http___www.sundayscriptureonline.com_2018_08_02_lunasa-5-2018-b-an-tochtu-domhnach-deag-saor__1.xml
1.1 2.1 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 9.1 9.2 9.3 10.1 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 12.10 12.11 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 14.1
August 12 2018 (B) 19th Sunday of the Year (B) - The Bible as Guide in Life and Liturgy (Sunday Readings) First Reading (1 Kings 19:4-8). Strengthened by the food he walked until he reached the mountain of God. This brief reading is taken from what is known as the “Elijah Cycle”, a series of episodes about the fiery prophet Elijah. This prophet was very active in the northern kingdom of Israel, especially countering the attempts of the pagan queen Jezebel to have the religion of the God of Israel replaced by that of her pagan god Baal. After a successful defeat of prophets of Baal, Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life and he fled south. He is tired of life, and asks God to take away his life. He is comforted by an angel and given food to eat. In the strength of that food he walked forty days and nights until he reached the mount of revelation, called Horeb in the tradition of the northern state Israel, Sinai in the tradition better known to us. He encountered God there. The present reading is chosen because of the food and drink that sustained him in his long journey – a figure of the bread of life of which today’s Gospel reading will speak. Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 33[34]). Taste and see that the Lord is good. Second Reading (Ephesians 4:30-5:3). Follow Christ by loving as he loved you. True Christian life can be described as one permeated by the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount. From an early date the goodness and the holiness of God, and the example of Christ for Christian living, must have been central to Christian preaching and teaching. It went from the central tenets of Christian belief to the affairs of everyday life. The Christian community was holy, the Body of Christ, anointed by the Holy Spirit. When Ananias lied concerning money he had kept back from the early community in Jerusalem, Peter told him that he had not lied to humans, mortals, but to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). In this spirit of faith, today’s reading gives early Christian recommendations about what militates against true Christian community, and what makes for it. On the negative side there are grudges against one another, losing one’s temper, loud talking, name-calling, spitefulness. On the positive side it recommends friendliness, kindness, and especially forgiveness readily given, as Christ has forgiven us. The person and teaching of Christ stand closely behind all this. It all makes for a genuine Christian community, a fragrant offering to God in imitation of that of Christ. Gospel (John 6:41-51). I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. In this section of the discourse where Jesus presents himself as the bread of life, emphasis is on Jesus as the one who has come down from heaven to give eternal life. At this very beginning, the scene and discourse are set against the backdrop of the desert wanderings and the manna episode with the Israelites “murmuring”, “complaining”. In the original text, the murmuring in Moses’ time produced the gift of water (Exodus 15:24) and the manna 16:2, 7, 12). Murmuring was regarded as unbelief (Isaiah 10:12; Psalm 106:24-25). Today’s passage is very much about the faith required to understand Jesus and his message, a faith equally required of the Jewish people with a deep belief in God. The first “complaint” concerns Jesus’ assertion of himself as bread of life, descended from heaven, and his known human origins, known from the persons regarded as his human father Joseph, and his mother. Jesus’ reply is on the absolute need of faith, a gift of his Father, belief in him and his mission. A prophetic citation is adduced in clarification, probably Isaiah 54:13 (“All your children shall be taught by the Lord”), possibly combined with Jeremiah 31:34 (“No longer shall they teach one another, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest’ says the Lord”). Whatever of the meaning of these texts in their original setting in the sixth century or so B.C., they are applied by John in the age of fulfilment to Jesus. Belief in him is a gift of the Father. Listening to the voice and the teaching of the Father, in one’s soul, leads to Jesus. Monotheism, belief in an unseen personal God, and furthermore One who addresses his will to his people and humanity, was and in never easy. It requires faith. Jesus repeats the central truth that nobody has ever seen God, God the Father. This unseen God was being revealed by Jesus his Son, who has come on earth from God. Against the backdrop of the biblical manna tradition, Jesus is propounding teaching that he will later develop at greater length elsewhere in this Gospel. Jesus has come from the Father to bring life to the world, to bring the life of the Father to believers in him and to humanity, to unite them to life he has with the Father. The life he brings is eternal life, new life with God already on earth, a life to continue with God in a new way after death. Union with Christ, eating him as the bread of life, brings this eternal life; those who eat it will not die but live forever. This new manna thus differs from the old manna of the desert; that did not give eternal life. Jesus is the bread of life through his person, his teaching, through the divine life of the Father which he communicates through grace. This passage speaks of Jesus as the bread of life metaphorically speaking. The reading ends on a note that will lead to Jesus as the bread of Life through his death on the cross, his flesh for our salvation, his flesh present in the Eucharist. The next section, read next Sunday, will speak of Jesus as the bread of life in a realistic, Eucharistic, sense. The Bible in Dialogue with Questions of the Day: Transparency in Private and Public Life In discourse concerning political and public life much in often made of the need of transparency and the means to attain and sustain it. From tribunal hearings and other ways the public learns of improper deals, financial and otherwise, and occasionally public professions of personal transparency which prove to be unfounded. In Church administration there is occasional cover-up in matters of clerical under-age sex abuse in order to protect the good name of the institution. Modern legislation aims at making transparency the rule, by means of freedom of information and such like. Readings from the Epistle to the Ephesians remind us of how central truth, openness and transparency are to Christian life, in everyday life as well as in public. Paul stresses that truth should shine forth in all Christian life, and through this be an example to unbelievers. We should all put away all falsehood, and speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25). The Christian community is sealed with the Holy Spirit of God. Untruthfulness grieves this Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Once when Paul was accused by the church in Corinth of a kind of double-dealing, saying one thing and doing another, he reacted very strongly. Such behaviour would be a complete contradiction of his mission from Christ. He speaks emphatically: “Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with frankness* and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God—and all the more towards you. 13For we write to you nothing other than what you can read and also understand”. In the Latin and Greek of the word “sincerity” some would see an expression of transparency. “Sincerity”, in Latin (sincerus) might be seen as deriving from sine cera, “without wax”, and the Greek word eilikrineia as connected with the Greek word for “sun” (helios) and judgment (krino) — as transparent as the sun shining through clear glass. Jesus stressed the need for transparency in the lives of his followers. Their actions were to reflect their true inner selves. He severely criticizes hypocrisy in religion, outward show without inner substance. His followers are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Through their good works their light is to shine before others, so that they may see their good works and give glory to their Father in heaven. Through their simple everyday living, Christ’s followers bear this witness, as they have done throughout the centuries when inspired by the clear teaching of Jesus in the Gospels and of Paul and his followers in the Second Readings of the Sunday Mass.
1.1 2.1 3.1 3.2 4.1 5.1 6.1 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 8.1 8.2 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 9.10 9.11 9.12 10.1 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 11.19 11.20 12.1 12.2 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5
Lúnasa 5 2018 (B) An tOchtú Domhnach Déag Saor Freagra don Chreideamh leis an mBíobla leis an Ath. Máirtín Mac Conmara, MSC Léachtaí an Domhnaigh mar Threoir don Bheatha Chríostaí An Bíobla in Agallamh le Ceisteanna an Lae: Treoir cheart agus mhícheart don bheatha. Léachtaí an Domhnaigh mar Threoir don Bheatha Chríostaí. Céad Léacht (Eeacsadas 16:2-4, 12-15). Fearfaidh mé arán anuas ó neamh daoibh. Cuireann an léacht seo síos ar na hiontais a rinne an Tiarna dá phobal Iosrael le linn a dturais ón Éigipt go Tír Tairngire. Bonn mór lúcháire dóibh an tsaoirse ó dhaorbhroid na hÉigipte. Ach bhíodar anois san “fhásach”. Ní gaineamhlach, gan ann ach gaineamh, a bhí i gceist ach sort steip, gan ann ach fásra gann. An tréimhse seo san fhásach, ócáid a bhí ann le hIosrael a phromhadh lena fháil amach an mbeidis dílis don Tiarna a rinne iad a shaoradh ón Éigipt agus a bhí leis féin a fhoilsiú dóibh i slí níos doimhne fós. Deir an sliocht seo gur chrom siad ag “monabhar”, ag canrán, go cantalach. Bhíodar ag casaoid faoin easpa bia chirt, a mhalairt dá raibh acu san Éigipt. Sholáthair Dia dhá mhíorúilt dóibh, na gearga um tráthnóna agus an ceann eile, an manna, ar maidin. Is éan imirce an ghearg, a bhfuil aithne mhaith uirthi mar éan agus a dhéanann eitilt go mór mór san oíche. Maidir le manna de, is tál é a thagann i gcoda beaga mílse ón gcrann tamaraisc i míonna an Mheithimh agus na Bealtaine, agus is féidir é a ithe. Nuair a chonnaic na hEabhraigh é chuireadar an cheist: “Cad é seo?”, as Eabhrais (nó sa Airimis) man hu, agus as sin tagann an t-ainm manna. An mhíorúilt d’Iosrael ná an méid de a bhí ar fáil agus toisc go raibh teacht air an bhliain go léir. Cruthúnas na miorúiltí ar chúram Dé ar a phobal canránach sa tslí dóibh i dtrialacha an fhásaigh. Tá an cuntas seo mar chúlra d’aitheasc Íosa faoi féin mar arán na beatha, agus a lucht leanúina “ag monabhar” (Eoin 6:41, 43, 52, 61) agus Íosa á chuir féin i láthair mar arán fírinnach na beatha a thagann anuas ó neamh. Salm le Freagra (Salm 77[78]). Thug an Tiarna dóibh arán ó neamh. Dara Léacht (Eifisigh 4:17, 20-24). Gabhaigí chugaibh meon úrnua a cruthaíodh in íomhá Dé. An léacht seo is mír thosaigh í de roinn fhada (Eifisigh 4:17-5:20) de aitheasc ina spreagann an t-údar iad siúd a chreideann i gCríost beatha a chaitheamh de réir na gairme a fuair siad uaidh. Sa léacht seo déanann Pól, nó scríbhneoir níos déanaí faoi spiorad Phóil, codarsnacht idir an ghairm Chriostaí agus an léargas pagánach faoin bheatha (nó easpa léarghais) mór timpeall orthu agus roinnt nósanna agus cleachtaí pagánacha. Molann sé dá léitheoirí gan ligint dóibh féin bheith súite isteach ag an timpeallacht phaganach, ach a mhalairt: bheith deimhin de go bhfuil teachtaireacht acu don timpeallacht phagánach sin. Luachanna agus cleachtaí pagánacha, níorbh iad sin an teagasc a fuair siad ó Chríost – nó de réir na litre: ní hamhlaidh a d’fhoglaim siad Críost. “Críost a fhoghlaim” ait an tslí lena chur, ach í lán de bhrí. Is é Críost eisesamlár na beatha Críostaí. Ionann “Críost a fhoghlaim” agus a thuiscint cé hé Críost dáirire sa bheatha Chríostaí, bheith mar Chríost. Rinneadar “Criost a fhoghlaim” sa teagasc a fuair siad faoi Chríost ag ullmhú don bhaisteadh dóibh, Críost mar eiseamláir agus foinse don bheatha Chríostaí, agus tá an teagasc sin á thabhairt chun cuimhne anois ag Pól dá léitheoirí. Measann údar na litreach seo go raibh an fhéintuiscint agus na mianta pagánacha ar strae, mearbhlach agus contrartha don léargas Críostaí. Feictear ar an mbeatha Chríostaí, a bhfuil an baisteadh in uisce mar shiombal di, mar dhuine nua, mar phearsa nua inmheánach in íomhá Chríost, beatha nua nach mór maireachtáil i naofacht. Is athnuacan inmheánach í ina cumhacht agus sna aidhmeanna atá aici. Bhí brí agus éifeacht faoi leith ag na briathra seo do léitheoirí tosaigh na litreach seo sa timpeallacht neamh-Chríostaí, phagánach, ina raibh siad, ach is féidir feidhm a bhaint astu go fóill le teachtaireacht do lucht leanúna Chríost inár laethanta féin mar a bhfuil go minic timpeallacht atá naimhdeach do Chríost agus don léargas Críostaí faoin saol abhus agus thall. An Soiscéal (Eoin 6:24-35). An té a thagann chugamsa, ní bheidh ocras air choíche, agus an té a chreideann ionamsa, ní bheidh tart air choíche. Leanann an léacht seo ar aghaidh leis an teachtaireacht ó mhíorúilt Íosa in iolrú na mbuilíni agus na n-iasc a léadh san Aifreann an Domhnach seo caite. Níl an véarsa tosaigh ar fad soiléir maidir leis an áit, taobh an locha nó Mhuir na Gailíle atá i gceist. Ar aon chuma is é Cafarnáum an t-ardán láir anois d’aitheasc Íosa. Bíodh nach ndéantar tagairt dó i dtéacs seo Shoiscéal Eoin bhí iomrá ar Cafarnáúm mar an láthair ina a rinne Íosa an chuid is mó dá mhíorúilti, agus bheadh breith dhian le tabhairt uirthi de bharr a heaspa creidimh (feic Matha 11:25; Lúcás 10:15). Mar fhreagra ar an gceist faoi cathain a tháinig sé go Cafarnáúm, ba é freagra Íosa ná go raibh siad á lorg ní de bhrí go bhfaca siad comharthaí (míorúilt na mbuilíní) ach go raibh a sáth acu. Ba spéis leo an rud tadhail, ábhartha, corportha, seachas an bhrí spioradálta a bhí sa mhíorúilt, sa chomhartha. Ansin déanann Íosa an bhrí a bhaineann le traidisiún bíobalta an mhanna a mhíniú dóibh sa ré nua, sna tosca nua a bhí tagaithe, is é sin le rá a mhisean féin ón Athair. Sa téacs seo tá imirt focal ar théarma amháin a aistrítear mar “saothar, saothraigh, obair, déanamh”: gan an bia a théann amú a shaothrú, ach an bia a mhaireann chun na beatha síoraí, a thugann Mac an Duine (Íosa féin). Chuir an tAthair a shéala air tríd a mhíorúilti, agus cheana ina bhaisteadh. Leanann an imirt focal ar an dtéarma “saothar, obair” ar aghaidh. Iarrann a lucht éisteachta air cad tá le déanamh acu ionas go ndéanfadh siad oibreacha Dé. Is é freagra Íosa ná gurbh é seo “obair Dé” creidiúint in Íosa a sheol an tAthair uaidh. Tá codarsnacht anseo anois idir “obair”, “saothar” agus creideamh, glacadh le bronntanas Dé trí Íosa. Ionann “obair Dé”, agus saothrú Dé trína bhronntanas. Ní obair dhaonna, saothar daonna atá i gceist ach saothrú Dé a ghlactar trí chreideamh in Íosa foinse na beatha. Bronntanas ó Dhia, agus ní ó Mhaois, ab ea an manna. Is é arán fírinneach Dé ná an t-aran, nó an Té (Íosa, Mac an Duine), a thagann anuas ó neamh agus a thugann beatha don domhan. Is í éirim an aithisc, mar sin, ná gur tháinig Íosa anuas ó neamh le treo sa bheatha a thabhairt don chine daonna, trína theagasc, a phearsa, an Eocairist, agus leis an neart a thabhairt dóibh maireachtáil de réir phlean an Athar in Íosa. An Bíobla in Agallamh le Ceisteanna an lae. Treoir cheart agus mhícheart don bheatha. In aon cheist faoin mBíobla bheith in agallamh le ceisteanna an lae is fiú dúinn aird a thabhairt ar a bhfuil le rá ag an mBíobla féin faoi agallamh ar a leithéid de cheisteanna agus faoi na prionsabail Chríostaí a ba chóir a bheith in aon agallamh dá leithéid. Tá sampla álainn againn de sin in aitheasc Íosa faoi féin mar arán na beatha (Eoin caibideal 6) agus i mbriathra Phóil ag moladh do chreidmhigh conas iad féin a iompar i dtimpeallacht phagánach, neamh-Chríostaí (Eifisigh 4:17, 20-24). Tá Íosa in agallamh lena chomhmhuintir Ghiúdach féin agus baineann aitheasc Phóil le cultúr na Gréige. Tá siad araon ar aon aigne faoi seo, go mbaineann an teachtaireacht Chriostaí (pé acu i mbéal Íosa nó sa litir chuig na hEifisigh) le treoir, treoshuíomh, le glacadh ag an phearsa dhaonna go hiomlán, agus í dírithe ar Chríost agus Críost mar lárphointe aici, agus a bheith réidh do na himpleachtaí go léir a leanann as sin. Le feidhm a bhaint as téarmaí ríomhaireachta, tugann creideamh i gCríost, mar a déarfá, córas réamhshocruithe nua; tugann sé soiléireacht agus deimhne maidir le faoi mar is choir ár mbeatha Chríostaí a chaitheamh. Agus mar is léir uaidh sin, tugann sé breith ar luachanna áirithe den chultúr agus den tsochaí ina mhaireann na creidmhigh. Déanann sé sin gan drom láimhe a thabhairt do aon chultúr faoi leith, ach amháin do na codanna de nach bhfuil ag teacht leis an gcreideamh i gCríost, lena mhisean agus lena theachtaireacht. Ní raibh Íosa frith-Ghiúdach. Fuair sé mar oidhreacht agus mhair sé cultúr agus tradisiún a phobail, ach tháinig sé leis an oidhreacht agus traidisiún sin a chlaochlú, lena athrú chun feabhais, mar theachtaire a seoladh amach ag Dia a Athair. Ní raibh Pól in éadan chultur na Gréige ná níor iarr sé ar a eaglaisí diúltiú dá shaibhreas. Ag teacht go deireadh a litreach chuig na Filipigh scríobh sé mar seo (Filipigh 4:8-9): “Mar fhocal scoir, a bhráithre, bíodh bhur n-aire ar an rud fíor, ar an rud uasal, ar an rud cóir, ar an rud naofa, ar an rud measúil, ar an rud creidiúnach, ar an rud suáilceach inmholta. Má chuireann sibh i bhfeidhm an teagasc a mhúin mé daoibh agus a ghlac sibh uaim agus na nithe a chuala sibh nó a chonaic sibh mé a dhéanamh, beidh Dia na síochána libh”. Ach san am céanna deir Pól agus scríbhneoirí eile an Tiomna Nua go ndéanann iompú chun Chríost agus an baisteadh briseadh glan leis an sórt saoil a chaitheadh roimhe sin muna bhfuil sin ag teacht leis an gcreideamh i gCríost. I litreacha Phóil, agus i scríbhinní eile faoina ionspioráid tá cur sios grinn ar chuid de na chleachtaí nárbh fhéidir glacadh leo, cuid acu ag baint le cúrsaí gnéis, téacsanna atá fágtha ar lár ar uairibh sna léachtaí liotúirgeacha. Tá nósanna agus teagasc eile i gcultúr an lae inniu nach bhfuil ag teacht le teagasc Chriost, mar a bhfuil sin le fáil, mar shampla, sa tSeanmóir ar an Sliabh. Is é atá sna téacsanna sin, ar ndóigh, ná frithfhreagairt na luatheaglaise do chultúr agus do shochaí na Gréige agus na Róimhe. Ach mar sin féin tá na téacsanna sin ag labhairt linn go fóill inniu. In aois ar bith i gcroílár an chreidimh Chríostaí agus na beatha Críostaí tá Críost féin. Mar a deir an litir chuig na hEifisigh, ní mór do Chríostaithe “Críost a fhoghlaim”, é a thógaint mar eiseamláir, agus glacadh leis na himpleachtai a leanann as sin mar is soiléir dúinn ón dtraidisiún Críostaí. Tugann sin treoir agus treoshuíomh don Chríosrtaí in aon agallamh le cultúr eile in aois ar bith faoi mar ar chóir chúrsaí na beatha ar talamh a riaradh.