationship where the king was present and acted for the person; the person had a place in the king’s court. When “God looked upon his people,“ he was present among them. For Christians, God is present to them in the risen Lord. As the “great prophet rose up” “God looked upon his people.” The Resurrection led to the divine presence among the followers of the Lord.

With this wonderful story of compassion, Luke linked the images of Elijah and Elisha to the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth to the Resurrection. The resurrection narratives of the Old Testament foreshadowed the Resurrection of Jesus. They also foreshadowed the tenderness of Jesus. Through the resurrection, God showed how he CARES for us.

How has God shown his compassion for you?

God cares for each of us. He looks upon us and blesses us with the presence of the risen Jesus. His charge to us, his challenge for us, is to carry that tenderness and compassion to others, so we can partake in the raising of others to life.

How can you show compassion to an enemy or stranger this week? 

Pray, plan, and act.

                                                                    

Do This In Memory of Me

Readings for June 2, 2013

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 

Is-Solennita’ tal-Ġisem u d-Demm ta’ Ġesu'             

Messalin C 250

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Reading 1 - Genesis  14:18-20

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari -  mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 14, 18-20

F'dak iż-żmien, Melkisedek, sultan ta' Salem,  li kien qassis ta' El-għeljon, Alla l-għoli, ħareġ bil-ħobż u l-inbid.  U bierek lil Abram u qallu:"Imbierek Abram minn Alla l-għoli, li għamel is-sema u l-art. U mbierek Alla l-għoli li reħa f'idejk l-għedewwa tiegħek." U Abram tah l-għexur minn kollox.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm   -  PSALM 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."                                                         R/

The scepter of your power the LORD

will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."                                                                  R/

"Yours is princely power in the

day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew,

I have begotten you."                                                                                            R/

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchizedek."                                                          R/

Salm Responsorjali    - Salm 103 (110)

                R/     Inti l-qassis għal dejjem bħal Melkisedek.

Il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Sidi:

"Oqgħod fuq leminti,

sa ma nqiegħed l-għedewwa tiegħek

mirfes taħt riġlejk."                                              R/

Ix-xettru tal-qawwa tiegħek

jibgħat il-Mulej minn Sijon:

aħkem f'nofs l-għedewwa tiegħek!                  R/

Tiegħek is-setgħa sa minn twelidek

fuq l-għoljiet imqaddsa,sa minn qabel is-sebħ

bħan-nida jien nissiltek.                                      R/

Ħalef il-Mulej, u ma jisgħobx bih:

"Inti qassis għal dejjem bħal Melkisedek!"       R/

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Reading 2         -  1  Corinthians 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:  I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,  that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,  took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,  "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,  you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari - mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Pawl lill-Korintin 11, 23-26

 Ħuti, jien irċevejt mingħand il-Mulej it-tagħlim li għaddejt lilkom, jiġifieri,  li l-Mulej Ġesu', fil-lejl li fih kien ittradut, ħa l-ħobż u wara li radd il-ħajr qasmu u qal:  "Dan hu ġismi li jingħata għalikom; agħmlu dan b'tifkira tiegħi." Hekk ukoll  għamel bil-kalċi wara li kiel u qal:"Dan il-kalċi hu l-patt il-ġdid b'demmi; agħmlu  dan kull meta tixorbu, b'tifkira tiegħi." Mela kull meta tieklu dan il-ħobż u tixorbu dan il-kalċi, intom ixxandru l-mewt tal-Mulej sa ma jiġi.   Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                  -  Luke 9:11B-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,  and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. This is the Word of The Lord.

 L-Evanġelju - mill-Evanġelju skont san Luqa  9, 11-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qagħad ikellem il-folol fuq is-Saltna ta' Alla u  fejjaq lil dawk li kienu jeħtieġu l-fejqan. Il-jum kien wasa biex jintemm.  Resqu lejh it-Tnax u qalulu: "Ibgħathom in-nies ħa jmorru fl-irħula u r-rziezet tal-qrib biex isibu  fejn jistrieħu u jieklu xi ħaġa, għax hawnhekk qegħdin f'post  imwarrab." Iżda hu qalilhom:  "Agħtuhom intom x'jieklu."    Qalulu:  "Ma għandniex  aktar minn ħames ħobżiet u żewġ ħutiet, jekk għallinqas ma mmorrux aħna  stess nixtru l-ikel għal dawn in-nies kollha!"   Għax kien hemm madwar  il-ħamest elef raġel.  U qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Qegħduhom bil-qiegħda  ħamsin ħamsin."  Hekk għamlu u qiegħdu lil kulħadd bilqiegħda. Imbagħad ħa l-ħames ħobżiet u ż-żewġ ħutiet, rafa' għajnejh lejn is-sema,  berikom u qasamhom,u tahom lid-dixxipli biex inewluhom lin-nies.  U kulħadd  kielu xaba' u l-bċejjeċ tal-ħobż li kien  fadal ġabruhom fi tnax-il qoffa.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY

Father Cantalamessa on Memory

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin    Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

* * *
Do This in Memory of Me

 
In the second reading of this feast, St. Paul presents us with the most ancient account we have of the institution of the Eucharist, written no more than about 20 years after the fact. Let us try to find something new in the Eucharistic mystery, using the concept of memorial: "Do this in memory of me."

Memory is one of the most mysterious and greatest powers of the human spirit. Everything seen, heard and done from early childhood is conserved in this immense womb, ready to reawaken and to dance into the light either by an external stimulus or by our own will.

Without memory we will cease to be ourselves, we will lose our identity. Those who are struck by total amnesia, wander lost on the streets, without knowing their own name or where they live.

A memory, once it has come to mind, has the power to catalyze our whole interior world and route everything toward its object, especially if this is not a thing or a fact, but a living person.

When a mother remembers her child, who was born a few days ago and is left at home, everything inside her flies toward her baby, a movement of tenderness rises from her maternal depths and perhaps brings tears to her eyes.

Not just the individual has memory; human groups -- family, tribe, nation -- also have a collective memory. The wealth of a people is not so much measured by the reserves of gold it holds in its vaults, but rather by how many memories it holds in its collective consciousness. It is the sharing of many memories that cements the unity of a group. To keep such memories alive, they are linked to a place, to a holiday.

Americans have Memorial Day, the day in which they remember those who fell in all the wars; the Indians have the Gandhi Memorial, a green park in New Delhi that is supposed to remind the nation who he was and what he did. We Italians also have our memorials: The civil holidays recall the most important events in our recent history, and streets, piazzas and airports are dedicated to our most eminent people.

This very rich human background in regard to memory should help us better understand what the Eucharist is for the Christian people. It is a memorial because it recalls the event to which all of humanity now owes its existence as redeemed humanity: the death of the Lord.

 But the Eucharist has something that distinguishes it from every other memorial. It is memorial and presence together, even if hidden under the signs of bread and wine. Memorial Day cannot bring those who have fallen back to life; the Gandhi Memorial cannot make Gandhi alive again. In a sense, the Eucharistic memorial, however, according to the faith of Christians, does do this in regard to Christ.

But together with all the beautiful things that we have said about memory, we must mention a danger that is inherent to it. Memory can be easily transformed into sterile and paralyzing nostalgia. This happens when a person becomes the prisoner of his own memories and ends up living in the past.

Indeed, the Eucharistic memorial does not pertain to this type of memory. On the contrary, it projects us forward; after the consecration the people say: "We proclaim your death, O Lord, and confess your resurrection, until you come."

An antiphon attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas ("O sacrum convivium") defines the Eucharist as the sacred feast in which "Christ is received, the memory of his passion is celebrated, the soul is filled with grace, and we are given the pledge of future glory." 

 © Innovative Media Inc.

Equal and different

Readings for May 26, 2013 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 

Solennita’ tat-Trinita’ Qaddisa

Messalin   C 244

Reading 1 -  Proverbs 8:22-31

Thus says the wisdom of God: "The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; from of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world. "When the Lord established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; when he made firm the skies above,  when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; when he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the human race."  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -  Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Proverbji 8, 22-31

Dan jgħid il-Għerf ta' Alla: "Il-Mulej kellu lili sa mill-bidu ta' għemilu, sa minn qabel l-eqdem għemejjel tiegħu. Sa minn dejjem twaqqaft, mill-bidu, qabel ma nbdiet id-dinja. Kien għad m'hemmx l-ibħra l-kbar, meta tnissilt jien, kien għad m'hemmx għejun inixxu l-ilma; qabel ma tqiegħdu l-muntanji, qabel l-għoljiet jien twelidt. Kien għadu ma għamilx l-art bir-raba' tagħha, u lanqas l-ewwel traba tal-art. Meta ħejja s-smewwiet jien kont hemm, meta ħażżeż dawra fuq wiċċ il-baħar kbir, meta saħħaħ is-smewwiet hemm fuq, u qiegħed fis-sod in-nixxigħat ta' qiegħ il-baħar; meta ħażżeż trufijiet il-baħar, biex l-ilmijiet ma jaqbżux trufhom; meta qiegħed sisien l-art, jien kont maġenbu bħala tfajjel, l-għaxqa tiegħu, jum wara ieħor, niitliegħeb il-ħin kollu quddiemu; nitliegħeb fuq l-art imħejjija għall-bnedmin, nitgħaxxaq b'ulied il-bnedmin.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Responsorial Psalm - PSALM 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2a) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?                         R/

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:                                                      R/

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.                                   R/

Salm Responsorjali - Salm 8

                R/     Mulej, Sid tagħna, kemm hu kbir ismek fl-art kollha!

Inħares lejn is-smewwiet, għemil subgħajk,

il-qamar u l-kwiekeb li int qegħedt fihom!

X'inhu l-bniedem biex tiftakar fih,

bin il-bniedem, biex taħseb fih?                      R/

Ftit inqas mill-allat għamiltu,

bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel żejjintu,

qegħedtu fuq l-għemejjel kollha ta' idejk!     R/

Kollox taħt riġlejh qegħedtlu:

in-ngħaġ u l-baqar kollha, sal-bhejjem tax-xagħri;

l-għasafar tal-ajru u l-ħut tal-baħar,

dak kollu li  jterraq fil-baħar.                          R/

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Reading 2  - Romans 5:1-5

Brothers and sisters:  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 5, 1-5

Ħuti, issa li aħna ġġustifikati bil-fidi,  għandna s-sliem ma' Alla, permezz ta' Sidna Ġesu' Kristu; pemezz tiegħu għandna d-dħul bil-fidi għal din il-grazzja li fiha qegħdin. Aħna niftaħru bit-tama li għandna li  għad  niksbu l-glorja ta' Alla. Mhux biss dan: imma niftaħru wkoll bis-sofferenzi, għax nafu li s-sofferenza ġġib is-sabar, is-sabar irawwem il-ħila, il-ħila t-tama. U din it-tama ta tqarraqx bina, għax l-imħabba ta' Alla ssawbet fi qlubna permezz tal-Ispirtu  s-Santu li kien mogħti lilna.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Gospel - John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:  "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju - Qari skont San Ġwann 16, 12.15

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu:  "Baqagħli ħafna ħwejjeġ x'ngħidilkom, imam għalissa ma tifilħux għalihom. Meta jiġi hu, l-Ispirtu tal-verita', iwassalkom għall-verita' kollha; għaliex hu ma jgħid xejn minn tiegħu, imma jgħid dak li jisma', u  jħabbrilkom il-ġejjieni. Hu jagħtini glorja, għaliex jieħu minn  dak li hu tiegħi u jħabbru lilkom. Dak kollu li għandnu l-Missier huwa tiegħi. Għalhekk għedt li jieħu minn dak li hu 

tiegħi u jħabbru lilkom." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY - 

Father Cantalamessa on Equal Dignity

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

* * *
Equal and Different

The Gospel for the solemnity, drawn from Jesus' farewell discourses, deals with three mysterious subjects which are inextricably united, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into the whole truth. … All that the Father has is mine" -- the Son! Reflecting on these and similar texts the Church arrived at its faith in the Trinitarian God.

Many ask: But what is this puzzle of three who are one and one who are three? Would it not be easier to believe in a God who is just one, as the Muslims do? The answer is simple. The Church believes in the Trinity, not because it likes to complicate things, but because this truth has been revealed by Christ. The difficulty of understanding the mystery of the Trinity is an argument in favour of, and not against, its truth. No man left to himself would have ever come up with this mystery.

After the mystery has been revealed to us, we intuit that, if God exists, it can be no other way: one and three at the same time. There can only be love between two or more persons; if therefore "God is love," there must be in God one who loves, one who is loved, and the love that unites them.

Christians are monotheists; they believe in a God who is one, but not solitary. Who would God love if he were absolutely alone? Perhaps himself? But then his love would not be really love, but rather egoism or narcissism.

I would like to consider the great and formidable teaching about life that comes to us from the Trinity. This mystery is the maximum affirmation that there can be both equality and diversity: equal in dignity but different in characteristics. And is this not the most important thing that we must learn if we are going to live well in this world? That we can be, that is, different by the color of our skin, because of culture, sex, race and religion, and yet enjoy equal dignity as human persons?

This teaching has its first and most natural field of application in the family. The family must be an earthly reflection of the Trinity. It is made up of persons of different sex (man and woman) and age (parents and children) with all the consequences that derive from these differences: different sentiments, different attitudes and tastes. The success of a marriage and a family depends on the measure by which this diversity knows how to tend toward a higher unity: unity of love, intentions and collaboration.

It is not true that a man and a woman must have the same temperament and gifts; that for them to agree, they must both be either cheerful, vivacious, extroverted and instinctive, or both introverted, quiet and reflective. Indeed we know what negative consequences can follow, even at the physical level, from marriage between relatives within a restricted circle.

Husband and wife do not have each to be the "better half" of the other in the sense of two halves perfectly equal, as an apple cut in two, but in the sense that one is the missing half of the other and the complement of the other. This was God's intention when he said: "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help similar to him" (Genesis 2:18). This all presupposes the strength to accept the difference of the other, which is the most difficult thing for us to do and in which only the most mature marriages succeed.

From this we also see how erroneous it is to consider the Trinity a mystery that is remote from our lives, one to be left to the speculation of theologians. On the contrary, it is a mystery that is very close to us. The reason is very simple: We were created in the image of the Trinitarian God, we bear this imprint and we are called to realize the same sublime synthesis of unity and diversity.

 © Innovative Media Inc. 

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created

Readings for May 19, 2013 - 

Solemnity of the coming of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday  – (Liturgy of the day)              

Solennita' tal-Migja ta' l-Ispirtu s-Santu

Ghid il-Hamsin   (Liturgija tal-Jum)                                                 

Messalin C  237

Reading 1 -  Acts 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to  proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,  Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli  2, 1-11

Meta wasal jum Għid il-Ħamsin, huma kienu  lkoll flimkien  f'post wieħed.   F'daqqa waħda  ġie mis-sema ħoss bħal ta'  riħ qawwi, u mela d-dar kollha fejn kienu qegħdin.   U dehrulhom ilsna qishom tan-nar, li tqassmu u qagħdu fuq  kull wieħed minnhom.   Imtlew lkoll bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u bdew jitkellmu b'ilsna oħra, skont mal-Ispirtu kien jagħtihom li jitkellmu. F'Ġerusalemm kien hemm xi Lhud, nies twajba minn kull nazzjon  li hawn taħt is-sema.   Malli nstama' dan il-ħoss, inġabret kotra kbira,  ilkoll imħawdin għax kull wieħed minnhom kien jismagħhom jitkellmu  bl-ilsien tiegħu.  Miblugħin u mistagħġbin, bdew jgħidu:  "Dawn li  qegħdin jitkellmu mhumiex ilkoll mill-Galilija?  Mela kif kull wieħed minna qiegħed jismagħhom jitkellmu bi lsien art twelidu? Partin, Medin u Għelamin, nies mill-Mesopotanja, mil-Lhudija, mill-Kappadoċja, minn Pontu, mill-Asja, mill-Friġja, mill-Pamfilja, mill-Eġittu, mill-inħawi tal-Libja madwar Ċireni, nies li ġew minn Ruma, kemm Lhud u kemm proseliti,  oħrajn minn Kreta u Għarab, aħna lkoll qegħdin nisimgħuhom ixandru  bl-ilsna tagħna l-għeġubijiet ta' Alla!"       Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm -  

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.    or:   R. Alleluia.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;                                            R/

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.                                                        R/

If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.                                        R/

Salm Responsorjali    -   Salm 103 (104)

                        R/   Ibgħat l-Ispirtu tiegħek, Mulej, u ġedded il-wiċċ ta' l-art. (jew)

                                                Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

  Bierek ruħ tiegħi, lill-Mulej!

Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir bil-bosta!

Kemm huma kotrana l-għemejjel tiegħek, Mulej!

Mimlija l-art bil-ħlejjaq tiegħek.                                         R/

Jekk teħdilhom nifishom, imutu,

u lejn it-trab jerġgħu jmorru.

Malli tibgħat in-nifs tiegħek, jinħolqu,

u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ ta' l-art.                                           R/

Jibqa' sebħ il-Mulej għal dejjem!

Jifraħ il-Mulej bl-għemejjel tiegħu!

Ħa togħġbu l-għanja tiegħi,

Għax jien fil-Mulej l-hena tiegħi.                                       R/

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Reading 2 - Romans 8:8-17

Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead  dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors  to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.  This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  - Qari mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 8, 8-17

Ħuti, dawk li jgħixu skont il-ġisem ma jistgħux jogħġbu lil Alla.   Issa intom ma intomx taħt il-ħakma tal-ġisem, imma tal-Ispirtu,  ladarba  hemm l-Ispirtu ta' Alla jgħammar fikom.   Jekk xi ħadd  ma għandux fih l-Ispirtu ta' Kristu, dan mhuwiex tiegħu. Jekk Kristu jgħammar fikom, għalkemm il-ġisem hu mejjet  minħabba fid-dnub, imma l-Ispirtu hu ħajjitkom minħabba l-ġustizzja.   Jekk l-Ispirtu ta' dak li qajjem lil Ġesu' mill-imwiet  jgħammar fikom, Alla stess li qajjem lil Kristu mil-imwiet  iqajjem għall-ħajja wkoll il-ġisem mejjet tagħkom, bis-saħħa tal-Ispirtu li jgħammar fikom. Hekk mela, ħuti, aħna m'aħniex  midjunin mal-ġisem biex ngħixu skont il-ġisem.  Għax jekk tgħixu skont il-gisem, tmutu; imma jekk tmewtu l-għemil tal-ġisem bl-Ispirtu, tgħixu.   Dawk kollha li jmexxihom l-Ispirtu ta' Alla huma wlied Alla. Għax intom ma rċevjtux l-ispirtu li ijwassalkom għall-jasar biex  terġgħu taqgħu fil-biża', imma rċevjtu l-ispirtu li jagħmel minnkom ulied adottive; u li bih aħna nistgħu ngħatu: "Abba! Missier!"  Dan l-Ispirtu jixhed  flimkien mal-ispirtu tagħna li aħna wlied Alla. Jekk aħna wlied, aħna wkoll werrieta, werrieta ta' Alla, werrieta ma' Kristu: ladarba aħna nbatu miegħu, biex miegħu nkunu gglorifikati. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Gospel  - John 14:15-16, 23b-26

Jesus said to his disciples:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words;  yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will  send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju - Qari mill-Evanġelju ta’ San Ġwann 14, 15-16,23-26

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Jekk tħobbuni, ħarsu l-kmandamenti tiegħi. U jiena nitlob lill-Missier, u hu jagħtikom Difensur ieħor biex jibqa' magħkom għal dejjem. Jekk xi ħadd iħobbni, iħares kelmti, u Missieri jħobbu, u aħna niġu u ngħammru għandu.   Min ma jħobbnix ma jħarisx kliemi.  U l-Kelma li qegħdin tisimgħu mhijiex tiegħi, imma tal-missier li bagħatni. Għedtilkom dan meta għadni magħkom.   Imma d-Difensur, l-Ispirtu s-Santu, li l-Misseri jibgħat f'ismi, igħallimkom kollox u jfakkarkom dak kollu li għedtilkom."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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COMMENTARY

Father Cantalamessa on Pentecost

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

Send Forth Your Spirit and They Shall be Created

The Gospel presents Jesus, who in the cenacle on Easter evening, "breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" This breathing of Jesus recalls God's action who, in the creation, "formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being" (cf. Genesis 2:7). With his gesture Jesus indicates that the Holy Spirit is the divine breath that gives life to the new creation as he gave life to the first creation. The responsorial psalm highlights this theme: "Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth."

Proclaiming that the Holy Spirit is Creator means saying that his sphere of action is not restricted to the Church, but extends to the entire creation. No place and no time is without his active presence. He acts in and out of the Bible; he acts before Christ, during the time of Christ, and after Christ, even if he never acts apart from Christ. "All truth, by whomever it is spoken," Thomas Aquinas has written, "comes from the Holy Spirit." The action of the Spirit of Christ outside the Church is not the same as his action in the Church and in the sacraments. Outside he acts by his power; in the Church he acts by his presence, in person.

The most important thing about the creative power of the Holy Spirit is not, however, to understand it and explain its implications, but to experience it. But what does it mean to experience the Spirit as Creator? To understand it, let us take the creation account as our point of departure. "In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, and the Spirit of the Lord brooded over the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2). We conclude from this that the universe already existed in the moment when the Spirit intervened, but it was formless and dark, chaos. It is after his action that the creation assumes precise contours; light is separated from darkness, dry land from the sea, and everything takes on a definite shape.

Thus, it is the Holy Spirit who transforms the creation from chaos into cosmos, who makes it something beautiful, ordered, polished ("cosmos" comes from the same root as "cosmetic" and it means beautiful!), he makes a "world," in the double sense of this word. Science teaches us today that this process went on for billions of years, but the Bible -- with its simple and image-filled language -- wants to tell us that the slow evolution toward life and the present order of the world did not happen by chance, following blind material impulses. It followed, rather, a project that the Creator inserted in it from the beginning.

God's creative action is not limited to the initial instant; he is always in the act of creating. Applied to the Holy Spirit, this means that he is always the one who transforms chaos into cosmos, that is, he makes order out of disorder, harmony out of confusion, beauty out of deformity, youth out of age. This occurs on all levels: in the macrocosm as in the microcosm, that is, in the whole universe as in the individual person.

We must believe that, despite appearances, the Holy Spirit is working in the world and makes it progress. How many new discoveries, not only in the study of nature but also in the field of morality and social life! A text of Vatican II says that the Holy Spirit is at work in the evolution of the social order of the world ("Gaudium et Spes," 26). It is not only evil that grows but good does too, with the difference being that evil eliminates itself, ends with itself, while the good accumulates itself, remains. Certainly there is much chaos around us: moral, political, and social chaos. The world still has great need of the Spirit of God. For this reason we must not tire in invoking him with the words of the Psalm: "Send forth your Spirit, Lord, and renew the face of the earth!"

© Innovative Media Inc.