A holy and immaculate birth

September 8 2019

It-Twelid tal-Imqaddsa Verġni Marija

Solennità

Reading 1     Micah 5: 1-4a 

You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore, he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

QARI I      mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Mikea 5: 1-4a

Dan jgħid il-Mulej: Int, Betlehem Efrata, ċkejkna biex tkun fost il-familji ta’ Ġuda, minnek għad joħroġli dak li jkun ħakem f’Israel; hu għandu l-bidu tiegħu mill-qedem, sa minn dejjem. Għalhekk il-Mulej jitlaqhom sa ma teħles dik li hi fl-uġigħ tal-ħlas; imbagħad il-bqija ta’ ħutu jerġgħu lura fost ulied Israel, u hu joqgħod jirgħa l-merħla tiegħu bil-qawwa tal-Mulej, fis-sebħ ta’ isem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM    Psalm 13:6ab, 6c

Though I trusted in your mercy,

let my heart rejoice in your salvation. R/.

With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."

R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

SALM RESPONSORJALI   Salm 12

Jien fit-tjieba tiegħek, Mulej, ittamajt;

tifraħ qalbi fis-salvazzjoni tiegħek. R/.

Ngħanni lill-Mulej, għax għamilli l-ġid:

ngħanni lill-isem tal-Mulej, il-Għoli.

R/. Nifraħ b’ferħ kbir fil-Mulej!

Reading 2         Romans 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

QARI II          mill-Ittra  li-Rumani Rum 8: 28-30

Ħuti: Aħna nafu li Alla,  ma’ dawk li jħobbuh,  ma’ dawk li huma msejjħin skond il-provvidenza tiegħu,f’kollox jaħdem id f’id għall-ġid tagħhom. Għax lil dawk li hu għarafhom mill-bidu,  ippredestinahom ukoll  biex jieħdu s-sura fuq ix-xbieha ta’ Ibnu, ħalli dan ikun il-kbir fost ħafna aħwa; lil dawk li ppredestinahom,  sejħilhom ukoll; lil dawk li sejħilhom, iġġustifikahom ukoll; lil dawk imbagħad li ġġustifikahom, igglorifikahom ukoll. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

GOSPEL   Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."

EVANĠELJU           Qari skont San Mattew 1: 1-16. 18-23

Ktieb in-nisel ta’ Ġesù Kristu, Bin David, bin Abraham. Abraham nissel ’l Iżakk, Iżakk nissel ’il Ġakobb, Ġakobb nissel ’il Ġuda u ’l ħutu, Ġuda nissel ’l Aram, Aram nissel ’il Għaminadab, Għaminadab nissel ’il Naħson, Naħson nissel ’il Salmon, Salmon nissel ’il Bogħoż, minn Raħab, Bogħoż nissel ’il Għobed, minn Rut, Għobed nissel ’il Ġesse.  Ġesse nissel lis-sultan David, David nissel ’il Salamun, mill-mara ta’ Urija, Salamun nissel ’il Robogħam, Robogħam nissel ’l Abija, Abija nissel ’l Asa, Asa nissel ’il Ġosafat, Ġosafat nissel ’il Ġoram, Ġoram nissel ’il Għużżija, Għużżija nissel ’il Ġoatam, Ġoatam nissel ’l Aħaż, Aħaż nissel ’il Ħeżekija, Ħeżekija nissel ’il Manasse, Manasse nissel ’l Amon, Amon nissel ’il Ġosija, Ġosija nissel ’il Ġekonija u ’l ħutu; kien żmien l-eżilju f’Babel. Wara l-eżilju f’Babel, Ġekonija nissel ’il Salatjel, Salatjel nissel ’il Żorobabel, Żorobabel nissel ’l Abihud, Abihud nissel ’l Eljakim, Eljakim nissel ’l Ażor, Ażor nissel ’il Sadok, Sadok nissel ’l Akim, Akim nissel ’l Elihud, Elihud nissel ’l Elgħażar, Elgħażar nissel ’il Mattan, Mattan nissel ’il Ġakobb, Ġakobb nissel ’il Ġużeppi, ir-raġel ta’ Marija, li minnha twieled Ġesù, li jsejħulu Kristu. It-tnissil ta’ Ġesù Kristu sar hekk: Ommu Marija, wara li tgħarrset ma’ Ġużeppi, qabel ma marru joqogħdu flimkien, ħarġet tqila bil-ħidma tal-Ispirtu s-Santu. Żewġha Ġużeppi, li kien raġel ġust u li ma riedx ixandarha quddiem kulħadd, għamel f’rasu li jibgħatha bil-moħbi tan-nies. Wara li qatagħha li jagħmel hekk, deherlu anġlu tal-Mulej fil-ħolm u qallu: “Ġużeppi, bin David, la tibżax tilqa’ għandek lil Marija b’martek, għax dak li tnissel fiha ġie bil-ħidma tal-Ispirtu s-Santu. Hi jkollha iben, u inti ssemmih Ġesù, għax hu jsalva l-poplu tiegħu minn dnubiethom”. Dan kollu ġara biex iseħħ li kien qal il-Mulej permezz tal-profeta, meta qal: ‘Ara, ix-xebba tnissel u jkollha iben, u jsemmuh Għimmanu-El’, li bi lsienna jfisser ‘Alla magħna’.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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 If anyone follows me ...

A reflection on the Sunday Gospel by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, Pontifical Household Preacher

The Gospel reading for this Sunday (though not the one specially for Malta where the solemnity of the birth of Mary is celebrated) is one of those that we would be tempted to smooth out and sweeten because it seems too hard for men of today: "If anyone follows me without hating his father, his mother."

Let us immediately make one thing clear: It is true that the Gospel is sometimes provocative, but it is never contradictory. A little further on in the same Gospel of Luke Jesus firmly re-emphasizes the duty of honouring father and mother (Luke 18:20), and in regard to husband and wife he says that they must be one flesh and that man does not have a right to separate that which God has joined together. How, then, can he tell us to hate father and mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters?

We need to keep in mind a certain fact. The Hebrew language does not have comparatives -- it is not possible in Hebrew, for example, to speak of loving something "more" or "less" than another thing. It is only possible to speak of loving or hating. The phrase, "If anyone follows me and does not hate father and mother" should be understood in this way: "If anyone follows me, without preferring me to father and mother." To see that this is so we only need to look at the same matter in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus says: "Whoever loved father and mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37).

It would be a big mistake to think that this love for Christ enters into competition with the different human loves: for parents, husband and wife, children, brothers and sisters. Christ is no one's rival in love and he is not jealous of anyone.

In Paul Claudel's play "The Satin Slipper," the female protagonist, a fervent Christian, who is deeply in love with Rodrigo, exclaims to herself, almost finding it hard to believe: "Is it permitted, then, this love between creatures? Truly, God is not jealous?" And her guardian angel answers: "How could he be jealous of what he himself has made?" (Act 3, Scene 8).

Love for Christ does not exclude the other loves, but rather orders them. Indeed, it is in him that every genuine love finds its foundation and support and the necessary grace to be fully lived out. This is the meaning of the "grace of state" that the sacrament of marriage confers to Christian husbands and wives. It assures that in their love they will be sustained and guided by the love that Christ had for his Church.

Jesus does not disappoint nor deceive anyone; he asks everything because he wants to give everything; indeed, he has given everything. Someone might ask themselves: "But what right does this man have, who lived 20 centuries ago in an obscure corner of the world, to ask this absolute love of everyone? We do not need to look too far to find the answer, which is in his earthly life about which history tells us: It is because he first gave everything for man. "He loved us and gave himself up for us" (cf. Ephesians 5:2).

In the same Gospel Jesus reminds us what the benchmark and sign is of true love for him: "taking up your own cross." Taking up our own cross does not mean seeking out suffering.

Jesus did not seek out his cross; he took on himself in obedience to the Father what men put on his shoulders and with his obedient love transformed it from an instrument of torture into a sign of redemption and glory.

Jesus did not come to make human crosses heavier, but rather to give them meaning. It has been rightly said that "whoever looks for Jesus without the cross will find the cross without Jesus," that is, he will certainly find the cross but not the strength to carry it.

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BE HUMBLE, BE MODEST

« Sunday, September 2 »

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 126

It-Tnejn u Ghoxrin Hadd taz-Zmien ta’ Matul is-Sena

Reading 1   Sirak 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.  What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.  The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.  Water quenches a flaming fire,

 and alms atone for sins.

QARI I      mill-Ktieb ta’ Bin Sirak 3, 17-20.28-29

Ibni, kun gwejjed fix-xoghol li taghmel, u tkun mahbub iktar minn wiehed milqugh min-nies. Akbar m’int, iktar ghandek iccekken ruhek, u ssib grazzja quddiem il-Mulej. Hafna huma l-imkabbrin u l-imsebbhin, imma l-Mulej jikxef lill-umli l-misteri tieghu. Ghax kbira hi s-setgha tal-Mulej, imma hu msebbah min-nies umli. Mhemmx duwa ghall-bniedem kollu kburija, ghax din haxixa hazina b’gheruqha mxenxla fih. Min ghandu l-gherf jifhem il-proverbji u l-gharef herqan li jkollu min jisimghu.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej  

Responsorial Psalm    Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

The just rejoice and exult before God;

they are glad and rejoice.

Sing to God, chant praise to his name;

whose name is the LORD.

R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows

is God in his holy dwelling.

God gives a home to the forsaken;

he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;

you restored the land when it languished;

your flock settled in it;

in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.

R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

SALM RESPONSORJALI         Salm 67 (68), 4-5ac. 6-7ab. 10-11    

R/. (ara 11b) O Alla, int hejjejt dar ghall-fqajjar

Il-gusti jithennew quddiem Alla,

jifirhu u jaqbzu bil-ferh.

Ghannu lil Alla, fahhru ismu.

Tghaxxqu fil-Mulej, aqbzu bil-ferh quddiemu. R/.

Missier l-iltiema u difensur tar-romol,

hekk hu Alla fl-ghamara mqaddsa tieghu.

Alla jaghti d-dar lil dawk li huma wehidhom,

u lill-habsin bir-rizq johroghom. R/.

Xita bil-kotra inti bghatt, o Alla, fuq l-art, wirt tieghek,

u meta kienet bil-ghatx inti hjejtha.

Il-poplu tieghek ghammar fiha,

fi tjubitek, o Alla, ghall-fqajjar hejjejtha. R/.

Reading 2    Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a

Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

QARI II      mill-Ittra lil-Lhud 12, 18-19. 22-24a

Huti, intom ma rsaqtux lejn in-nar materjali u jheggeg tas-Sinaj; lejn dak is-swied u d-dlam u r-riefnu; lejn dak id-daqq ta’ tromba u hoss ta’ kliem li dawk li kienu jisimghuh talbu bil-herqa biex ma jkellimhomx aktar. Imma intom ersaqtu lejn il-muntanja ta’ Sijon u lejn il-belt ta’ Alla l-haj, li hi Gerusalemm tas-sema; ersaqtu lejn eluf ta’ angli f’gemgha ferrieha; lejn il-gemgha tal-ulied ewlenin li isimhom hu miktub fis-sema; lejn Alla l-imhallef ta’ kulhadd; lejn l-erwieh ta’ nies tajba u perfetti; lejn Gesù l-medjatur ta’ patt gdid. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      Luke 14:1, 7-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honour at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honour. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbours, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet,invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

EVANGELJU          Qari  skont San Luqa 14, 1.7-14

Darba, kien is-Sibt, Gesù dahal ghand wiehed mill-kapijiet tal-farizej biex jiekol ghandu, u huma qaghdu ghajnejhom fih. Billi ra b’ghajnejh kif il-mistednin bdew jaghzlu l-postijiet ta’ quddiem fil-mejda, qalilhom din il-parabbola: “Meta wiehed jistiednek ghal xi festa ta’ tieg, tmurx toqghod fil-post ta’ quddiem, li ma jkunx hemm xi mistieden aqwa minnek, u dak li jkun stieden lilek u lilu jigi fuqek jghidlek: “Aghti l-post lil dan”, u int imbaghad, b’reghxa ta’ misthija fuqek, ikollok tiehu l-post tal-ahhar. Ghall-kuntrarju, meta tkun mistieden, mur inxtehet fil-post tal-ahhar, biex meta jigi dak li stiednek jghidlek: “Habib, itla f’post aktar ‘il fuq”. U dan ikun ta’ gieh ghalik quddiem dawk kollha li jkunu fil-mejda mieghek. Ghax kull min jitkabbar, jiccekken; u min jiccekken, jitkabbar”. Imbaghad qal ukoll lil dak li kien stiednu: “Meta taghti ikla jew pranzu, tistedinx lil hbiebek jew lil hutek jew lil qrabatek, u anqas girien ghonja, ghax ghandhom mnejn imbaghad jistiednu lilek huma, u hekk iroddulek il-pjacir li tkun ghamiltilhom. Ghall-kuntrarju, meta taghmel ikla, stieden il-foqra, il-maghtubin, iz-zopop u l-ghomja, u hieni int, ghax dawn ma ghandhomx minn fejn iroddulek pjacir bi pjacir, imma jroddhulek Alla meta l-gusti jqumu ghall-hajja”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Father Cantalamessa on Modesty

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

* * *

Be Modest in What You Do!

The beginning of this Sunday’s Gospel helps us to correct a widely diffused prejudice: “One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.” Reading the Gospel from a certain angle we have ended up making the Pharisees the prototype for all vices: hypocrisy, duplicity, falsity; Jesus’ enemies par excellence. The terms “Pharisee” and “Pharisaical” have entered into the vocabulary of many languages with negative connotations.

Such an idea of the Pharisees is not correct. There were certainly many among them who corresponded to this negative image and it is with these that Jesus has serious problems. But not all of them were like this. Nicodemus, who comes to see Jesus one night and who later defended him before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. John 3:1; 7:50ff.). Saul was a Pharisee before his conversion and was certainly a sincere and zealous person then, if misguided. Gamaliel, who defended the apostles before the Sanhedrin, was a Pharisee (cf. Acts 5:34ff.).

Jesus’ relationships with the Pharisees were not only conflictual. They often shared the same convictions, such as faith in the resurrection of the dead and the love of God and neighbor as the first and most important commandment of the law. Some, as we see in Sunday’s Gospel, even invited Jesus to dinner at their house. Today there is agreement that the Pharisees did not want Jesus to be condemned as much as their rival sect, the Sadducees, who belonged to Jerusalem’s priestly caste.

For all these reasons, it would be a very good thing to stop using the terms “Pharisee” and “Pharisaical” in a disparaging way. This would also help dialogue with the Jews who recall with great respect the role played by the Pharisees in their history, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem.

During the dinner that Sabbath, Jesus taught two important things: one directed to those who were invited and the other to their host. To the host Jesus says (perhaps privately or only in the presence of his disciples): “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours …” This is what Jesus himself did when he invited the poor, the afflicted, the meek, the hungry, the persecuted — the persons named in the beatitudes — to the great banquet of the kingdom.

But this time I would like to focus on what Jesus says to the invitees. “When you are invited to a wedding feast, do not take a place of honour …” Jesus does not intend to give a lesson in good manners here. Neither does he wish to encourage the subtle calculation of those who take a lower place with the secret hope of gaining a more honourable place from the host. The parable could deceive us if we do not think about the banquet and the host that Jesus has in mind. The banquet is the most universal one of the kingdom and God is the host.

In life, Jesus wants to say, Choose the last place, try to work more for the benefit of others than for your own benefit. Be modest in evaluating your merits, allow others to do this instead (“No one is a good judge of his own case”), and already in this life God will lift you up. He will lift you up in his grace; he will make you rise in the ranks of Jesus’ friends and true disciples, which is the only thing that really matters.

He will also exalt you in the esteem of others. It is a surprising fact but a true one: It is not only God who “comes to the humble but holds the proud at a distance” (cf. Psalm 107:6); men do the same, whether or not they are believers. Modesty, when it is sincere and not affected, conquers, makes those who practice it loved, makes their company desirable, their opinion appreciated. True glory flees from those who seek it and seeks those who flee from it.

We live in a society that has an extreme need to hear this Gospel message of humility again. Running to take the first seats, perhaps without scruple using others as steppingstones, being opportunistic and viciously competitive — these are things that are universally condemned but, unfortunately, they are also universally practiced. The Gospel has an impact on society, even when it speaks of humility and modesty.

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