We are called to give witness

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

IL-33 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C pp 444

Reading 1                           

Malachi 3:19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stumble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni -

Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profet Malakija 3,19-20

Ara, jiġi l-Jum, jaqbad qisu forn, u l-kburin kollha u  dawk kollha li jagħmlu l-ħażen ikunu tiben,  u  l-jum li ġej għad jaħraqhom,  igħid il-Mulej tal-eżerċti: hekk li ma jħallilhom la għerq u lanqas fergħa. Imma għalikom li  tibżgħu minn ismi  titla' x-xemx  tal-ġustizzja, bis-salvazzjoni fuq ġwenħajha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm              

Psalm 98:5-6, 7-8, 9

R. (cf. 9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.         R/

Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.           R/

Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth,
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.                           R/

Salm Responsorjali                Salm 97 (98)

            R/        Il-Mulej jagħmel ħaqq mill-popli.

Għannu lill-Mulej biċ-ċetra,

biċ-ċetra u bil-ħlewwa tal-għana,

bit-trombi u bid-daqq tat-trumbetti;

għajtu bil-ferħ quddiem il-Mulej is-sultan!       R/

Ħa jriegħed il-baħar u kulma fih,

id-dinja u kulma jgħammar fiha.

Ħa jċapċpu x-xmajjar idejhom,

u l-muntanji flimkien jgħajtu bil-ferħ

quddiem il-Mulej.                                             R/

Għax il-Mulej ġej

biex jagħmel ħaqq mill-art;

hu jagħmel ħaqq mid-dinja bil-ġustizzja,

u mill-popli bis-sewwa.                                   R/

Reading 2                  

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us.  For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone.  On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.  Not that we do not have the right.  Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.  In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.  Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni -

Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 3, 7-12

Ħuti, intom stess tafu kif jeħtieġ li timxu fuq l-eżempju tagħna. Aħna ma tgħażżiniex meta konna fostkom; il-ħobż li kilna, ħadd ma tahulna b'xejn;  imma lejl u nhar ħdimna, tħabbatna u batejna  biex ma nkunu ta' piż għal ħadd minnkom. Imxejna hekk mhux għax ma għandniex dritt li  żżommuna intom,  imma ridna nagħtukom  eżempju biex timxu fuqu.   Meta konna fostkom aħna ordnajnielkom li jekk xi ħadd ma  jridx jaħdem, dan anqas ma għandu jiekol. Issa aħna smajna li hemm xi wħud fostkom li qegħdin jitgħażżnu;  mhumiex jaħdmu, imma qegħdin jinħlew  fix-xejn.  Lil dawn in-nies nardanwlhom u nwissuhom, f'isem il-Mulej Ġesu' Kristu, biex jaħdmu sewwa u għaxienhom jaqilgħuh. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.    

GOSPEL  -  

LUKE 21: 5-19

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,’ and 'The time has come.’ Do not follow them!  When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."  Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues  from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.  It will lead to your giving testimony.  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju -

Qari skont San Luqa 21, 5-19

F'dak iż-żmien, kien hemm xi wħud li bdew jgħidu fuq  kemm  it-tempju kien imżejjen b'ġebel sabiħ u għotjiet; iżda Ġesu' qalilhom:  "Kulma qegħdin taraw, għad jiġi żmien li ma tibqax ġebla fuq oħra  minnu li ma tiġġarrafx." U huma staqsewh u qalulu: "Mgħallem, issa dan meta  għad jiġri?   U se jkunu is-sinjali li dawn il-ħwejjeġ ikunu waslu biex iseħħu?"Qalilhom:  "Araw li ma titqarrqux.  Għax għad jiġu ħafna f'ismi u jgħidu:  "Jien hu" u "Iż-żmien wasal,"  Tmorrux  warajhom! Meta tisimgħu min jitkellem fuq gwerer u taqlib fil-pajjiżi, tinħasdux għax jeħtieġ li l-ewwel jiġri dan, iżda t-tmiem ma jasalx minnufih." Imbagħad qalilhom: " Għad iqum ġens kontra ġens u saltna kontra saltna, l-art titheżżeż bil-kbir,f'ħafna bnadi  jkun hemm il-ġuħ u mard li jittieħed, u fis-sema jidhru ħwejjeġ tal-biża' u sinjali tal-għaġeb. Imma qabel dan kollu jixħtu jdejhom fuqkom u jippersegwitawkom, jagħtukom f'idejn il-mexxejja tas-sinagoga u jitfgħukom il-ħabs, u jeħdukom quddiem  slaten u gvernaturi minħabba f'ismi.   Dan ikun  jiswielkom biex tistgħu tagħtu xhieda.  U żommu  sewwa moħħkom: toqogħdux taħsbu minn qabel kif se tiddefendu ruħkom,  għax jien nagħtikom kliem u għerf li kull min ikun kontra tagħkom ma jkunx jista' jiqaflu jew imerih. U jittradukom saħansitra l-ġenituri tagħkom u ħutkom u qrabatkom u ħbiebkom, u lil xi wħud minnkom joqtluhom,  u kulħadd isir jobgħodkom minħabba f'ismi. Imma xagħra  waħda minn raskom ma tintilifx.  Jekk tibqgħu sħaħ sal-aħħar issalvaw ħajjitkom!" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY…..

Viewing History in the Larger Context of God

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

As we come to the end of the Church's liturgical year, our Sunday Scripture readings are filled with apocalyptic images that may well terrify us with their intensity, honesty, realism and practicality. Apocalyptic writing was popular in Christian circles for a millennium. Major historical crises most often triggered apocalyptic thinking.

Sunday's Gospel scene came at a moment late in Jesus' ministry, and the disciples stood with him on Jerusalem's holiest ground and stared at the majestic temple of Jerusalem, the centre of Jewish culture and religion, Herod's masterpiece of appeasement of the Jews. It was clearly a sight to stir the soul! And yet this group outing to the Temple Mount suddenly turned serious. What began with architectural admiration became a prophetic glimpse of what discipleship would cost those who would bear his name. It would bring public persecution and betrayal by those closest in the circle of family and friends. Now the long-promised Messiah-prophet had come and taken his place in a temple rebuilt for the third time. His very presence was the visitation of God.

Jesus spoke about the earth-shattering catastrophes including the seizure, persecution, deliverance and betrayal of the disciples. He also spoke about the many who will come in his name to bring quick fixes to the great dilemmas of his and our time. Jesus is clearly no stranger to the horrific forces still on the prowl in our world. Their terror, whether cosmic or personal, is overcome by the assurance that he knows his own, even the number of the hairs on their heads. He went to the cross to make that assurance trustworthy. It is not stoic determination that gets us "gain of soul," but faithful reliance on his promise of grace sufficient in weakness, a grace that works in everything for the gain of the soul.

To reject the divine reign Jesus brought would be to bring down the judgment of God. To endure under his gracious reign would be "to gain your souls." Remember that Jesus spoke of the soul not as fixed but "gained." The soul is that inward capacity in which the divine and human connect in a lifelong process of anchoring and maturing and enduring--enduring that will not flinch in the face of suffering.

What's in a name?

If apocalyptic literature shocks us, it may well be for good reasons. Maybe we need to be lulled out of our complacent faith and beliefs, our way of living and acting, and realize that time is short, that the Lord truly does come like a thief in the night, that we must radically change our ways today, not tomorrow. The theme of Jesus' words in today's Gospel is that his "name" (which is the equivalent of his mission and his person) will be the cause of disruption.

And yet we often remain so uncourageous, shunning any form of conflict and struggle. We hide our Catholic Christian identity for fear of "offending" others or of being labeled Christian or Catholic. Have we ever stopped to realize that maybe some things in this world are truly worth fighting for, and even dying for? Have we forgotten that those associated with "the Name" will endure persecution?

A lesson

There is also an important message for us in today's second reading from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12). St. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians about a specific problem in their community that has grown out of the intense eschatological speculation, namely, not to work but to become instead disorderly busybodies (6-15). Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here had apparently ceased to work for a living. They allowed themselves to be overcome with fear and paralysis about the future, and longed for imminent deliverance from the present struggles and suffering. They effectively gave up and used the parousia as an excuse to cease transforming the society in which they lived by their faithful and courageous witness. They busied themselves with all the wrong things!

 As we near the end of the liturgical year and are confronted with ultimate things in next Sunday's Scripture readings, let us never forget that we are called to give witness through our daily living. Amid painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven not only for a revelation of God's will but also for a vision of the end of the present misery and the beginning of the age to come. That thought alone is a cause of consolation, joy and hope in the midst of the storms of our times.

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Living in the Resurrection and Kingdom of God

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

IL-32 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C pp 438

Reading 1  -  2 Macabees 7:1-2, 9-14

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and Scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.  One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?  We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life." This is the Word of the Lord.

L-1 Lezzjoni - Qari mit-Tieni Ktieb tal-Makkabej 7, 1-2, 9-14

F'dak iż-żmien, qabdu sebat aħwa u 'l ommhom; u s-sultan beda biex jisfurzhom bid-daqqiet tas-swat u u tan-nerv biex jieklu l-laħam tal-majjal li ma jiswiex. Wieħed minnhom beda jitkellem f'isem l-oħrajn u qal: "X'int tfittex tistaqsi u trid taf minna?  Aħna lest mmutu, imma m'aħniex lesti niksru l-liġijiet ta' missirijietna." U t-tieni wieħed, kif kien fl-aħħar nifs, qallu: "Int, bniedem  mill-agħar, int se ċċaħħadna mill-ħajja ta' issa, imma s-sultan tad-dinja għad iqajjimna għall-ħajja ta' dejjem, lilna li se mmutu għal-liġijiet tiegħu." Imbagħad wara dan bdew jittorturaw it-tielet wieħed u malli talbuh ħareġ minnufih ilsienu u bla biża' ta' xejn midd idejh u ta' qalbieni li kien għajjat: "Mis-sema ksibthom ksibthom dawn,  u għal-liġijiet tiegħu jien  nistmerrhom, għax mingħandu nittama li għad nerġa' niksibhom."  Saħansitra s-sultan u dawk ta' madwaru stagħġbu bil-qawwa ta' dan iż-żgħażugħ, kif l-uġiegħ ma kien iqisu xejn.Meta miet dan bdew jittorturaw u jbiċċru r-raba' wieħed  bl-istess mod.   Meta wasal fl-aħħar qal:  "Aħjar li wieħed imut b'idejn il-bnedmin   Meta jkollu t-tama mingħand Alla li għad iqajmu mill-ġdid. Imma għalik m'hemmx qawmien għall-ħajja." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm       -        Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15

R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.           R/

My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.                        R/.

Keep me as the apple of your eye,
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking I shall be content in your presence.       R/

Salm Responsorjali   -  Salm 16 (17)

            R/        Meta nqum nithenna bid-dehra tiegħek.

Isma', Mulej, il-kawża ġusta tiegħi,

ilqa' l-għajta tiegħi,

agħti widen għat-talb tiegħi;

bla qerq huma xuffetejja.                                 R/

Il-mixi tiegħi żammejt fi triqatek,

qatt ma għotru riġlejja.

Insejjaħlek, għax int tweġibni, o Alla;

ressaq widintek lejja, isma kliemi.                  R/

Għad-dell ta' ġwenħajk kenninni.

Jien, fil-ħaqq, għad nara 'l wiċċek;

meta nqum, nithenna bid-dehra tiegħek.        R/

Reading 2          -        2 Thessalonians  2:16-3:5

Brothers and sisters: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do.  May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni   -  Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 16-17; 3, 1-5         

Ħuti, Sidna Ġesu' Kristu stess u Alla Missierna, li ħabbna u tana l-kuraġġ ta' dejjem u t-tama  sħiħa bil-grazzja, jqawwilkom qalbkom u  jsaħħaħkom f'kull għemil u kelma tajba. Mill-bqija, ħuti, itolbu għalina biex il-kelma tal-Mulej tiġri l-ġirja tagħha u tkun milqugħa bil-ġieħ bħalma ġara fostkom.  Itolbu biex inkunu meħlusa minn nies ħżiena u bla liġi.  Għax mhux kulħadd għandu l-fidi. Iżda l-Mulej hu fidil  hu jwettaqkom u jħariskom mill-Ħażin. Aħna żguri minnkom fil-Mulej, jiġifieri, li intom qegħdin tagħmlu u għad tagħmlu dak li ordnajielkom.  Jalla l-Mulej iwassal lil qlubkom għall-imħabba ta' Alla u s-sabar ta' Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Gospel          -           Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.  Finally the woman also died.  Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die,  for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.  That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, ' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." This is the Word of the Lord. 

L-Evanġelju - Qari skont San Luqa 20, 27-38

F'dak iż-żmien, resqu fuqu xi wħud mis-sadduċej, dawk li jiċħdu l-qawmien mill-imwiet, u staqsewh: "Mgħallem, Mose' ħallielna miktub: 'Jekk wieħed imutlu ħuħ miżżewweġ u dan ikun bla tfal, dak  ikollu jiżżewweġ l-armla biex inissel ulied lil ħuħ. Issa jkun hemm sebat aħwa, u l-kbir iżżewweġ u  miet bla tfal.    It-tieni wieħed, u mbagħd it-tielet, f'kelma waħda, is-sebgħa li kienu, ħadu l-armla, u mietu bla ma ħallew tfal.  Fl-aħħar mietet il-mara wkoll.  Issa din, fil-qawmien tal-imwiet,mart min minnhom tkun?   Għax is-sebgħa jkunu żżewġuha." Weġibhom Ġesu':  "Il-bnedmin f'din id-dinja jiżżewġu u jżewġu; imma dawk li jkun jistħoqqilhom jgħaddu għad-dinja l-oħra u jqumu mill-imwiet, dawn la jżewġu u lanqas  jiżżewġu.  Għax anqas jistgħu jmutu iżjed, għaliex ikunu  bħall-anġli, u huma wlied Alla ladarba qamu mill-imwiet. U li  l-mejtin iqumu, Mose' wkoll urieh, fir-rakkont tax-xitla tal-għollieq, għax lill-Mulej isejjaħlu Alla ta' Abraħam,  Alla ta' Iżakk, u Alla ta' Ġakobb.  Issa hu mhuwiex Alla tal-mejtin,  iżda tal-ħajjin, għax għalih kulħadd jgħix. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY:

Life in the Resurrection and the 

Kingdom of God

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Christian faith in the resurrection has met with incomprehension and opposition from the very beginning. On no point does the Christian faith encounter more opposition than on the resurrection of the body.  The question of the resurrection is vital not only to the Christian faith but to all people who reflect on life and death.

No spirit of inquiry

Judaism has never been monolithic, and to say "the Jews believed" is to be misinformed and to misinform. In Sunday's Gospel (Luke 20:27-38) we encounter the Sadducees, one of several groups or parties within Judaism. Sadducees were of the priestly class, many of them aristocratic, wealthy, and theologically conservative. Scripture for them consisted of only the five books of Moses. No teaching was authoritative if it was not found in the Pentateuch, and they found no doctrine of the resurrection in the books of Moses.

These Jerusalem religious leaders or their representatives attempt to incriminate Jesus with the Romans and to discredit him with the people. Their air is to argue, to embarrass, to force Jesus into one particular school of thought, or perhaps just to divide the audience. There is among them no spirit of inquiry or desire to learn. They are simply baiting Jesus with one of their classic "what if" questions, a question on which their minds had been settled long ago: There is no resurrection of the dead (v. 27; Acts 23:8).

Belief in the resurrection

The Pharisees and many of the Lord's contemporaries hoped for the resurrection. They not only included the prophets and the writings in their Scripture but also believed in the authority of the oral tradition from Moses. The basis for belief in the resurrection was found in that oral tradition. The subject was heatedly debated between the two parties of Pharisees and Sadducees, a fact that Paul made use of to draw attention away from himself during his trial before the Jewish Council (Acts 23:6-10).

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Their question in Sunday's Gospel, based on the law of levirate marriage recorded in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, details the duty of a man toward a deceased brother. The Sadducees ridicule the idea of the resurrection. Jesus rejects their naïve understanding of the resurrection (vv. 35-36) and then argues on behalf of the resurrection of the dead on the basis of the written law (vv. 37-38) that the Sadducees accept.

Jesus' answer is twofold. The first part (vv. 34-36) simply points out the inappropriateness of the question, given the difference between life in this age and the age to come. In this age, the fact of death makes marriage and perpetuation of life essential. However, in the age to come there is no death, but those who attain to the resurrection are equal to the angels, they are children of God.

In the second part of his answer, Jesus draws on the Sadducees' own Bible, the book of Moses (vv. 37-40). Jesus answers them with Exodus 3:6: God is a God of the living and not of the dead. It follows then, says Jesus, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are living, not dead.

The two parts of Jesus' answer to the Sadducees constitute an argument from reason (condition of this life do not constitute proof of conditions in the next) and Scripture (Exodus 3:6) for the belief in the resurrection of the dead. In this belief Jesus was in agreement with the Pharisees. The argumentation has to do with the resurrection of Jesus, not with a doctrine of resurrection in general.

Acquaintance and true knowledge

In Jesus time, The Pharisees and the Sadducees were externally acquainted with Jesus, they learned his teaching and knew many details about him but they did not know him in his truth.  The members of these groups or parties know him, but superficially; they know various things about him, but they do not really know him.

On the other hand, the Twelve Apostles have at least understood in substance and begun to discover who Jesus is. This different manner of knowing still exists today: There are learned people who know many details about Jesus and never get to really know and love him. Many such people have even studied theology! There are also many simple, unlearned people who have no knowledge of these details but have known him in the fullness of his truth and beauty.

Marriage has as its natural end the procreation of children, it assures the continuance of the human race and the creation of new beings, since human beings are destined to die and need to leave successors. How many times did Pope John Paul II tell us, "The future of humanity passes through the family"?

A prayer for us this week

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage our hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Our Lord is faithful; he will strengthen us and guard us from the evil one. May he direct our hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ (Thessalonians 2:16-3:5)

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings. But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence. (Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15)

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God overlooks our sins so we can repent

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Il-31 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin C pp 432

Reading 1       -        WISDOM 11:22-12:2

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people's sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD! This is the Word of the Lord.

                                                

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni   -  Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Għerf 11, 22-26,2)

Mulej, quddiemek id-dinja kollha qisha traba fil-miżien, jew qatra nida tal-għodwa li tinżel fuq l-art. Iżda int tħenn għal kulħadd, għax tista' kollox; int tagħlaq għajnejk għal dnubiet il-bnedmin biex huma jindmu. Għax int tħobb il-ħlejjaq kollha, u xejn ma tistmell minn kulma għamilt; li kien hemm xi ħaġa li stajt tobgħodha, int ma kontx tagħmilha. Kif setgħet tibqa' xi ħaġa fid-dinja kieku int ma ridthiex? Jew kif setgħet iżżomm, kieku int ma sejjaħtilhiex? Imma int, o Sid li tħobb kulma jgħix, lil kulħadd tagħder, għax kollox huwa tiegħek. Għax f'kulħadd hemm nifsek bla ma qatt jintemm. Għalhekk int twiddeb bil-ftit il-ftit lil dawk li jonqsu, twissihom u tfakkarhom fejn dinbu, biex jerġgħu lura mill-ħażen tagħhom, u fik, Mulej, iqiegħdu t-tama tagħhom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm -    PSalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

     R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever. R/

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.                  R/

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.                                            R/

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.                     R/

Salm Responsorjali  -   Salm 144 (145)

    R/    Mulej, inbierek  ismek  għal  dejjem  ta'  dejjem.

Ħa nkabbrek, Alla tiegħi, sultan,

u nbierek ismek għal dejjem ta' dejjem.

Kuljum irrid inbierkek,

u nfaħħar ismek għal dejjem ta' dejjem.         R/

Twajjeb u ħanin il-Mulej,

idum biex jagħdab u kollu tjieba.

Twajjeb ma' kulħadd il-Mulej,

tjubitu fuq kulma għamel.                                R/

Kulma għamilt iroddlok ħajr, Mulej;

iberkuk il-ħbieb tiegħek kollha.

Is-sebħ tas-saltna tiegħek ixandru,

fuq is-setgħa tiegħek jitkellmu.                        R/

Ta' kelmtu l-Mulej fil-wegħdiet tiegħu kollha,

Twajjeb f'dak kollu li għamel.

Iwieżen il-Mulej 'il kull min se jaqa',

iqajjem 'il kull min hu mitluq.                           R/

Reading 2       -       2 THESalonians 1:11-2:2

Brothers and sisters: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfilment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.  We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  - Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lit-Tessalonikin 1, 11-12;2,1-2

Huti, aħna dejjem nitolbu għalikom li Alla tagħna jagħmilkom denji għas-sejħa tiegħu, u jagħmel li bil-qawwa tiegħu sseħħ kull rieda tajba tagħkom għall-ġid u kull ħidma tal-fidi tagħkom.   U hekk l-isem ta' Sidna Ġesu' Kristu jkun igglorifikat fikom u intom fih skont il-grazzja ta' Alla  tagħna u tal-Mulej Ġesu' Kristu. Ħuti, għal dak li għandu x'jaqsam mal-miġja ta' Sidna Ġesu' Kristu u l-ġemgħa tagħna biex ningħaqdu miegħu, nitolbukom biex ma toqogħdux tħawdu raskom malajr u tinħasdu  bħallikieku il-miġja ta' jum il-Mulej qorbot, u la jekk tkunu mnebbħin mill-ispirtu u lanqas jekk tisimgħu xi kelma jew taqraw xi ittra taparsi mingħandna.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                        -       LuKe 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to  pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order  to see Jesus,  who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."  And he came down quickly and received him with joy.  When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."  But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to  the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju  -  Qari skont San Luqa 19, 1-10

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' daħal Ġeriko u kien għaddej mit-triq.Mela ikun hemm raġel, jismu Żakkew; dan kien wieħed mill-kapijiet tal-pubblikani, u kien għani. Kellu xewqa li jara min kien Ġesu', imma ma setax minħabba l-folla, billi kien raġel qasir. Għalhekk mar jiġri  'l quddiem u xxabbat ma' siġra tat-tin selvaġġ, għax minn dik in-naħa kien se jgħaddi. Ġesu', kif wasal hemm, ħares 'il fuq u qallu: "Żakkew, isa, inżel minn hemm, għax illum jeħtieġli noqgħod għandek."    Dak niżel bla telf ta' żmien, u  kollu ferħan laqgħu għandu.   In-nies, meta rawh, ilkoll bdew igemgmu bejniethom u  jgħidu li għand wieħed midneb daħal jistrieħ. Imma Żakkew, wieqaf,  qal lill-Mulej,  "Ara, Mulej, nofs ġidi se nagħtih lill-foqra, u jekk jien qarraqt  b'xi ħadd irroddlu għal erba' darbiet iżjed." Qallu Ġesu':  "F'din id-dar illum daħlet is-salvazzjoni, għax  dan ir-raġel ukoll huwa bin Abraham. Għax Bin il-bniedem ġie jfittex u jsalva l-mitluf. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary:

I Need to Stay at Your House

Fr. Thomas Rosica

Sunday's Gospel story remains forever engraved in my memory. I still remember a song from my early grade school years that began with, "There was a man from Jericho named Zacchaeus." Years later, I would visit Jericho on many occasions during my graduate studies in the Holy Land -- to get away from Jerusalem on some damp, cold wintry day in order to enjoy Jericho's mild climate, or to savour the dates, mangos, lemons and other fruits for which the city's outdoor markets are famous. Jericho is rightly called the City of Palms in the Old Testament. It is truly an oasis in the desert!

The locals still point out to us foreigners the exact location of Rahab's house. She was the infamous prostitute of the Old Testament who made it into Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. Her "house" had become an accounting office on one of my last visits to Jericho.

The locals also take delight in pointing out the ruins of the walls that Joshua brought down in one of the Old Testament's mighty battles that may have never taken place! Best of all are the 39 or so sycamore trees that Zacchaeus climbed in order to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was passing by, and the house of the town's chief tax collector-turned-saint!

Small stature

So next  Sunday's Gospel is one of Jesus' beloved meals scenes in the New Testament. Luke's portrait of Zacchaeus is vivid and irresistibly charming! The story of Jericho's famous tax collector (Luke 19:1-10) is unique to Luke's gospel. We are told that he was the chief tax collector and very wealthy at that.  While a rich man, Zacchaeus provides a contrast to the rich man of Luke 18:18-23 who cannot detach himself from his material possessions to become a follower of Jesus. Zacchaeus, according to Luke, exemplifies the proper attitude toward wealth: He promises to give half of his possessions to the poor, and consequently is the recipient of salvation.

The evangelist's graphic description is enhanced in also calling him a "little man." His is a kind of smallness that is far more devastating and corroding than being short. His smallness emerges from his terrible self-image resulting from others' attitudes toward him. Are we not most vulnerable at these moments in our lives?

Though a member of a group that was widely despised, Zacchaeus appears in this story as a fundamentally honest and humble man who seeks the truth and is open to finding it where he can, even if it means climbing a sycamore tree in a crowd, just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He represents that figure who turns up again and again in the scriptures -- the outsider, the person who for one reason or another looks in from the edge, but must always stay there. It is on the edge that we meet him, shut out by others, desperately anxious to be part of the proceedings, all the while failing.

The parade at our front door

Why would Zacchaeus be so intent on catching a glimpse of Jesus? Perhaps because Jesus is all that he is not! Jesus is admired, sought out, and above all accepted by a large following. If we are terribly honest with ourselves, we would admit that at some point in our own loneliness or alienation, in our real or imagined non-acceptance or un-love, we long to identify with someone else's seeming acceptance.

Do we not often strain our necks, like Zacchaeus in his tree, imprisoned in our loneliness, envy, jealousy, self-pity, laziness? And then suddenly, the unexpected happens. The parade stops at our front door, and we get an invitation with astonishing words: "I'm really glad to see that you are here," or "Let's go out for a coffee, you've had a hard day," or "Come and join us, it's not good to be alone," or "When are you going to invite me over? I'd really like to have supper with you." And the list goes on and on. An invitation leads to the most intimate favour of hospitality.

Houseguest

"Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today" (Luke 19:5). "Zacchaeus": Jesus called by name a man despised by all. "Today": Yes, this very moment was the moment of his salvation. "I must stay": Why "I must"? Because the Father, rich in mercy, wants Jesus "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). 

Zacchaeus' repentance is attested by his determination to amend his former ways, and shows himself to be a true descendant of Abraham, the true heir to the promises of God in the Old Testament. Underlying Luke's depiction of Zacchaeus as a descendant of Abraham, the father of the Jews, is his recognition of the central place occupied by Israel in the plan of salvation.

When the favour is asked of Zacchaeus, and all those like him who are accustomed to being shunned and rejected, Zacchaeus and his types are dizzy with excitement. The walls of Jericho truly come tumbling down! Perhaps for the first time, Zacchaeus is accepted without reservation or condition. And that is cause for great rejoicing, not shame. In true Lukan fashion, there is a celebration! Once again, those murmuring are shocked that Jesus would go to the house -- and even more shocked, to the table -- of a sinner so famous as Zacchaeus. As Jesus sat at the table among such high-society, he watched Zacchaeus rise up out of the ashes and the tomb of alienation, self-deception, dishonesty, which he himself had constructed.

Salvation arrives

Jesus declares publicly, "Today salvation has come to this house." It's almost as if Jesus said to the chief tax collector of Jericho, and through him, to each of us, "Zacchaeus, don't climb too high in that tree of yours ... and hide from me. Don't waste all your energy concentrating on your guilt as you see it. I need to talk with you and find out where you have boxed yourself in. Together we'll find a way past all of your excuses and out of the maze. Look, the tree is sprouting. I've come to save you!"

Morals of the story

Over the years, I have found several morals in this ancient story. One of them tells us that when it comes to the love of God, we must first declare that we are lost and empty, and then begin the process whereby we are found. We must name and own the masks we wear before we can ever begin to remove them and the makeup, and see our true face. We have to experience the death at work in us, our hearts, emotions, intellects, relationships and self esteem, in order to begin the journey up to Jerusalem, the City of the Resurrection. And sometime, we may have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, let down our defenses, jump down from the trees in which we were hiding, give half of our belongings to the poor, and pay back those we have cheated. Who cares what the critics are saying? When salvation has come into our societies, our communities, our homes and our hearts, no one can ever rob us of that precious gift any longer.

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The one who serves God willingly is heard

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time   Year 'C'

It-30  ?add matul is-Sena    

Messalin C pp 427

Reading 1   -       SIRACH  35:12-14, 16-18

The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favourites.Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard;  his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni - Qari mill-Ktieb ta' Bin Sirak 35, 14, 16-18

Il-Mulej hu mhallef, u ma jharisx lejn l-uzu?. Ma joqghodx ihares lejn wicc dak li jkun b'dannu tal-fqir, u jaghti widen ghat-talba tal-maghkus. Ma jaghlaqx widnejh ghat-talba bil-hniena  tal-iltim, jew tal-armla li tibki xortiha. Min jaqdi mill-qalb lil Alla jintlaqa', u t-talba tieghu titla' m'oghla s-shab. It-talba tal-umli tinfed is-shab, u ma toqghodx bi kwietha qabel tasal qrib il-Mulej, u ma tieqafx qabel mal-Gholi jaghti widen, u jaghti ragun lill-gusti u jaghmel haqq. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                  PSALM 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23

       R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

the lowly will hear me and be glad.                         R/

             

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.          R/

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;

no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.          R/

Salm Responsorjali      -   Salm 33

  R/   Dan  il-fqajjar sejjah u l-Mulej semghu

Kull hin inbierek il-Mulej;

tifhiru dejjem fuq fommi.

Bil-Mulej tiftahar ruhi;

jisimghu l-fqajrin u jifirhu!                              R/

Il-harsa tal-Mulej fuq il-hzena,

biex jeqred minn fuq l-art tifkirithom.

Jghajtu l-gusti ghall-ghajnuna, u

l-Mulej jismaghhom;

mid-dwejjaq kollha taghhom jehlishom.     R/

Qrib il-Mulej lejn dawk b'qalbhom maqsuma,

jghin lil dawk b'ruhhom mifnija.

Jifdi l-Mulej il-hajja tal-qaddejja tieghu;

kull min jistkenn fih ma jkollux xi jpatti.        R/

Reading 2   -      2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, 16-18

Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. This is the Word of the Lord

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -  Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lil Timotju 4, 6-8, 16-18

Ghaziz, demmi ?a mxerred b'sagrificcju, u zmien it-tluq tieghi wasal. Tqabadt it-taqbida t-tajba, temmejt il-girja,  h?arist il-fidi.    Mill-bqija hemm merfugha  ghalija l-kuruna tal-gustizzja, li biha f'dak  il-Jum ihllasni l-Mulej, l-Imhallef gust, u mhux lili biss, imma wkoll lil dawk kollha  li jkunu ghexu fl-imhabba tad-Dehra tieghu. Fl-ewwel difiza tieghi hadd ma kien mieghi;  kulhadd hallieni. Jalla ma jkunx maghdud kontrihom!    Imma l-Mulej waqaf mieghi u tani  l-qawwa biex bis-sahha tieghi l-kelma  tixxandar  sal-ahhar u l-gnus kollha jisimghuha.   Hekk jien sfajt mehlus minn halq l-iljun. Il-Mulej jehlisni minn kull deni u jharisni,  sa ma nasal   fis-saltna tieghu fis-sema. Glorja lilu ghal dejjem ta' dejjem Ammen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel         -   LUKE 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own Righteousness and despised everyone else.  "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,  'O God, I thank you that I am  not like the rest of humanity --greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income. ’But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evangelju  -  Qari skont San Luqa 18, 9-14

F'dak iz-zmien, kien hemm uhud li kienu  jafdaw fihom infushom li huma gusti u  kienu jmaqdru lill-ohrajn.  Gesu' qalilhom din il-parabbola: "Zewgt irgiel, wiehed farizew u l-iehor pubblikan,  telghu fit-tempju biex jitolbu.   Il-farizew, wieqaf, talab hekk f'qalbu:  "O Alla, nizzik hajr li m'iniex bhall-bqija tal-bnedmin, halliela, ingusti, zienja, jew ukoll bhal dan il-pubblikan.  Jiena nsum darbtejn  fil-gimgha u nhallas l-ghexur ta' kulma ndahhal." Izda l-pubblikan, bilwieqfa fil-boghod anqas biss ried jerfa' ghajnejh lejn is-sema, imma beda jhabbat fuq  sidru u jghid:  "O Alla henn ghalija, ghax jien midneb!" Nghidilkom jien li dan, u  mhux l-iehor, nizel id-dar iggustifikat.  Ghax kull min jitkabbar, jiccekken,u min jiccekken, jitkabbar. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary:

In the End, Judgment Belongs to God

by Fr Thomas Rosica CSB

Last Sunday's Gospel focused on the necessity of prayer (Luke 18:1-8). The second of two parables in Chapter 18:9-15 condemns the self-righteous, critical attitude of the Pharisee and teaches that the fundamental attitude of the Christian disciple must be the recognition of sinfulness and complete dependence on God's graciousness.

This Sunday's Gospel parable recalls Luke's story of the pardoning of the sinful woman (7:36-50) where a similar contrast is presented between the critical attitude of the Pharisee Simon and the love shown by the pardoned sinner.

One of Luke's favourite themes, the reversal brought about by the coming of Jesus, is beautifully illustrated in this Gospel. The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector is directed to a particular kind of people: those who were law-abiding in their own eyes but who looked down on everyone else. The Pharisee, a member of the group of the so-called righteous, prayed "with himself," and the whole prayer he gives is focused on himself and his good works. He is a legend unto himself, shining in his own eyes, especially as he compares himself to the tax collector, the one who belonged to the despised group in society.

The great distance

The tax collector knew that he wasn't any good. He couldn't reverse the cheating he had done. Acts of penance, like trying to pay back the people he had cheated, wouldn't really help. He couldn't expect people to excuse or forgive him. The only thing he knew was that it was only possible to admit his guilt when he came and brought it before God. That God would forgive him, he didn't dare to hope. And it was only in this way that he was able to experience Jesus' word to him, "You are good because I have accepted you."

In the parable we are told that the tax collector stood at a great distance. This great distance separating the two people is not only a matter of geographical or physical distance, but rather of the great distance in their status in society and in their attitudes. When the tax collector prays, he cries out to God, begging him for mercy. In the end, judgment belongs to God.

The provocative story warns us of our own behaviour in prayer, word and deed. This parable was a shock to its first hearers. If anyone in Judaism would not go home from the temple justified, it would be a tax collector. One who worked for a foreign government collecting taxes from his own people, a participant in a harsh and corrupt system, politically a traitor, religiously unclean, a publican, was a reprehensible character. While his prayer was in the spirit of the Miserere (Psalm 51), his life was offensive.

Doing justice to the parable

The Pharisee is not a venomous villain and the publican is not the generous, common man or woman. To reduce these characters to caricatures does not do justice to the parable. If the Pharisee is pictured as a villain and the tax collector a hero, then each gets what he deserves, there is no surprise of grace and the parable is stripped of its real meaning. The meaning of the story is not that all Pharisees are by their nature false, dishonest, proud and arrogant, and that all tax collectors are really poor, humble, truthful people deep down inside. Luke tells us that to set oneself apart from "the rest" is to go home unjustified, unapproved and ungraced by God.

In Jesus' parable, what each person receives is "in spite of," not "because of." When the two men are viewed in terms of character and community expectations, without labels or prejudice, the parable still shocks us, and still carries the power both to offend and bless. We cannot preach about this parable and depict the characters in such a way that people go out the doors of our Churches this day saying to themselves, and perhaps to others, "Thank God I am not like the Pharisee." It is possible that the reversal could be reversed!

The prayer of the lowly is heard

The words of this Sunday's first reading from Sirach (35:12-14, 16-18) are most fitting to understand the spirit required of us in the Gospel parable: "The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay."

Paul's life poured out like a libation

In the reading from Second Letter of Timothy (4:6-8, 16-18) offers us an important insight into St. Paul's ministry. Paul, in prison in Rome, saw death approaching and sketched an evaluation full of recognition and hope. He was at peace with God and with himself and faced death serenely, in the knowledge that he had spent his whole life, sparing no effort, at the service of the Gospel. Paul knew that his death through martyrdom was imminent. He regards it as an act of worship in which his blood will be poured out in sacrifice (cf. Exodus 29:38-40; Philippians 2:17). At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion, "I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name" (Acts 9:16).

Having recently spent some weeks in Rome preparing for and taking part in the canonization ceremonies of new saints for the Church, the memory of Peter and Paul hovers mightily over this city. Peter and Paul, each with his own personal and ecclesial experience, testify that the Lord never abandoned them, even amid the harshest trials. The Lord was with Peter to deliver him from the hands of his opponents in Jerusalem; he was with Paul in his constant apostolic endeavours to communicate to him the strength of his grace, to make him a fearless proclaimer of the Gospel for the benefit of the nations (2 Timothy 4:17).

Paul modelled his life on Jesus Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus had already anticipated the event of Calvary. He accepts the death on the cross and with his acceptance transforms the act of violence into an act of giving, of self-giving poured forth, "Even if I am to be poured out as a libation on the sacrificial offering of your faith," Paul says on the basis of this and in regard to his own imminent martyrdom in Philippians 2:17. At the Last Supper the cross is already present, accepted and transformed by Jesus.

May the Lord make us better servants who do what we ought, never focusing on being better than or above others, but recognizing our obligation to be greater servants to others, precisely because we have been given so much, forgiven so much, and blessed so much. May God grant us generous hearts as we serve Him and love him in others! To him be glory forever and ever.

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