Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Ħadd il-Palm u l-Passjoni tal-Mulej

(Missalin C pp180)

At the procession with Palms –

Gospel                       Luke 19:28-40

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, “Go into the village opposite you,  and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered  on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of it.’” So those who had been sent went off  and found everything just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,  “Why are you untying this colt?” They answered, “The Master has need of it.” So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt,  and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,  the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” This is the Word of The Lord.

Waqt il-purcissjoni…..: 

Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Luqa 19, 28-40

F'dak iż-0żmien, Ġesu' qabad it-triq u beda tiela' lejn Ġerusalemm, miexi quddiem l-oħrajn.   U meta wasal qrib Betfaġe u Betanja, ħdejn l-għolja li jgħidula taż-Żebbuġ, bagħat tnejn mid-dixxipli tiegħu u qalilhom:  "Morru fir-raħal ta' biswitna; kif taslu, issibu felu marbut li ħadd qatt għadu ma rikeb fuqu.  Ħolluh u ġibuh. Jekk xi ħadd jistaqsikom:  "Għalfejn qegħdin tħolluh?", għidulu hekk:   "Il-Mulej għandu bżonnu." Dawk li kienu mibgħuta marru u sabu kollux kif kien qalilhom. Huma u jħollu l-felu, is-sidien tiegħu qalulhom:  "Għalfejn qegħdin tħolluh il-felu?"    U huma wieġbu:  "Għax il-Mulej jeħtieġu." Imbagħad ġiebu l-felu lil Ġesu', qiegħdu l-imnatar tagħħom fuq  il-feju, u rikkbu lil Ġesu' fuqu.   Huwa u għaddej, firxu l-imnatar tagħhom fit-triq.   Xħin imbagħad kien  qorob lejn in-niżla tal- għolja taż-Żebbuġ, il-kotra kollha tad-dixxipli bdiet tfaħħar lil Alla b'għajjat ta' ferħ u b'leħen għoli għall-għeġubijiet kollha li  kienu raw, u bdew jgħidu: "Imbierek is-Sultan li ġej f'isem il-Mulej! Sliem fis-sema, u glorja fl-ogħla tas-smewwiet!" Xi wħud mill-fariżej li kienu qalb il-folla qalulu:  "Mgħallem ċanfarhom  lid-dixxipli tiegħek!"   Iżda hu weġibhom u qal: "Ngħidilkom li, jekk jisktu huma, jgħajjat il-ġebel." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

AT THE MASS –

Reading 1                 Isaiah 50:4-7

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.  This is the Word of The Lord.

Il-Quddiesa tal-Jum

L-Ewwel Qari   -   Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Prefeta Isaija  (Is 50, 4 – 7)

Sidi l-Mulej tani lsien ta’ wieħed jitgħallem, biex nagħraf ngħin lill-għajjien b’xi kelma. Ta’ kull filgħodu jqajjimli lil widinti,  biex nisma’ bħal wieħed jitgħallem. Sidi l-Mulej fetaħli widinti, u jien ma webbistx rasi, ma rgajtx lura. Tajt dahri lil  dawk li kienu jsawtuni, ħaddejja lil dawk li kienu jnittfuli lħiti; ma ħbejtx wiċċi mit-tagħjir u l-bzieq. Sidi l-Mulej jgħinni, għalhekk ma nitħawwadx; għalhekk għamilt wiċċi bħaż-żnied: jien naf li ma jkollix mniex nistħi. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                      PSALM 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

R/ (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”                                      R/

Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.                                                             R/

They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.                                                     R/

I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”                          R/

 Salm Responsorjali      Salm 21 (22)

R/     Alla tiegħi, Alla tiegħi, għaliex tlaqtni?

Dawk kollha li jarawni jidħku bija,

jgħajbuni, iħarrku rashom u jgħidu:

‘F’idejn il-Mulej intelaq; ħa jeħilsu hu!

Ħa jsalvah hu, la bih jitgħaxxaq!”                              R/

    

Qabda klieb daru għalija,

ġemgħa ta’ nies ħżiena rassewni.

Taqqbuli idejja u riġlejja;

nista’ ngħodd għadmi kollu.                                       R/  

Ħwejġi jaqsmu bejniethom,

jaqtgħu x-xorti għal-libsa  tiegħi.

Mulej, la titbegħidx minni;

qawwa tiegħi, fittex għinni!                                        R/

Inxandar ismek lil ħuti,

infaħħrek f’nofs il-ġemgħa.

Faħħru  l-Mulej, intom li tibżgħu minnu;

sebbħuh ilkoll, nisel Ġakobb!

ibżgħu minnu ilkoll, ulied Iżrael.                              R/

Reading 2                             Philippians 2:6-11

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari    Qari mill-Ittra lill-Filippin  2, 6 -11   

Ġesu’ Kristu li għad li kellu n-natura ta’ Alla, ma qagħadx ifittex tiegħu li hu daqs Alla, iżda xejjen  lilu nnifsu billi ħa n-natura ta’ lsir, sar jixbah lill-bnedmin, u deher minn barra bħala bniedem; cekken lilu nnifsu, billi obda sal-mewt,  anzi sal-mewt tas-salib. Għalhekk Alla għollieh sas-smewwiet, u żejnu bl-isem li hu fuq kull isem,  biex fl-isem ta’ Ġesu’ -- fis-sema, fl-art u f’qiegħ l-art –  il-ħlejjaq kollha jinżlu għarrkupptejhom, u kull ilsien jistqarr: “Ġesu’ Kristu hu l-Mulej għall-glorja ta’ Alla l-Missier.” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                       Luke 22:14—23:56

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them,  “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again  until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said,  “Take this and share it among yourselves;  for I tell you that from this time on  I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine  until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying,  “This is my body, which will be given for you;  do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,  “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. “And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table;  for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” And they began to debate among themselves  who among them would do such a deed. Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them  and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’;  but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest,  and the leader as the servant. For who is greater:  the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves.  It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you,  just as my Father has conferred one on me,  that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom;  and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail;  and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” He said to him, “Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you.” But he replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me.” He said to them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?” “No, nothing, “ they replied. He said to them, “But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack,  and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the wicked;and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.” Then they said, “Lord, look, there are two swords here.” But he replied, “It is enough!” Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them,  “Pray that you may not undergo the test.” After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing,  take this cup away from me;  still, not my will but yours be done.” And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently  that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples,  he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.” While he was still speaking, a crowd approached  and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him,  “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked,  “Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, “Stop, no more of this!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards  and elders who had come for him,  “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.” After arresting him they led him away  and took him into the house of the high priest;  Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light,  she looked intently at him and said, “This man too was with him.” But he denied it saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A short while later someone else saw him and said,  “You too are one of them”;  but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.” About an hour later, still another insisted,  “Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter;  and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying,  “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they reviled him in saying many other things against him. When day came the council of elders of the people met,  both chief priests and scribes,  and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us, “  but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,  and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated  at the right hand of the power of God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.” Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying,  “We found this man misleading our people;  he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar  and maintains that he is the Christ, a king.” Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in reply, “You say so.” Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds,  “I find this man not guilty.” But they were adamant and said,  “He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here.” On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;  and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus;  he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him  and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb,  he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,  even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people  and said to them, “You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my  nvestigation in your presence  and have not found this man guilty  of the charges you have brought against him,  nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” But all together they shouted out,  “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” — Now  Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion  that had taken place in the city and for murder. —Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian,  who was coming in from the country;  and after laying the cross on him,  they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus,  including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said,  “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;  weep instead for yourselves and for your children  for indeed, the days are coming when people will say,  Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green  what will happen when it is dry?” Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull,  they crucified him and the criminals there,  one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” Even the soldiers jeered at him.As they approached to offer him wine they called out,“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said,  Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you,  today you will be with me in Paradise.” It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice,  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;  and when he had said this he breathed his last.  (Here all kneel and pause for a short time. ) The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance,  including the women who had followed him from Galilee  and saw these events. Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council,  had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea  and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down,  he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind,  and when they had seen the tomb  and the way in which his body was laid in it,  they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.   This is the Word of The Lord. 

L-Evanġelju  -  Il-Passjoni ta’ Sidna Ġesu’ Kristu  skont San Luqa. 14-23, 56

Meta sar il-ħin, Ġesu’ qagħad fuq il-mejda flimkien  mal-Appostli, u qalilhom: “Kelli xewqa kbira li nagħmel din l-ikla tal-Għid magħkom qabel ma  nbati!  Għaliex, ngħidilkom, din l-ikla m'iniex se  nagħmilha iżjed sa ma tkun seħħet għalkollox fis-Saltna ta’ Alla.” U qabad il-kalċi, radd il-ħajr u qal:  "Ħudu dan il-kalċi, u aqsmuh bejnietkom.   Għaliex, ngħidilkom,  minn issa ‘l quddiem ma nixrobx iżjed mill-frott tad-dielja sa ma tiġi s-Saltna ta’ Alla.”  Imbagħad ħa l-ħobż, radd il-ħajr, qasmu, newwilhulhom, u qal: “Dan hu ġismi li jingħata għalikom: agħmlu dan b’tifkira tiegħi.” Hekk ukoll wara l-ikla ħa l-kalċi u qal:  “Dan il-kalċi huwa l-Patt il-Ġdid b’demmi,  id-demm li jixxerred  għalikom.  Imma,  araw, id dak li se jittradini qiegħed miegħi fuq  il-mejda.  Għax tassew li Bin il-bniedem imur, kif hemm maqtugħ,  imma ħażin għalih dak il-bniedem li jittradih!”  Huma għalhekk bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin  min minnhom kien se  jagħmel dan.  Inqalgħet ukoll kwistjoni bejniethom dwar min  minnhom  kellu jinżamm bħala l-akbar wieħed.  Imma hu qalilhom: “Fost il-pagani s-slaten jaħkmu fuq in-nies, u dawk li jħaddmu  -setgħa fuqhom isejħulhom benefatturi.  Intom mhux hekk, imma  l-akbar fostkom għandu  jġib ruħu tal-iżgħar wieħed, u min hu fuq  l-oħrajna iġib ruħu ta' qaddej.  Għax min hu l-akbar, dak li jkun fuq  il-mejda, jew dak li jkun qiegħed jaqdi?    Mhux dak li jkun fuq il-mejda?  Imma jien qiegħed fostkom nagħmila ta' qaddej.  Intom, imbaghad, intom dawk li żammejtu sħiħ miegħi fit-tiġrib kollo li ġie fuqi; u bħalma Missieri ħejja saltna għalija, hekk  ukoll jiena nħejji  għalikom,  biex tieklu u tixorbu fuq il-mejda miegħi f'saltnati, u toqogħdu u  fuq it-tronjiet biex tagħmlu ħaqq mit-tnax-il tribu ta’ Israel.  Xmun!  Xmun!   Ara,  ix-Xitan riedkom f’idejh biex igħaddikom mill-għarbiel  bħal qamħ; imma jiena tlabt għalik, biex il-fidi tiegħek ma tiġix nieqsa.   Inti  mbaghad, meta   terġa’lura għas-sewwa, wettaq lil  ħutek.”  Qallu Xmun: “Mulej, jiena lest li miegħek niġi saħansitra l-ħabs, lest li nieħu l-mewt ukoll.” Imma Gesu’ qallu: “Ngħidlek, Pietru, li llum qabel ma jidden is-serduk,  tkun  ċħadt għal tiet  darbiet li inti tafni!” Imbaghad qalilhom: “Naqsitkom xi ħaġa meta bgħattkom bla borża u bla ħorġa u bla qorq?” Huma weġbuh: “Ma naqasna xejn.”  Qalilhom Gesu’:“Imma  issa, min għandu borża jqis li jeħodha miegħu, u min għandu  ħorġa wkoll; u min ma għandux sejf, ibigħ il-libsa ta’ fuqu u jixtri wieħed.  Għaliex ngħidilkom, jeħtieġ li jseħħ  fija dak li hemm miktub, jiġifieri: "Li kien magħdud mal-ħżiena.’   Tabilhaqq, dak li hemm miktub fuqi jseħħ.” Qalulu d-dixxipli: “Mulej, ara, hawn żewġt isjuf hawnhekk.” Qalilhom Ġesu':  Biżżejjed!”  Imbagħad ħareġ u mar bħas-soltu fuq il-Għolja taż-Żebbuġ, u d-dixxipli  ukoll marru miegħu.  Kif wasal hemmhekk qalilhom: “Itolbu li ma tidħlux fit-tiġrib.” Imbagħad tbiegħed minnhom daqs tefgħa ta’ ġebla, u nxteħet  għarkopptejh jitlob għid: “Missier,  jekk inti trid, warrab minni dan il-kalċi!   Iżda tkun  magħmula r-rieda tiegħek, u mhux tiegħi.”  Deherlu anġlu mis-sema biex jagħmillu l-qalb, imma hu  ħass dwejjaq tal-mewt fuqu, u beda jitlob b’ħerqa akbar.   Il-għaraq  sarlu bħal qtar tad-demm jiċċarċar sal-art.  Imbagħad qam mit-talb, mar ħdejn id-dixxipli u sabhom  reqdin minħabba s-swied ta’ qalb.  U qalilhom: Kif!  Irqadtu!  Qamu, itolbu,  biex ma tidħlux fit-tiġrib!” Kif  kien għadu jitkellem, waslet ġemgħa nies.  Quddiem  kien  hemm dak li jismu Ġuda, wieħed mit-Tnax, u dan resaq lejn  Ġesu’ biex ibusu.    Imma Gesu’ qallu: Bewsa għażilt, Ġuda, biex tittradih lil Bin il-bniedem?" Dawk ta’ madwaru, meta raw x’kien ġej, qalulu: “Mulej, tridx nagħtu bis-sejf?” U  wieħed minnhom ta daqqa ta’ sejf lill-qaddej tal-qassis  il-kbir u qatagħlu barra widintu l-leminija.   Imma Ġesu’qal: “Ieqfu!  Biżżejjed!” U messlu widinu u fejqu.   Imbaghad Gesu’ qal lill-qassisin  il-kbar, lill-uffiċjali tal-tempju u lix-xjuħ li ġew għalih: ‘Qiskom ħriġtu għal xi  ħalliel, armati bis-sjuf u l-bsaten!  Meta kont inkun magħkom kuljum fit-tempju, ma meddejtux  idejkom fuqi.  Imma din hi s-siegħa tagħkom u  s-setgħa tad-dlamijiet!” Imbagħad qabdu lil Ġesu'  u ħaduh magħhom, u daħħluh fil-palazz  tal-qassis il-kbir.  Pietru  baqa’ miexi warajhom mill-bogħod.   Meta  mbagħad qabbdu n-nar f’nofs il-bitħa u nxteħtu bilqiegħda  madwaru,  Pietru mar qagħad bilqieghda f’nofshom.   Imma kif kien hemm bilqiegħda maġenb in-nar, ratu waħda qaddejja, waħħlet għajnejha fuqu u qalet: Dan ukoll kien miegħu!” Iżda hu ċaħad u qalilha: “Mara, anqas biss nafu!” Wara ftit rah xi ħaddieħor u qallu:  “Int ukoll wieħed minnhom.” Imma Pietru wieġbu: “Le,  sieħeb, m'iniex!” Għaddiet xi siegħa, u raga’ kien hemm ieħor li beda jisħaq u jgħid: “Iva,  tassew, dan ukoll kien miegħu, għax dan ukoll mill-Galilija.” Iżda Pietru  qallu: “Ma nafx x’inti tgħid, sieħeb.” U minnufih, kif kien għadu jitkellem, is-serduk idden.  U l-Mulej  dar u ħares lejn Pietru; u Pietru ftakar fil-kelma li Mulej kien qallu,   “Illum, qabel ma jidden is-serduk, inti tkun ġa ċħadtni tliet darbiet.”  U ħareġ ‘il barra jibki b'qalbu maqsuma.  L-irġiel li kienu qegħdin iżommu lil Ġesu’ bdew igħadduh  biż-żuffejtt u jsawtuh; u għattewlu wiċċu u bdew jistaqsuh u jgħidulu: “Aqta’ min tahielek din id-daqqa!” U qagħadu  jgħajruh b'ħafna kliem ieħor. Meta sebaħ, itlaqgħet  il-ġemgħa tax-xjuħ tal-poplu, il-qassisin il-kbar u l-kittieba, u ħadu lil Ġesu’ quddiem is-Sinedriju tagħhom .   U qalulu: “Jekk inti l-Messija, għidilna.” Iżda hu weġibhom: “Jekk  ngħidilkom, ma temmnux; jekk nistaqsikom, ma tweġbux.    Imma  minn issa ‘l quddiem Bin il-bniedem ikun qiegħed  bilqiegħda n-naha tal-lemin ta' Alla li jista' kollox." U  lkoll qalulu:“Inti mela Bin Alla?” Qalilhom Gesu” “Intom stess qegħdin tgħiduh; iva, jien.”U huma qalu: “Xi ħtieġa għandna iżjed ta’ xhieda?  Għax smajnieha aħna  minn fommu stess.” Imbagħad qamet il-ġemgħa kollha u ħaduh  għand Pilatu. U bdew jakkużawh u jgħidu; “Aħna sibna li dan il-bniedem qiegħed ixewwex lill-ġens  tagħna, li mhuwiex iħalli lil min iħallas it-taxxi lil Cesari, u li qiegħed  igħid li huwa Messija, Sultan.” Pilatu  staqsieh u qallu:“Inti s-sultan tal-Lhud?” U hu wieġbu: “Inti  qiegħed tgħidu.”  Pilatu qal lill-qassisin il-kbar u lill-kotra tan-nies: “Ebda ħtija ma  nsib f’dan il-bniedem.” Iżda huma baqgħu jinsistu u jgħidu: “Qiegħed ixewwx lill-poplu,  u jgħallem fil-Lhudija kollha,  ibda mill-Galilija sa hawnhekk stess.”               Kif sema’ dan, Pilatu staqsa jekk ir-raġel kienx mill-Galilija,  u meta sar jaf li hu kien min-naħa li kien jagħmel minnha Erodi,  bagħtu quddiemu, għax f’dawk il-jiem Erodi wkoll kien Ġerusalemm.  Erodi  feraħ ħafna meta ra lil Ġesu’, għax minn dak li kien sama’ fuqu kien ilu żmien jixtieq jarah, bit-tama li jara li jagħmel xi sinjal.  U  għamillu bosta mistoqsijiet, imma  Ġesu’ ma wieġbu xejn.   Il-qassisin il-kbar u l-kittieba,  b’saħna  kbira fuqhom, qagħdu jakkuzawh.   Imma  Erodi, flimkien mas-suldati tiegħu, beda jżebilħu  u jgħaddih biż-żuffejtt, libbsu libsa ta' kulur ilellex  u raġa’ bagħtu quddiem Pilatu.  Issa Erodi u Pilatu fl-imgħoddi kellhom għal xulxin, imma dak in-nhar saru ħbieb.  Pilatu sejjaħ flimkien lill-qassisin il-kbar u l-kapijiet u l-poplu u qalilhom:“Ġibtuli  quddiem lil dan il-bniedem bħala wieħed li qiegħed ixewwex lill-poplu.  Ara,  jiena stħarriġtu quddiemkom fuq l-akkużi li qegħdin iġġibu  kontra tiegħu, u ma sibt ebda ħtija fih.   U anqas Erodi ma sab, għax  raga’ bagħtu quddiemna..  Qegħdin taraw, mela, li ma għamel  xejn li ħaqqu l-mewt.  Ghalħekk  nagħtih is-swat u nitilqu."   Iżda huma qabdu jgħajtu lkoll f’daqqa:  “Agħtih il-mewt lil dan!  Itilqilna ‘l Barabba!” Dan  Barabba kienu tefugħ il-ħabs minħabba rewwita li kienet  qamet fil-belt u ghax kien qatel.   Pilatu , billi ried jitlaq lil Ġesu', għolla leħnu  u raġa’ kellimhom;   iżda huma  qabdu jgħajtu aktar minnu u jgħidu:  “Sallbu!  Sallbu!” Għat-tielet darba qalilhom: “Imma  dan x’għamel ħażin?  Ma  sibt fih ebda ħtija li ħaqqha  l-mewt.   Mela  nagħtih is-swat u nitilqu.”  Iżda  huma b’ħafna għajjat baqgħu jinsistu u jitolbu li jkun  msallab, sakemm fl-aħħar  għaddiet tagħhom.  Għalhekk  Pilatu  qatagħha li jsir kif talbu huma. Telqilhom lil min talbu, jiġifieri lil dak li kien mitfugħ  il-ħabs minħabba rewwita u qtil, u lil Ġesu’ tahulhom bħalma xtaqu. Huma  u sejrin bih, qabdu wieħed, jismu Xmun, minn Cireni, li kien  ġej lura mir-raba’, u għabbewh bis-salib biex iġorru wara Ġesu’. Kotra  kbira ta’ nies kienet miexja warajh; fosthom xi nisa li bdew  ihabbtu fuq sidirhom  jibkuh.   Imma Ġesu’ dar lejhom u qalilhom: “Nisa ta' Ġerusalemm, mhux lilli ibku, iżda ibku lilkom infuskom u  lil uliedkom.  Għax, araw, għad jiġi żmien meta jghidu, “Ħienja dik li ma ħandhiex  tfal, ħieni l-ġuf li qatt ma wiled u s-sider li qatt ma redda!" Imbaghad jibdew jgħidu lill-muntanji, ‘Aqgħu fuqna!’   u lill-għoljiet, “Ordmuna!”  Għax jekk dan kollu qegħdin jagħmluh liz-zokk meta għuda aħdra, mela xi jsir minnu meta jinxef?” Kien hemm ukoll tnejn oħra, żewġt irġiel ħatja, li ħaduhom għall-mewt miegħu.  Meta waslu f’post igħidulu l-Qorriegħa, sallbuhom hemm, lilu u lill-ħatja, wieħed fuq il-lemin tiegħu  u l-ieħor fuq ix-xellug.  U Ġesu’ qal: “Missier,  aħfrilhom, għax ma jafux x’inhuma jagħmlu.” Imbagħ tellgħu x-xorti u qassmu ħwejġu  bejniethom  Il-poplu  waqaf hemm,  iħares, waqt li l-kapijiet bdew jiddieħku b'Ġesu'  u jgħidu:“Salva oħrajn, ħa jsalva lilu nnifsu dan  hu l-Messija, il-Maħtur ta’ Alla!” Is-suldati wkoll bdew igħadduh biż-zmien; u resqu lejh, newlulu nbid qares u qalulu: “Jekk  inti s-sultan tal-Lhud, salva lilek innifsek!” Fuq  rasu kien hemm ukoll kitba li kienet tgħid, “Dan huwa  s-Sutlan tal-Lhud.  Wieħed mill-ħatjin li kienu msallbin miegħu  beda jgħajru u jgħidlu: “Int  m'intix il-Messija?  Salva  lilek innifsek u lilna.” Imma qabeż l-ieħor, ċanfru u qallu: “Anqas minn Alla int ma tibża’, int li qiegħed taħt l-istess  kundanna?  Tagħna  hija ġusta, tassew, għax qegħdin nieħdu li  ħaqqna ta’ kulma għamilna; imma dan ma għamel xejn ħażin.” Imbagħad qal: “Ġesu,  ftakar fija meta tidħol fis-Saltna tiegħek.” U Ġesu'  wieġbu: “Tassew,  ngħidlek, illum tkun il-Ġenna miegħi.”  Għall-ħabta  tas-sitt siegħa waqgħet dalma kbira fuq il-pajjiż kollu sad-disa' siegħa, għax ix-xemx iddalmet.  Il-velu tas-santwarju ċċartet min-nofs. Imbagħad Ġesu’  għajjat għajta kbira u qal: “Missier, f’idejk jien  nerħi ruħi.” U kif qal hekk, ħarġet ruħu. (Hawnhekk kulhadd jinzel għarrkobbtejh u jinzamm is-skiet ghal ftit hin)   Iċ-ċenturjun, meta ra x’ġara, beda jfaħħar lil Alla u jgħid. “Tassew li dan bniedem ġust!” U n-nies kollha li kienu nġabru hemm biex jaraw, meta raw  dawn il-grajja, reġgħu lura jħabbtu fuq sidirhom.  Dawk kollha li kienu jafuh qagħdu jaraw kollox mill-bogħod;  hekk ukoll xi nisa li kienu ġew warajh sa minn meta kien ghadu fil-Galilija. U  kien hemm wieħed, jismu Ġużeppi, membru tal-Kunsill,  imma raġel tajjeb u ġust,  li ma kienx qabel mal-membri l-oħra  f’dak li riedu u f'dak li  għamlu.  Kien minn Arimatija, belt tal-Lhudija, u kien jistenna s-Saltna ta’ Alla.  Dan mar għand Pilatu u talbu l-ġisem ta’ Ġesu; niżżlu mis-salib, keffnu f’liżar, u qiegħdu f’qabar matugħ fil-blat, li fih kien għadu ma tqiegħed ħadd.   Dak in-nhar kien Jum it-Tħejjija, u s-Sibt kien għoddu beda.  In-nisa, li kienu ġew  mill-Galilija ma’ Ġesu’,  marru wara Ġużeppi u raw il-qabar u kif kienu qiegħdu  il-katavru; imbaghad reġgħu lura u ħejjew il-fwejjah u l-mirra.  Is-Sibt għaddewh  fil-mistrieħ, skond il-preċett tal-Ligi.Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Commentary by Larry Broding

Prepare to Say Goodbye

How do you prepare to say “Goodbye?” Farewells can cause pain. An abrupt leave seems callous, while an extended goodbye can bring out grief. What is the right balance to take your leave? 

Jesus said “goodbye” with a meal and a teaching. His meal would be his Last Supper. His teaching exhorted service as leadership, just as he led. Of course, his teaching had a promise and a caveat. The promise was the Kingdom. The caveat was shaken faith and a loss of reputation. Jesus would fall in reputation like a criminal.

Institution of the Eucharist

In Luke's gospel, Jesus swore off any celebration of the Passover in anticipation of the coming Kingdom. He refused to eat or drink from the cup until he could in full presence of his Father. Notice he distributed the cup to his disciples so they would continue to celebrate. In doing so, he shifted the emphasis from the past (liberation from Egypt) to the future (liberation in the Kingdom). He also turned the attention of his followers from what God had done to what he would do for them.

The denial of eating and distribution of the first cup set up the theme of self-giving. In the words of Institution, Jesus conflated ritual sacrifice (the giving of his Body) with his murder (the spilling of his Blood), all within the context of the Passover meal. Notice the idea of worship in this context shifted from what the worshiper offered to God to what God's Son gave to his faithful. He would die as a means of offering sacrifice; he would die as way to realize the Kingdom. And these he would bestow on his disciples.

Yet, one who sat with him would betray him. As the Son of Man, Jesus would face his destiny. The traitor, however would face perdition. The Lord looked upon the Kingdom through his Passion. Part of his self-giving required an evil agent to fulfill God's plan of salvation.

Teaching on Leadership

The question of leadership flowed easily from the self-giving theme of the Last Supper. Leadership style defined the community. If Jesus set the example for the leaders through his death, how could they argue over places of power and privilege? Unlike a society based upon hierarchy and patronage, the Church would find its moorings in service. The leader would serve. Just as the Master did.

Promise of the Kingdom

Jesus turned to the subject of the Kingdom as a corollary of his teaching on leadership. If he led through the service that the Father desired, then he would receive the Kingdom. In other words, his temporal trials led to eternal glory. Those who remained faithful, despite their own sufferings, would receive the same from Jesus. Notice, however, that service gave power. The servant in this world would become the judge in the next world. The one who sacrificed for others would find intimacy at the table of the Lord.

Prophecy of Simon Peter's Betrayal

Self-giving has the risk of looking weak to those in a society built on power. Faithfulness to a servant-leader opened a follower up to criticism and even worse. So, a disciple always faced the temptation of rejecting his Lord, despite promises of future glory. Simon Peter became the prime example of this sin. The leader of the disciples had his faith shaken, like sifted wheat, and he would deny his Lord three times before the night was over. Yet, he would return to strengthen his fellow disciples with his words and example, thus giving them the hope of a second chance.

Preparations for the Mount of Olives

Luke presented Jesus as the servant who would suffer. He gave himself as an example of leadership for his followers, through his self-giving in the Eucharist. Those who remained faithful had the promise of the Kingdom, but rough times lay ahead. Simon Peter would deny his Master. They would pack as those leaving town and symbolically leaving Jesus. Thus, the scene was set for the arrest of the Lord, for his goodbye.

How have you prepared for Luke's Passion? What insights have you gained recently when you received Eucharist?

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Resolution: Go and sin no more

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

 Il-Hames’ Hadd tar-Randan               

Messalin C 168

Reading 1                             Isaiah 43:16-21

Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.  This is the Word of The Lord

L-Ewwel Qari   -   mill-Profeta Isaija 43. 16-21

Dan jgħid il-Mulej, li fetaħ triq fil-baħar, mogħdija fl-ilmijiet qawwija; dak li ħareġ karrijiet u żwiemel, eżerċti u rġiel qalbiena f'daqqa; inxteħtu fl-art, biex aktar ma qamux; inħlew bħal ftil, u ntfew. "La tiftakrux iżjed fi ġrajjiet l-imgħoddi; la taħsbux fuq dak li ġara qabel. Arawni, sejjer nagħmel ħaġa ġdida: feġġet issa; għadkom ma ttendejtux? Sa niftaħ triq fix-xagħri, xmajjar fid-deżert. Ifaħħruni l-bhejjem selvaġġi, ix-xakalli u wlied in-ngħam, għax noħroġ l-ilma fix-xagħri, xmajjar fid-deżert, biex nisqi l-poplu tiegħi, il-maħtur tiegħi, il-poplu li sawwart għalija, biex ixandar it-tifħir tiegħi."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

Responsorial Psalm          PSALM 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.                 R/

Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.                                       R/

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.                                       R/

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.                                 R/

Salm Responsorjali    -   Salm  125 (126)

R/           Kbir f'għemilu l-Mulej magħna!

Meta l-Mulej reġġa' lura l-imjassra ta' Sijon,

konna qisna mitlufa f'ħolma;

imbagħad bid-daħk imtela fommna,

u bl-għajjat ta' ferħ ilsienna.                                      R/

Ibagħad bdew jgħidu fost il-ġnus:

"Kbir f'għemilu l-Mulej magħhom."

Kbir f'għemilu l-Mulej magħna!

U aħna bil-ferħ imtlejna.                                             R/

Biddel, Mulej, xortina

bħall-widien tan-Neġeb!

Dawk li jiżirgħu fid-dmugħ

jaħsdu bl-għana ta' ferħ.                                              R/

Huma u sejrin, imorru jibku,

iġorru ż-żerriegħa għaż-żrigħ.

Iżda huma u ġejjin lura, jiġu b'għana ta' ferħ,

iġorru l-qatet f'idejhom.                                              R/

Reading 2                             Philippians3:8-14

Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of  knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.    It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus. This is the Word of The Lord

It-Tieni Qari  -    mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 3, 8-14

Ħuti, jiena ngħodd kollox bħala telf ħdejn il-qligħ kbir li hemm filli nagħraf lil Kristu Ġesu' Sidi;  minħabba  fih ridt li nitlef kollox, u ngħodd kollox  bħala knis, biex nirbaħ lil Kristu, u nkun ninsab fih;  mhux għax għandi  xi ġustizzja tiegħi, dik li tiġi permezz tal-Liġi, iżda dik li tiġi permezz  tal-fidi fi Kristu, il-ġustizzja ġejja minn Alla u mibnija fuq il-fidi.  Irrid nagħraf lilu u l-qawwa tal-qawmien tiegħu mill-imwiet, u naqsam miegħu t-tbatijiet tiegħu, u nsir nixbħu  fil-mewt, biex jirnexxili nikseb il-qawmien mill-imwiet. M'iniex ngħid li jiena ġa ksibtu, jew li jien ġa perfett. Imma  nross 'il quddiem biex naħtaf dan, bħalma Kristu Ġesu' ġa ħataf lili.   Ħuti, ma jidhirlix li dan ġa lħaqtu; imma ħaġa waħda ngħid: waqt li ninsa lil ta' warajja kollu, jien nagħmel ħilti kollha biex nilħaq dak li hemm quddiemi; niġri 'l quddiem lejn it-tmiem, biex nikseb il-premju li għalih Alla qed isejħilna   hemm fuq fi Kristu Ġesu'. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                   John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”  They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.”  Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”  This is the Word of The Lord

L-Evanġelju  -   Qari skont San Ġwann  8, 1-11

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' telaq lejn l-Għolja taż-Żebbuġ.  Imma l-għada qabel is-sebħ raġa' mar fit-tempju, u l-poplu kollu ġie ħdejh, u hu qagħad bilqiegħda jgħallimhom. Imbagħad il-kittieba u l-fariżej ħadulu quddiemu waħda mara li kienet inqabdet fl-adulterju.   Huma qegħduha fin-nofs u qalulu:"Mgħallem, din il-mara nqabdet fil-fatt fl-adulterju.  Issa fil-Liġi tagħna Mose' ordnalna biex nisa bħal dawn inħaġġruhom.  Inti,  imma, xi tgħid?  Dan qaluhulu biex iġarrbuh, ħalli jkollhom fuqiex jixluh. Imma Ġesu' tbaxxa lejn l-art u beda jikteb b'sebgħu fit-trab.  Billi dawk baqgħu jistaqsuh, qam dritt u qalilhom:  "Minn fostkom hu bla dnub jitfgħalha hu l-ewwel ġebla."  U raġa tbaxxa jikteb fit-trab.  Kif semgħuh jgħid dan,  qabbdu u telqu wieħed wara l-ieħor, ibda mix-xjuħ. Ġesu' baqa' waħdu mal-mara, wieqfa fin-nofs.  Qam dritt u qalilha:  "Dawk fejhom, mara?  Ħadd  minnhom ma kkundannak?" "Ħadd, Sinjur," qaltlu:  "Mela anqas jien ma nikkundannak", qalila Ġesu'. "Mur, u mil-lum 'il quddiem tindnibx iżjed."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY -  Fr Cantalamessa on Families:

Jesus, the woman, and the family

The Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Lent is about the woman surprised in adultery whom Jesus saves from stoning. Jesus does not intend to say with his gesture that adultery is not a sin or that it is a small thing. There is an explicit, even if delicate, condemnation of adultery in the words addressed to the woman at the end of the scene: “Do not sin anymore.”

Jesus does not intend to approve the deed of the woman; his intention is rather to condemn the attitude of those who are always ready to look for and denounce the sin of others. We saw this last time in our look at Jesus’ general attitude toward sinners.

As we have been doing in these commentaries on the readings for the Sundays of Lent, we will now move from this passage to expand our horizon and consider Christ’s general attitude toward marriage and the family, as this can be discerned in all the Gospels.

Among the strange theses about Jesus advanced in recent years, there is also one about a Jesus who supposedly repudiated the natural family and all familial relationships in the name of belonging to a different community in which God is the father and all the disciples are brothers and sisters. This Jesus is supposed to have proposed an itinerant life like that of the philosophical school known as the Cynics in the world outside Israel.

There are words of Christ about familial bonds that actually perplex at first glance. Jesus says: “If someone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

These are certainly hard words but already the Evangelist Matthew is careful to explain the meaning that the word “hate” has in this context: “Whoever loves his father and mother … son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

Jesus does not ask us therefore to hate our parents and children, but to not love them to the point of refusing to follow Jesus on their account.

There is another perplexing episode. One day Jesus says to someone: “Follow me.” And the man responds: “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” Jesus replies: “Let the dead bury the dead; you go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:59ff).

Some critics let loose on this. In their eyes, this is a scandalous request, disobedience to God who orders us to care for our parents, a clear violation of filial duties!

The scandal of these critics is for us a precious proof. Certain words of Christ cannot be explained as long as he is considered a mere man, even if an exceptional one. Only God can ask that we love him more than our father and that, to follow him, we even renounce attending our father’s burial. 
<br> For the rest, from a perspective of faith like Christ’s, what was more important for the deceased father: that his son be at home in that moment to bury his body or that he follow the one sent by God, the God before whom his soul must now present itself?

But maybe the explanation in this case is even more simple. We know that the expression, “Let me go and bury my father,” was sometimes used (as it is today) to say: “Let me go and be with my father while he is still alive; after he dies I will bury him and come follow you.”

Jesus would thus only be asking not to indefinitely delay responding to his call. Many of us religious, priests and sisters, find ourselves faced with the same choice and often our parents have been happier for our obedience to Jesus.

The perplexity over these requests of Jesus arises in large part from a failure to take into account the difference between what he asked of all indistinctly and what he asked only of those who were called to entirely share his life dedicated to the kingdom, as happens in the Church even today.

There are other sayings of Jesus which could be examined. Someone might even accuse Jesus of being the cause of the proverbial difficulty in agreement between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law since he said: “I have come to separate son from father, daughter from mother, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:35).

But it will not be Jesus who divides; it will be the different attitude that each member of the family takes toward him that will determine the division. This is something that painfully occurs even in many families today.

All of the doubts about Jesus’ attitude toward the family and marriage will fall away if we take into account the whole Gospel and not only those passages that we like. Jesus is more rigorous than anyone in regard to the indissolubility of marriage, he forcefully confirms the commandment to honor father and mother to the point of condemning the practice of denying them help for religious reasons (cf. Mark 7:11-13).

Just consider all the miracles that Jesus performed precisely to take away the sorrows of fathers (Jairus and the father of the epileptic), of mothers (the Canaanite woman, the widow of Nain!), and of siblings (the sisters of Lazarus).

In these ways he honors familial bonds. He shares the sorrow of relatives to the point of weeping with them.

In a time like our own, when everything seems to conspire to weaken the bonds and values of the family, the only thing that we have not set against them yet is Jesus and the Gospel!

But this is one of the many odd things about Jesus that we must know so that we are not taken in when we hear talk of new discoveries about the Gospels. Jesus came to bring marriage back to its original beauty (cf. Matthew 19:4-9), to strengthen it, not to weaken it.

Jesus and sinners

The Fourth Sunday of Lent

The Renewal of our Relations with God

Ir-Raba’ Hadd tar-Randan

Messalin C 156

Reading 1                         Joshua:9a, 10-12

The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you." While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.  This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari  -  mill-Ktieb ta' Ġożwe' 5,9a, 10-13

F'dak iż-żmien, il-Mulej qal lil Ġożwe': "Illum jien neħħejtilkom minn fuqkom l-għajb tal-Eġittu.Ulied Iżrael waqqfu l-kamp tagħhom f'Gilgal.  Hemm,fil-witat ta' Ġeriko, għamlu l-Għid filgħaxija tal-erbatax tax-xahar. U sewwa sew l-għada tal-Għid, huma kielu mill-frott tal-art:  ħobż ażżmu u qamħ inkaljat. Minn dakinhar, wara li kielu mill-frott tal-art, il-manna waqfet.  Ulied Iżrael ma kellhomx aktar manna, imma minn dik is-sena bdew jieklu

milli bdiet tagħtihom l-art ta' Kangħan. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                                   PSALM 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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/

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.                       R/

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.  R/

 Salm Responsorjali                   -              Salm 33(34)

                R/     Duqu u taraw kemm hu tajjeb il-Mulej!

Kull ħin inbierek il-Mulej;

tifħiru dejjem fuq fommi.

Bil-Mulej tiftaħar ruħi;

Isimgħu l-fqajrin u jifirħu.                            R/

Xandru l-kobor tal-Mulej miegħi;

ħa ngħollu ismu flimkien.

Jien fittixt tal-Mulej, u weġibni,

minn kull biża' tiegħi ħelisni.                    R/

Ħarsu lejh u jiddi bil-ferħ wiċċkom,

u ma jkollkomx għax tistħu.

Dan il-fqajjar sejjaħ u l-Mulej semgħu,

u mid-dwejjaq tiegħu kollha ħelsu.        R/

Reading 2                         2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them  and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. This is the Word of the Lord. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni -   Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korintin 5,17-2 

Ħuti, meta wieħed jingħaqad ma' Kristu, isir ħolqien ġdid; il-qadim għadda u daħal il-ġdid. Kollox ġej minn alla li ħabbibna miegħu nnifsu permezz ta' Kristu u tana l-ministeru ta' din il-ħbiberija tal-bnedmin ma' Alla.   Alla kien li ħabbeb il-ħolqien miegħu nnifsu permezz ta' Kristu, bla ma qagħad iżomm il-kont ta' dnubiethom, u fdalna l-ministeru ta' din il-ħbiiberija. Aħna nagħmluha ta' ambaxxaturi ta' Kristu bħallikieku Alla stess qiegħed isejjaħ permezz tagħna, nitolbu fuq li nitolbu f'ġieħ Kristu:   Ħallu lil Alla jħabbihkom miegħu. Dak li ma kienx jaf x'inhu dnub, Alla għamlu dnub għalina sabiexi aħna nsiru fih ġustizzja ta' Alla. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                Luk e15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me .’So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers. ”’So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, "Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”   This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju  -  Qari  skont  San Luqa 15, 1-3, 11-32

F'dak iż-żmien, il-pubblikani u l-midinbin kienu jersqu b ħġarhom lejn Ġesu' biex jisimgħuh.   U kemm il-Fariżej u kemm il-kittieba kienu jġemgmu u jgħidu:   "Nies midinba jilqa' għandu dan u jiekol magħhom!" U Ġes' qabad u qalilhom din parabbla.  "Kien hemm raġel li kellu żewġ ulied.  Iż-żgħir qal lil missieru:  "Missier, agħtini s-sehem li jmiss lili mill-ġid."  U dak qassmilhom il-ġid. Ma kinux għaddew wisq ġranet, meta ż-żgħir sarr kollox u telaq minn bletu lejn  pajjiż imbiegħed, u hemmhekk berbaq ġidu kollu f'ħajja mtajra.  Meta ħela kulma kellu, fuq dak il-pajjiż waqa' ġuħ kbir, u beda jħoss ruħu fil-bżonn.   U mar daħal ma' wieħed minn dak il-pajjiż,li bagħtu fir-raba' tiegħu jirgħa l-ħnieżer.   Kien jixtieq kieku jimla żaqqu mqar bil-ħarrub li kienu jieklu l-ħnieżer, imma ħadd ma' kien jagħtih. Imbagħad daħal fih innifsu u qal:  "Kemm lavranti ma' missieri għandhom ħobż bix-xaba', u jien qiegħed hawn immut bil-ġuħ!  Ħa nqum u mmur għand missieri u ngħidlu:  "Missier, dnibt kontra s-sema u kontra tiegħek; ma jistħoqqlix iżjed nissejjaħ ibnek;  żommni b'wieħed mil-lavranti tiegħek."  Qam, u telaq għal għand missieru. Iżda kif kien għadu fil-bogħod missieru lemħu u tħassru, u b'ġirja waħda mar inxteħet fuq għonqu u biesu.   It-tifel qallu:  "Missier, dnibt kontra s-sema u kontra tiegħek; ma jistħoqqlix iżjed nissejaħ ibnek."  Iżda l-missier qal lill-qaddejja tiegħu:  "Isaw! Ġibulu l-isbaħ libsa u xidduhielu, libbsulu ċ-ċurkett f'sebgħu u s-sandli f'riġlejħ!   Ġibu l-għoġol l-imsemmen u oqtluh, ha nieklu u nagħmlu festa, għax dan ibni kien mejjet u raġa' qam, kien mitluf u nstab!" U għamlu festa. Mela ibnu l-kbir kien fl-għalqa.   Huwa u rieġa' lura, kif wasal qrib id-dar sama' daqq u żfin.  Sejjaħ wieħed mill-qaddejja u staqsieh dak x'kien.  Dan qallu:  "Hawn ħuk u missierek qatillu l-għoġol l-imsemmen, għax  raġa' kisbu qawwi u sħiħ."   Hu inkorla, u ma riedx jidħol ġewwa, iżda missieru ħareġ jitolbu jidħol. Iżda hu qal lil missieru:  "Ara, ili dawnissnin kollha naqdik, kelmtek ma ksirthielek qatt, u kieku qatt tajtna gidi lili biex nagħem ikla u nifraħ ma' ħbiebi! Imbagħad jiġi dan ibnek, li belagħlek ġidek man-nisa żienja, u lilu tooqtollu l-għoġol l-imsemmen."   Qallu missieru:  "Ibni, inti dejjem miegħi, u kulma hu tiegħi huwa tiegħek.  Imma kien meħtieġ li nagħmlu festa u nifirħu, għax dan ħuk kien mejjet u raġa' qam, kien mitluf u nstab." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary:

Fr Cantalamessa on the Prodigal Son

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

Jesus and Sinners

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent is one of the most celebrated pages of Luke’s Gospel and of all four Gospels: the parable of the prodigal son. Everything in this parable is surprising; men had never portrayed God in this way. This parable has touched more hearts than all the sermons that have been preached put together. It has an incredible power to act on the mind, the heart, the imagination, and memory. It is able to touch the most diverse chords: repentance, shame, nostalgia.

The parable is introduced with these words: “All the tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him to listen to him. The Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable …” (Luke 15:1-2). Following this lead, we would like to reflect on Jesus’ attitude toward sinners, going through the whole Gospel, guided also by our plan for these Lenten commentaries, that is, to know better who Jesus was, what can be historically known about him.

The welcome that Jesus reserves for sinners in the Gospel is well known, as is the opposition that this procures him on the part of the defenders of the law who accuse him of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Jesus declares in one of his better historically attested to sayings, “I have not come to call the just but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Feeling welcomed and not judged by him, sinners listened to him gladly.

But who were the sinners, what category of persons was designated by this term? Someone, trying to completely justify Jesus’ adversaries, the Pharisees, has argued that by this term is understood “the deliberate and impenitent transgressors of the law,” in other words, the criminals, those who are outside the law. If this were so, then Jesus’ adversaries would have been entirely right to be scandalized and see him as an irresponsible and socially dangerous person. It would be as if a priest today were to regularly frequent members of the mafia and criminals and accept their invitations to dinner with the pretext of speaking to them of God.

In reality, this is not how things are. The Pharisees had their vision of the law and of what conformed to it or was contrary, and they considered reprobate all those who did not follow their rigid interpretation of the law. In their view, anyone who did not follow their traditions or dictates was a sinner. Following the same logic, the Essenes of Qumran considered the Pharisees themselves to be unjust and violators of the law! The same thing happens today. Certain ultraorthodox groups consider all those who do not think exactly as they do to be heretics.

An eminent scholar has written: “It is not true that Jesus opened the gates of the kingdom to hard-boiled and impenitent criminals, or that he denied the existence of ‘sinners.’ What Jesus opposed were the walls that were erected within Israel and those who treated other Israelites as if they were outside the covenant and excluded from God’s grace” (James Dunn).

Jesus does not deny the existence of sin and sinners. This is obvious from the fact that he calls them “sick.” On this point he is more rigorous than his adversaries. If they condemn actual adultery, Jesus condemns adultery already at the stage of desire; if the law says not to kill, Jesus says that we must not even hate or insult our brother. To the sinners who draw near to him, he says “Go and sin no more”; he does not say: “Go and live as you were living before.”

What Jesus condemns is the Pharisees’ relegating to themselves the determination of true justice and their denying to others the possibility of conversion. The way that Luke introduces the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is significant: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others” (Luke 18:9). Jesus was more severe with those who condemned sinners with disdain than he was with sinners themselves.

But the novel and unheard of thing in the relationship between Jesus and sinners is not his goodness and mercy toward them. This can be explained in a human way. There is, in his attitude, something that cannot be humanly explained, that is, it cannot be explained so long as Jesus is taken to be a man like other men. What is novel and unheard of is Jesus’ forgiveness of sins.

Jesus says to the paralytic: “My son, your sins are forgiven you.”

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus’ horrified adversaries cry out. And Jesus replies: “‘So that you might know that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins, Get up!’ he said to the paralytic, ‘Pick up your mat and go home.'” No one could verify whether the sins of that man were forgiven but everyone could see that he got up and walked. The visible miracle attested to the invisible one.

Even the investigation of Jesus’ relationship with sinners contributes therefore to an answer to the question: Who was Jesus? A man like other men, a prophet, or something different still? During his earthly life Jesus never explicitly affirmed himself to be God (and we explained why in a previous commentary), but he did attribute to himself powers that are exclusive to God.

Let us now return to Sunday’s Gospel and to the parable of the prodigal son. There is a common element that unites the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, which are told in succession in Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel. What do the shepherd who finds the lost sheep and the woman who finds her coin say? “Rejoice with me!” And what does Jesus say at the end of each parable? “There will be more joy in heaven for a converted sinner than for ninety-nine just people who do not need to convert.”

The leitmotiv of the three parables is therefore the joy of God. (There is joy “before the angels of God,” is an entirely Jewish way to speak of joy “in God.”) In our parable joy overflows and becomes a feast. That father is overcome with joy and does not know what to do: He orders the best robe for his son, a ring with the family seal, the killing of the fatted calf, and says to all: “Let us eat and make merry, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

In one of his novels Dostoyevsky describes a scene that has the air of having been witnessed in reality. A woman holds a baby a few weeks old in her arms and — for the first time, according to her — he smiles at her. All contrite, she makes the sign of the cross on his forehead and to those who ask her the reason for this she says: “Just as a mother is happy when she sees the first smile of her child, God too rejoices every time a sinner gets on his knees and addresses a heartfelt prayer to him” (“The Idiot”).

Who knows whether a person who is reading this does not decide finally to give this joy to God, to smile at him before he dies …

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