Fulfilling the Gospel dream

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Solennita' tat-Tlugħ il-Mulej fis-Sema

Messalin  B  305

Reading 1                             Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

L-Ewwel Qari   -    mill-Atti ta' l-Appostli 1, 1-11

Fl-ewwel  rakkont tiegħi, Teofilu, tkellimt fuq dak kollu li Ġesu' kien għamel u għallem minn mindu beda sal-jum li  fih kien meħud fis-sema, wara li, permezz tal-Ispirtu s-Santu, ta l-ordnijiet  tiegħu lill-appostli li hu kien għażel. Wara l-passjoni tiegħu dehrilhom u tahom ħafna provi li hu  ħaj;  erbgħin jum rawh kemm-il darba u kellimhom fuq il-ħwejjeġ  tas-Saltna ta' Alla.   Meta  kien għadu magħhom, ordnalhom biex  ma jitilqux minn Ġerusalemm, imma joqogħdu jistennew  sa ma sseħħ il-wegħda tal-Missier,"li fuqha – qalilhom  -  smajtu x'kont għedtilkom:  Ġwanni għammed bl-ilma. imma intom, fi ftit jiem oħra  titgħammdu bl-Ispirtu s-Santu." Kif  kienu flimkien, staqsewh:  "Mulej, hu dan iż-żmien li fih int se  terġa' twaqqaf  is-saltana ta' Israel?"    Hu weġibhom:  "Mhijiex  biċċa tagħkom li tkunu tafu l-waqt u ż-żmien li l-Missier għażel bis-setgħa tiegħu.  Imma meta jiġi fuqkom l-Ispirtu s-Santu, intom  tirċievu l-qawwa, u tkunu xiehda tiegħi f'Ġerusalemm, fil-Lhudija kollha u s-Samarija,u sa truf l-art". Wara li qal dan, huma u jħarsu lejh, kien meħud  'il fuq, u sħaba ħadithulhom minn quddiem għajnejhom.  Waqt li kienu b'għajnejhom  fis-sema jħarsu lejh sejjer, f'daqqa waħda  dehrulhom ħdejhom żewġt irġiel libssin l-abjad,  u qalulhom:   "Irġiel tal-Galilija, x'intom tħarsu lejn is-sema?  Dan Ġesu', li kien meħud minn magħkom lejn is-sema,  għad jerġa' jiġi kif rajtuħ sejjer." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                      PSALM 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9  

R. Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,

shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

is the great king over all the earth.                  R/

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;

the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

sing praise to our king, sing praise.                R/

For king of all the earth is God;

sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations,

God sits upon his holy throne.                        R/

 Salm Responsorjali                      Salm 46 (47 )

R/  Hallelujah.

Popli kollha, ċapċpu idejkom,

għajtu b'leħenta' ferħ lil Alla!

Għax il-Mulej, l-Għoli, hu tal-biża',

sultan kbir fuq l-art kollha.                 R/

Tela' Alla b'agħjat ta' ferħ,

il-Mulej bid-daqq tat-trombi.

Għannu lil Alla, għannu,

għannu lis-sultan tagħna, għannu!   R/

Għax Alla s-sultan tal-ark kollha;

Għannulu  bis-sengħa għanja sabiħa.

Isaltan Alla fuq il-ġnus kollha,

joqgħod Alla  fuq it-tron imqaddes tiegħu.  R/

Reading 2             -     EPHESIANS 4:1-13

Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.  Therefore, it says: He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men. What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.  And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

It-Tieni Qari  -    mill-ittra lill-Efesin 4, 1-13

Ħuti, inħeġġiġkom jien, il-priġunieri tal-Mulej, biex timxu sewwa skont is-sejħa li biha kontu msejħin;  billi bl-umilta' kollha, bil-ħlewwa u bis-sabar, taħmlu u tħobbu 'l xulxin.  Ħabirkuuu biex iżżommu spirtu wieħed bir-rabta tas-sliem; ġisem wieħed u ruħ waħda, l-istess kif kont msejħa għal tama waħda;  Mulej wieħed, fidi waħda, magħmudija waħda;  Alla wieħed u Missier ta' kulħadd, li hu fuq kulħadd, b'kulħadd u f'kulħadd. Lil kull wieħed minna Alla tana l-grazzja skont il-qjies tad-don ta' Kristu.   Hu għallhekk li tgħid l-Iskrittura: "Tela'":  xi jfisser daar  għajr li hu niżel ukoll  fl-inħawi l-aktar t'isfel tal-art?   Dak li niżel huwa dak li tela' fuq is-smewwiet kollha, biex jimla kollox. U huwa dak li ta lil xi wħud li jkunu appostli, li xi wħud  profeti,  lil xi wħud evanġelisti, li xi wħud rgħajja u mgħallmin:  Hekk jitrawmu  l-qaddisin għax-xogħol tal-ħidma tagħhom għall-bini tal- Ġisem ta' Kristu, sakemm aħna lkoll naslu biex insiru ħaġa waħda fil-fidi u fl-għarfien tal-Iben ta'  Alla; insuru raġel magħmul, fl-aħjar ta' żmienu. U hekk isseħh il-milja ta' Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel        -    MARK 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

L-Evanġelju   -   Qari skond San Mark 16, 15-20

F'dak iż-żmien,  Ġesu' wera ruħu lill-Ħdax u qalilhom: "Morru fid-dinja kollha, xandru l-Evanġelju lill-ħolqien  kollu.   Min jemmen u jitgħammed, isalva; iżda min ma  jemminx, ikun ikkundannat.  U dawn huma s-sinjali li  jsieħbu lil dawk li  jemmnu: f'Ismi jkeċċu x-xjaten,  jitkellmu b'ilsna ġodda, jaqbdu s-sriep b'idejhom, u  jekk jixorbu x-xorb li iġib il-mewt ma jagħmlilhomx ħsara;  iqegħdu idejhom fuq il-morda u dawn ifiqu." U hekk il-Mulej Ġesu', wara li kellimhom, kien  imtella' fis-sema u qagħad  in-naħa tal-lemin ta' Alla. Huma mbagħad marru jippridkaw kullimkien; il-Mulej kien jaħdem magħhom  u jwettaq  il-kelma bil-mirakli li kienu jsiru magħha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Fulfilling the Gospel Dream

A commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The angels' words to the "men of Galilee" in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (1:1-11) are painfully blunt and leave little room for misinterpretation: "Why do you stand here looking up at the skies? This Jesus who has been taken from you will return, just as you saw him go up to the heavens."

Jesus' disciples are given a last bit of instruction. "Don't keep trying to stare into the future. Don't be overly concerned about which hour he will come back." We must not stand idly staring up into the heavens and moaning about the past, about which we can do nothing, except to bury it deeply in God's hands and heart! The Lord will be glorified, and it follows that his disciples will also share in his glory.

As Jesus disappeared, he didn’t simply dissolve into thin air. On the day of his Ascension, one might conclude that Jesus removed himself into a new form of divine exclusion. The case is exactly the opposite. In God, Jesus is "here" in a new and very specific way. Only in his physical separation from the historical scene can his spiritual union with all the world for all time be complete. Jesus left the world one day in order to be available to all people throughout all time. He had to dissolve bonds he had made with his friends, in order to be available for everybody. In Jesus, the future has already begun!

The Ascension according to Mark’s account

There are similarities in the reports of Jesus' Ascension found in the Synoptic Gospels -- Mark, Matthew, and Luke. In each case, Jesus assigns his disciples the task of proclaiming the gospel message to the entire world.

In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the disciples are sent by Jesus to baptize and to preach. In Luke's Gospel, however, the commission to baptize is not found. Instead, Jesus directs the disciples to return to Jerusalem to await the fulfillment of his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. Only the Gospels of Mark and Luke actually report Jesus' ascension into heaven. Matthew's Gospel concludes with Jesus' promise to remain with his disciples forever.

The Ascension Gospel text for this year (Mark 16:15-20) is taken from the conclusion of the Gospel of Mark. Mark's concluding chapter contains several irregularities obvious to many readers. On Easter Sunday morning in this Year B, we heard proclaimed the story of the discovery of the empty tomb by the women, and the fright and fear that accompanied these first Resurrection witnesses. Verse 8 comes to an abrupt conclusion as they flee in fright and tell no one what had transpired. This may very well be the original ending of Mark's Gospel, but it is also possible that the more complete ending has been lost.

Some manuscripts of Mark's Gospel include what scholars have termed the "Shorter Ending." This ending indicates that the women told their story to Peter's companions. A significant number of scholars believe that this ending is not original to Mark. They think that this ending was added by copyists who sought to resolve the original abrupt ending at Verse 8.

Other early manuscripts include a "Longer Ending" that scholars also believe was written by someone other than the Evangelist. Nonetheless, quotations from this "Longer Ending" are found in the writings of the early Church Fathers, and it was accepted at the Council of Trent as part of the canonical Gospel of Mark. Our Gospel for this year’s celebration of the Feast of the Ascension is taken from this "Longer Ending."

Even if this ending to Mark's Gospel was written by someone other than the Evangelist, in the commission that Jesus gives to his disciples, there are elements that are quite typical of Mark's Gospel. The signs that will accompany belief in Jesus are as distinct as the action performed by Jesus during his ministry. Those who believe in Jesus will be empowered to do what Jesus himself has done.

During his ministry, Jesus sent his disciples to preach, to heal, and to drive out unclean spirits. Now they are sent again to do these things and more. From his place with God in heaven, Jesus helped his disciples, and he continues to help us as we try to live as his followers.

Only the Gospel of Mark notes that Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God. In noting this, Mark teaches that Jesus' ascension affirms the glory Jesus received from God after his death and resurrection.

The desire for heavenly realities …

Just as the Risen Lord entrusted himself into the hands of such pathetic, broken people who were with him, he does the same to us. Our own brokenness and sinfulness are so overpowering at times that we forget that this incredible commissioning is possible, even for poor, weak, folks like us! How often do we marvel at the fact that Christ could truly inhabit us and act through our bodies, minds and hearts, and yes, even through the Church!

We know that we move toward heaven to the extent that we approach Jesus. We are assured that he hasn't ever stopped being present with us throughout all time. The mysterious feast of the Ascension reminds us that Christ accepts our lack of confidence in ourselves. He accepts the shadowy and dark areas of our humanity. He accepts our capacity for deceit, betrayal, greed and power. And having accepted us, he calls us, gives us the eternal commission to be his people, and sends us to serve him and love him, in spite of ourselves and because of ourselves. John Henry Cardinal Newman said it well long ago:

"He calls us again and again, in order to justify us again and again -

and again and again, and more and more,

to sanctify and glorify us.

It were well if we understood this;

but we are slow to master the great truth,

that Christ is, as it were,

walking among us, and by his hand, or eye, or voice,

bidding us follow him."

Let's get going and carry a piece of heaven into the world. This is the meaning of the Resurrection and the Ascension of our Lord, not one of divine abandonment of the human cause, but divine empowerment of the Gospel dream! May Christ's dying and rising move us to make God's glory dwell on earth. May our hope for the future inspire us in a respect for the present moment. May the desire for the heavenly realities not make us neglect our work on earth.

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I CALL YOU FRIENDS

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Is-Sitt Ħadd tal-Għid

Messalin'B' pp 299

           

Reading 1                   ACTS 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, "Get up. I myself am also a human being." Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no  partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him." While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?" He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni         Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 10, 25-26, 34-35, 44-48)

Xħin daħal Pietru fid-dar ta' Kornelju, dan mar jilqgħu u ntefa' f'riġlejh jagħtih qima.   Imma  Pietru qajmu u qallu:  "Qum.   Jien bniedem ukoll." Pietru qabad jitkellem u qal:  "Issa tassew qiegħed nifhem li Alla ma jħares lejn wiċċ ħadd, imma   jilqa' lil kull min għandu l-biża' tiegħu u jagħmel is-sewwa, ikun minn liema poplu jkun." Meta Pietru kien għadu qiegħed jgħid dan, l-Ispirtu s-Santu niżel fuq dawk kollha li kienu jisimgħuh. Dawk li kienu marru ma' Pietru, Lhud li kienu emmnu, stagħġbu kif Alla sawwab id-don tal-Ispirtu s-Santu  fuq il-pagani wkoll.   Għax semgħuhom jitkellmu bl-ilsna u jfaħhru l-kobor ta' Alla. Imbagħd Pietru qal:  "Jista' xi ħadd jiċħad l-ilma tal-magħmudija lil dawn in-nies, li ħadu l-Ispirtu s-Santu bħalma ħadnieh aħna wkoll?"    U ordna li jitgħammdu fl-isem ta' Kristu.  Imbagħad huma talbuh jibqa' għal ftit jiem magħhom. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm           PSALM 98:1, 2-3, 3-4

R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

his holy arm.                                                                 R.

The LORD has made his salvation known:

in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.                                             R.

 All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

break into song; sing praise.                                           R.

Salm Responsorjali                Salm 97 (98)

R/    Hallelujah.

Għannu lill-Mulej għanja ġdida,,

għax għamel  ħwejjeġ tal-għaġeb.

Ġibitlu r-rebħa l-leminija tieghu,

u d-driegħ imqaddes tiegħu.                    R/

Għarraf il-Mulej is-salvazzjoni tiegħu,

f'għajnejn il-ġnus wera l-ġustizzja tieghu.

Ftakar fit-tjieba u l-fedelta' tiegħu

mal-popolu ta' Iżrael.                             R/

L-art kollha, minn tarf għall-ieħor,

rat is-salvazzjoni ta' Alla tagħna.

Għajtu bil-ferħ lill-Mulej fl-art kollha,

infexxu fil-hena, ifirħu u għannu!     R/.

Reading 2                   1 JOHN 4:7-10

Beloved, let us love one another,  because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world  so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni         Qari lill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Ġwann ,7-10                

Għeżież, ejjew inħobbu 'l xuxlin għax l-imħabba ġejja minn Alla, u kull min iħobb hu mwieled  minn Alla u jagħraf lil Alla.   dak li ma jħobbx ma għarafx lil Alla, għax Alla hu mħabba. B'dan dehret l-imħabba ta' Alla fina, għax Alla bagħat lil Ibnu l-waħdieni fid-dinja, biex ngħixu bih.  U hawn qiegħda  l-imħabba; mhux għax aħna  ħabbejna 'l Alla, imma għax ħabbna Hu u bagħat lil Ibnu biex ikun ta' tpattija għal dnubietna.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                      JOHN 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.  This I command you: love one another." This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju        Qari skont San Ġwann 15, 9-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Kif ħabbni Missieri, hekk ħabbejtkom jiena. Ibqgħu fl-imħabba tiegħi.  Jekk tħarsu  l-kmandamenti tiegħi, intom tibqgħu fi mħabbti, kif jiena ħarist il-kmandamenti ta' Missieri u qiegħed f'imħabbtu.   Għidtilkom dan biex  il-ferħ  tiegħi jkun fikom, u biex il-ferħ tagħkom ikun sħiħ. Dan hu l-kmandament tiegħi:  li tħobbu lil xulxin kif ħabbejtkom jien.   Ħadd ma għandu mħabba akbar minn din:  li wieħed jagħti ħajtu għal ħbiebu. Intom ħbiebi, jekk tagħmlu dak li jiena nikkmandakom. Ma nsejħilkomx aktar qaddejja, għax il-qaddej ma  jafx x'jagħmel sidu;  sejjaħtilkom ħbieb, għaliex kull ma smajt mingħand Missier jiena għarrafthulkom. Mhux intom  għażiltu lili,  imma jien għażilt lilkom, u ħtartkom biex tmorru tagħmlu l-frott u l-frott tagħkom jibqa', ħalli kulma titolbu lill-Missieri f'ismi,  huwa

jagħtihulkom.  Dan hu li qiegħed nikkmandakom: li tħobbu lil xulxin."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary by Fr Thomas Rosica csb

Goodness and Friendship Through the Ages

On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, I wish to offer some reflections on the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles [10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48], and then some thoughts on friendship flowing from John's Gospel [15:9-17] and Cardinal Newman's teaching.

Christianity demands that the believer not only grasp intellectually the main tenets of the faith, but also act on them in daily life. The extraordinary story of Cornelius' conversion in Sunday's first reading certainly illustrates this message. It is the longest individual narrative in the Acts of the Apostles. The theme of this narrative is divine compulsion: Peter is the least prepared to accept Cornelius into the Christian community, and he even refuses to admit him two times.

Peter had to be converted before he could convert Cornelius. Peter came to the realization that God's gifts were given to all those who listened to the Word of God. His question "Can anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" [10:47] echoes the Ethiopian's question and Philip's response in the earlier story: "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" [8:36].

Peter's actions with Cornelius had far-reaching implications. Struck at once with the exceptional sincerity, hospitality and deep goodness of Cornelius and his household, Peter spontaneously exclaimed: "God has made it clear to me that no one should call anyone unclean or impure. God shows no partiality."

That statement broke centuries of customs, and even of theology, that Israel alone was God' s chosen people, separated from all other nations as God' s very own [cf. Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Exodus 19:5-6]. Peter had no choice but to baptize the household of Cornelius and he was criticized for his 'ecumenical' approach, but responded to his critics: "Who am I that I could withstand God?" [11:17]. When his critics heard these words, they were silenced and began to glorify God [11:18].

Paul, too, found the same spontaneous manifestation of the faith among the gentiles, and so made the exciting declaration: "We now turn to the Gentiles!" The controversy over the law was to linger for a long time, so that Paul dedicated to this topic his most comprehensive theological work: the Letter to the Romans.

Matter of the heart

For many years, I have looked to the life and writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman [1801-1890] as a brilliant model of friendship. Newman truly speaks heart-to-heart -- "cor ad cor loquitur" -- a phrase that he chose as his personal motto. There was nothing superficial about Newman's way of relating to so many different people. He looked at them and loved them for who they were.

Since the beloved English Cardinal's beatification is said to be imminent, let us consider for a moment some of Newman's understanding of friendship. Cardinal Newman had a great appreciation for the nobility of human virtues as evidenced in the literature and history of ancient Rome and Greece. At the same time the saints that he most admired -- St. Paul, the ancient Church Fathers, his spiritual father St. Philip Neri, and St. Francis De Sales -- could all be described as humanly attractive.

Newman had an extraordinary capacity and gift for friendship, which often translated into leadership. No one could describe Cardinal Newman as extroverted or light-hearted. We need only to glance at the many volumes of his letters and diaries, or look at the index of names in his autobiographical works, to see that he shared deep friendships with hundreds of people throughout his life. This personal influence has been exerted very powerfully upon millions of people who have read his works and discovered what friendship really means.

Authenticity

I could not write about friendship without passing along a warning to countless women and men who search for it every day. The great popularity of online social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook merits careful attention, reflection and scrutiny. It has been said that if Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated nation worldwide!

We must carefully ask several questions: What is it doing for us?

These tools help to bring people together and improve social networks. For example, homebound, infirm, chronically ill and elderly people can connect with a community of others in the same situation and new bonds of solidarity are born.

But there are also related questions: What is it doing to us? What is it doing to our sense of social boundaries? To our sense of individuality? To our friendships?

Friendship in these virtual spaces is quite different from real time friendship. Friendship is a relationship that involves the sharing of mutual interests, reciprocity, trust, and the revelation of intimate details over time and within specific contexts. True friendship depends on mutual revelations, and can only flourish within the boundaries of privacy and modesty.

On social networking sites, however, there is a concept of public friendship which is not the friendship spoken of by Jesus in the Gospel, nor Benedict XVI in his wonderful writings, nor Cardinal Newman in his letters. The distance and abstraction of our online friendships and online relationships can lead to a kind of systemic desensitization as a culture if we are not wise, prudent and attentive to these new realities.

We expose everything, but are we feeling anything?  Such friendships, or rather acquaintances, are quite different from the "cor ad cor loquitur" so ardently desired and experienced by Jesus with his disciples, or by an impetuous Peter, a Roman official named Cornelius, and a British Cardinal named John Henry  who have modeled their lives on the Good Shepherd and faithful friend to every human being.

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AN INVITATION TO MAKE OUR HOME IN JESUS

Fifth Sunday of Easter

                                     Il-Ħames Ħadd ta’ l-Għid   2018                                     

Messalin B 294

  

Reading 1   -   Acts 9:26-31

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him,  not believing that he was a disciple.Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus. The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni     =   Qari mill-Ktieb ta' l-Atti ta' l-Appostli  9, 26-31

F'dak iż-żmien,  meta Sawl wasal Ġerusalemm beda jfittex li jissieħeb mad-dixxipli. Imma  lkoll kienu  jibżgħu minnu, għax ma kinux emmnux li tassew ikkonverta. Imbagħad Barnaba qabdu u ħadu miegħu  għand l-appostli. Hu qalilhom kif Sawl kien ra lill-Mulej fit-triq u semgħu jkellmu,  u kif f'Damasku kien tkellem  b'wiċċu minn quddiem fl-isem ta' Ġesu'.   Għalhekk  Sawl baqa' magħhom, dieħel u ħiereġ f'Ġerusalemm, u  kien jitkellem  bil-miftuħ f'isem il-Mulej.   Kien  jitħaddet mal-Lhud Griegi u jiddiskuti magħhom;  iżda huma kienu jfittxu li joqtluh.   Meta l-aħwa saru jafu b'dan, niżżluh lejn Ċesarija u bagħtuh Tarsu. Il-Knisja kienet fis-sliem fil-Lhudija u l-Galililja u s-Samarija kollha;  kienet dejjem tikber u timxi 'l quddiem fil-biża'  tal-Mulej u  tiżdied fl-għadd  bl-għajnuna tal-Ispirtu s-Santu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm    -    Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.

The lowly shall eat their fill;

they who seek the LORD shall praise him:

"May your hearts live forever!"                        

R./ Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth

shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of the nations

shall bow down before him.                                         

R./ Alleluia.

To him alone shall bow down

all who sleep in the earth;

before him shall bend

all who go down into the dust.                         

R./ Alleluia.

And to him my soul shall live;

my descendants shall serve him.

Let the coming generation be told of the LORD

that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born

the justice he has shown.                                             

R./ Alleluia.

Salm Responsorjali          Salm 21 (22)

Irrodd il-wegħdiet tiegħi

quddiem dawk li jibżgħu minnu.

Jieklu l-fqajrin u jixbgħu;

ifaħħru l-Mulej dawk li jfittxuh.

Ħa tgħix qalbhom għal dejjem!              

R/ Hallelujah

Jiftakru t-truf  kollha ta' l-art;

u jerġgħu lura  lejn il-Mulej;

u quddiemu jixteħtu r-razez kollha tal-ġnus.

Lilu  jqimu l-bnedmin, li jmutu;

quddiemu jmil lull min nieżel ġot-trab

Ugħalih tgħix ir-ruħi.                                         

R/  Hallelujah

Lilu jaqdi n-nisel tiegħi.

Ixandru  'l Sidi lin-nisel li  għad jiġi,.

ixandru l-ġustizzja tiegħu

lill-poplu li għad jitwieled:

" Dan  għamlu l-Mulej "                         

R/ Hallelujah

Reading 2      -    1 John 3:18-24

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his  commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari      mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Ġwann 3, 18-24

Uliedi, ma nħobbux bil-kliem u t-tpaċpiċ, imma bl-għemil u bis-sewwa. Minn dan naslu li nagħrfu  li aħna fil-verita', u quddiem Alla  nserrħu l-kuxjenza tagħna,jekk  il-kuxjenza ċċanfarna,  għax Alla hu aqwa mill-kuxjenza tagħna, u hu jaf kollox.  Għeżież,  jekk il-kuxjenza tagħna ma ċċanfarniex aħna qalbna qawwija quddiem Alla,u kull ma nitolbu  naqilgħuh mingħandu,għax qegħdin inżommu l-kmandamenti tiegħu,u nagħmlu dak li jogħġob lilu. Dan hu l-kmandment tiegħu: li nemmnu fl-isem ta'  Ibnu Ġesu' Kristu, u  nħobbu 'l xulxin, kif  wissiena hu.   Min iżomm  il-kmandamenti tiegħu jgħammar f'Alla u Alla fih.   B'hekk nagħrfu li hu jgħammar fina: bl-Ispirtu li hu tana. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      -      John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask forwhatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju             Qari skond San Ġwann 15, 1-8

F'dak iż-żmien,  Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Jiena d-dielja vera u Missieri l-bidwi.  Kull fergħa fija li  ma tagħmilx frott jaqtagħha; u kull waħda li tagħmel il-frott jiżborha u jnaddafha, biex tagħmel frott aktar.    Intom ġa ndaf minħabba  fil-kelma li għidtilkom. Ibqgħu fija, u  jien nibqa' fikom.   Kif il-fergħa ma tistax tagħmel frott  minnha  nfissha jekk ma tibqax  fid-dielja, hekk anqas  intom jekk ma tibqgħux fija.  Jiena d-dielja, intom il-friegħi.   Min jibqa' fija u  jiena fih, dan jagħmel ħafna frott;  għax mingħajri  ma tistgħu tagħmlu xejn.    Jekk wieħed ma jibqax fija, jintremma  barra  bħal fergħa u jinxef; imbagħad, friegħi bħal dawn  jiġbruhom u

jixħtuhom fin-nar u jinħarqu.Jekk tibqgħu fija u kliemi jibqa' fikom, itolbu kull ma tridu,  u jingħatalkom.   Din hi l-glorja ta'  Missieri, li intom tagħmlu ħafna frott u  tkunu dixxipli tiegħi." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Making Our Home in Jesus

 Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

In John's Gospel (15:1-8) for the 5th Sunday of Easter, we have the image of the vine and its branches to express the relationship between Christ and his disciples. We should not be surprised that at one level it seems utterly simple, but that at other levels it fills us with a sense of mystery, awe, and beauty, always leaving us wanting more.

The branches of a vine have an intimate relationship with the vine, depending on it at all times and forming one living organism with it. The vine, which can be a bit foreign in northern climates, is natural for anyone in the Middle East, where many families possess a vine, a fig tree, or olive trees in their gardens.

Jesus tells his followers that he is the true vine, the real vine, and that they are the branches, whose task is to bear fruit by sharing his life: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Abide in me, and I in you. If you abide in me, and my words in you, ask whatever you want. Apart from me, you can do nothing."

While the images of Christ as king and lord, teacher, shepherd and judge, have their own importance in forming our perspective on how Christ relates to us, these images need to be balanced by such images as the vine, which integrate the disciple into the life of Christ and Christ into the life of the disciple in an intimate unity and closeness that the other images might not always convey.

Sunday's passage is one of the classic descriptions of authentic Christian spirituality. The image of the vine, while inviting us to a depth of spirituality, sets that personal quest within the larger context of the family of God, stretching through time from Abraham to the present day and beyond, and through space from the Middle East in the first century to the four corners of the earth today.

If Jesus is the vine, we are summoned to ‘abide,' to ‘live,' to make our home ‘in him.' The Gospel text of the vine challenges us: How do we maintain intimacy with the living God as we strive to be obedient to our vocation of bearing fruit for the world? What does it mean, to ‘abide' or ‘dwell' in the vine, to be intimately attached to Jesus?

Abiding in Jesus includes being part of the life of the Church, committed to the daily and weekly fellowship of his people, in mutual support, prayer, common worship, sacramental life, study and not least, work for the Gospel in the world. In every Eucharistic celebration we are drawn into that intimate fellowship both with Jesus himself and with each other at his table.

Authentic Christian spirituality is the personal knowledge of Jesus Christ given to us, as the vine gives its sap to the branches, so that we can be extensions of his work, his love, his fruitbearing, his glorifying of the Father. That is the heart of the Eucharistic mystery. And yet, as soon as Jesus introduced the theme of the vine and the branches in the Gospel passage, he speaks of his Father, the vinedresser, doing two things that require a knife. Every branch that doesn't bear fruit, the Father removes, cuts away; and every branch that does bear fruit the Father prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.

The spirituality to which this Gospel passage invites us is not one of unbridled personal development, fulfilling all the potential we might discover within ourselves. As we follow Jesus and come to know him personally, we find him calling us to submit to the pruning-knife, to cut out some things from our lives that are good in themselves and that would even have had the potential to develop into fruitbearing branches, in order that other things may flourish. Pruning is always a painful process. It is a form of loss or death. The vinedresser is never more intimately involved than when wielding the pruning-knife!

The call to abide in the vine is a call to a personal and intimate knowledge of Jesus himself, not an idea, but a living person. True disciples of Jesus are dependent on the inner presence and activity of Christ for the renewal and regeneration of their own life into one of faith and love. True disciples can only be effective in the regeneration of the lives of others when they are "plugged into Jesus," grafted onto his life, allowing his very presence to pulsate through their minds and hearts.

The images of vine and vineyard are brought together beautifully in that well-known passage from "Lumen Gentium," No. 6, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church:

"The Church is a piece of land to be cultivated, the tillage of God. On that land the ancient olive tree grows whose holy roots were the Prophets and in which the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles has been brought about and will be brought about. That land, like a choice vineyard, has been planted by the heavenly Husbandman. The true vine is Christ who gives life and the power to bear abundant fruit to the branches, that is, to us, who through the Church remain in Christ without whom we can do nothing."

To illustrate this dependency, this grafting on the Lord, let me share with you some profound words of a great woman of the Church, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, martyr, co-patroness of Europe, and one who knew what it meant to be intimately connected to the Lord. They are taken from Chapter 6 of her "Essays on Woman" (ICS Publications).

"The notion of the Church as community of the faithful is the most accessible to human reason. Whoever believes in Christ and his gospel, hopes for the fulfillment of his promises, clings to him in love, and keeps his commandments must unite with all who are like-minded in the deepest communion of mind and heart. Those who adhered to the Lord during his stay on earth were the early seeds of the great Christian community; they spread that community and that faith which held them together, until they have been inherited by us today through the process of time.

"But, if even a natural human community is more than a loose union of single individuals, if even here we can verify a movement developing into a kind of organic unit, it must be still more true of the supernatural community of the Church. The union of the soul with Christ differs from the union among people in the world: It is a rooting and growing in him (so we are told by the parable of the vine and the branches) which begins in baptism, and which is constantly strengthened and formed through the sacraments in diverse ways. However this real union with Christ implies the growth of a genuine community among all Christians. Thus the Church forms the Mystical Body of Christ. The Body is a living Body, and the spirit which gives the Body life is Christ's spirit, streaming from the head to all parts (Ephesians 5:23,30). The spirit which Christ radiates is the Holy Spirit; the Church is thus the temple of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22)."

This week, let us pray that our belonging to Christ be profound and real, going beyond all of the turbulence that exists on life's surface. May Christ's very life flow through us, building up the Body of Christ that is the Church.

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