« Sunday, June 23  »

 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 

Lectionary: 169

Solennità tal-Ġisem u d-Demm ta’ Ġesù

Reading 1     Genesis 14:18-20

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

Qari I     mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 14, 18-20

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

Responsorial Psalm      Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4
The Lord said to my Lord:m  "Sit at my right  hand  till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

  The sceptre of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion.  "Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

"Yours is princely power in the day od your birth, in holy splendour;                                                  before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of  Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Salm Responsorjali    Salm 109 (110), 1.2.3.4

R/. (4bc): Inti qassis għal dejjem bħal Melkisedek

Il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Sidi:

“Oqgħod fuq leminti,

sa ma nqiegħed l-għedewwa tiegħek

mirfes taħt riġlejk”. R/.

Ix-xettru tal-qawwa tiegħek

jibgħat il-Mulej minn Sijon:

aħkem f’nofs l-għedewwa tiegħek! R/.

Tiegħek is-setgħa sa minn twelidek

fuq l-għoljiet imqaddsa,

sa minn qabel is-sebħ

bħan-nida jien nissiltek. R/.

Ħalef il-Mulej, u ma jisgħobx bih:

“Inti qassis għal dejjem

bħal Melkisedek!” R/.

Reading 2     1 Corinthians 11:23-26

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

Qari II        mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 11, 23-26

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

Lauda Sione = Sequence
Lo! the angel's food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
 see the children's bread from heaven,
 which on dogs may not be spent.

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
 Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
 manna to the fathers sent.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
 You refresh us, you defend us,
 Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
 Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
 Where the heav'nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.

Sekwenza

Dan ħobż l-anġli, magħmul ikel

għall-bnedmin fit-triq tal-ħajja,

ikel bnin għall-ulied kollha,

li m’għandux fix-xejn jintrema.

Bi xbihat kien ilu mħabbar,

f’dik l-offerta ta’ Iżakk,

fil-ħaruf li nqatel fl-Għid,

u fil-manna tad-deżert.

Int ragħaj tajjeb, ħobż tassew,

Ġesù tagħna, ħenn għalina;

Int itmagħna u ħarisna:

Inti lilna l-ġid urina

fl-art imbierka tal-ħajjin.

Int li taf u tista’ kollox,

li titmagħna hawn f’dil-ħajja,

hemm agħmilna lkoll imsieħba,

f’għaqda waħda lkoll werrieta

mal-qtajjiet tal-qaddisin.

Ammen. Hallelujah.

Gospel    Luke 9:11b-17

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

Evanġelju       Qari skont San Luqa 9, 11b-17

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

////////// Father Cantalamessa on Memory

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

* * *   Do This in Memory of Me

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

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

Without memory we will cease to be ourselves, we will lose our identity. Those who are struck by total amnesia, wander lost on the streets, without knowing their own name or where they live.
A memory, once it has come to mind, has the power to catalyze our whole interior world and route everything toward its object, especially if this is not a thing or a fact, but a living person.

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

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

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

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

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

But together with all the beautiful things that we have said about memory, we must mention a danger that is inherent to it. Memory can be easily transformed into sterile and paralyzing nostalgia. This happens when a person becomes the prisoner of his own memories and ends up living in the past.
Indeed, the Eucharistic memorial does not pertain to this type of memory. On the contrary, it projects us forward; after the consecration the people say: “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and confess your resurrection, until you come.”

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

Equal and Different

  

« Sunday, June 16, 2019 »

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Lectionary: 166

 It-Trinità Qaddisa - Solennità

Reading 1     Proverbs 8:22-31

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

Qari I            mill-Ktieb tal-Proverbji 8, 22-31

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

Responsorial Psalm     PSALM 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth

You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honour.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet: 
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth

All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas. 
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth

Salm Responsorjali      SALM 8, 4-5.6-7.8-9

R/. (2a): Mulej, Sid tagħna, kemm hu kbir ismek fl-art kollha!

Inħares lejn is-smewwiet, għemil subgħajk,

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

X’inhu l-bniedem biex tiftakar fih,

bin il-bniedem, biex taħseb fih? R/.

Ftit inqas mill-allat għamiltu,

bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel żejjintu,

qegħedtu fuq l-għemejjel kollha ta’ jdejk! R/.

Kollox taħt riġlejh qegħedtlu:

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

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

dak kollu li jterraq fil-baħar. R/.

  

Reading 2         ROMANS 5:1-5

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

Qari II       mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 5, 1-5

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

Gospel     John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you." Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

Evanġelju       Qari skont San Ġwann 16, 12-15

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Baqagħli ħafna ħwejjeġ x’ngħidilkom, imma għalissa ma tifilħux għalihom. Meta jiġi hu, l-Ispirtu tal-verità, iwassalkom għall-verità kollha; għaliex hu ma jgħid xejn minn tiegħu, imma jgħid dak li jisma’, u jħabbrilkom il-ġejjieni. Hu jagħtini glorja, għaliex jieħu minn dak li hu tiegħi u jħabbru lilkom. Dak kollu li għandu l-Missier huwa tiegħi. Għalhekk għedt li jieħu minn dak li hu tiegħi u jħabbru lilkom”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

////////// Father Cantalamessa on Equal Dignity

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

* * *

Equal and Different

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

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

After the mystery has been revealed to us, we intuit that, if God exists, it can be no other way: one and three at the same time. There can only be love between two or more persons; if therefore “God is love,” there must be in God one who loves, one who is loved, and the love that unites them.
Christians are monotheists; they believe in a God who is one, but not solitary. Who would God love if he were absolutely alone? Perhaps himself? But then his love would not be really love, but rather egoism or narcissism.

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

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

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

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

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