June 2 2021

First reading Tobit 3:1-11,16-17

Raphael is sent to bring remedy to the house of Tobit

Sad at heart, I, Tobit, sighed and wept, and began this prayer of lamentation:

‘You are just, O Lord,

and just are all your works.

All your ways are grace and truth,

and you are the Judge of the world.

‘Therefore, Lord, remember me, look on me.

Do not punish me for my sins

or for my heedless faults

or for those of my fathers.

‘For we have sinned against you

and broken your commandments;

and you have given us over to be plundered,

to captivity and death,

to be the talk, the laughing-stock and scorn

of all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.

‘Whereas all your decrees are true

when you deal with me as my faults deserve,

and those of my fathers,

since we have neither kept your commandments

nor walked in truth before you;

so now, do with me as you will;

be pleased to take my life from me;

I desire to be delivered from earth

and to become earth again.

For death is better for me than life.

I have been reviled without a cause

and I am distressed beyond measure.

‘Lord, I wait for the sentence you will give

to deliver me from this affliction.

Let me go away to my everlasting home;

do not turn your face from me, O Lord.

For it is better to die than still to live

in the face of trouble that knows no pity;

I am weary of hearing myself traduced.’

It chanced on the same day that Sarah the daughter of Raguel, who lived in Media at Ecbatana, also heard insults from one of her father’s maids. You must know that she had been given in marriage seven times, and that Asmodeus, that worst of demons, had killed her bridegrooms one after another before ever they had slept with her as man with wife. The servant-girl said, ‘Yes, you kill your bridegrooms yourself. That makes seven already to whom you have been given, and you have not once been in luck yet. Just because your bridegrooms have died, that is no reason for punishing us. Go and join them, and may we be spared the sight of any child of yours!’ That day, she grieved, she sobbed, and went up to her father’s room intending to hang herself. But then she thought, ‘Suppose they blamed my father! They will say, “You had an only daughter whom you loved, and now she has hanged herself for grief.” I cannot cause my father a sorrow which would bring down his old age to the dwelling of the dead. I should do better not to hang myself, but to beg the Lord to let me die and not live to hear any more insults.’

This time the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God, and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both. He was to take the white spots from the eyes of Tobit, so that he might see God’s light with his own eyes; and he was to give Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, as bride to Tobias son of Tobit, and to rid her of Asmodeus, that worst of demons. For it was to Tobias before all other suitors that she belonged by right. Tobit was coming back from the courtyard into the house at the same moment as Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, was coming down from the upper room.

Responsorial Psalm 24(25):2-9

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

I trust you, let me not be disappointed;

do not let my enemies triumph.

Those who hope in you shall not be disappointed,

but only those who wantonly break faith.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

In you I hope all day long

because of your goodness, O Lord.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

He guides the humble in the right path,

He teaches his way to the poor.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Gospel Mark 12:18-27

The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob is the God of the living

Some Sadducees – who deny that there is a resurrection – came to him and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a wife and then died leaving no children. The second married the widow, and he too died leaving no children; with the third it was the same, and none of the seven left any children. Last of all the woman herself died. Now at the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be, since she had been married to all seven?’

Jesus said to them, ‘Is not the reason why you go wrong, that you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising again, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him and said: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken.’

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2nd June 2021 Wednesday 9th Week of Ordinary Time – SS. Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs.

Reflection
Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17, Mark 12:18-27

“Jesus reveals who God is: God is God of the Living”
“He is God, not of the dead, but of the living”. Jesus was referring to Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush. It was God who said, “I AM the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob”. The use of the present tense, “I am”, and not “I was”, shows that God is the God of the living, not of the dead. This is the security that we can hold onto. God guarantees eternal life to His friends. What is eternal life? It is the sharing of God’s life and love that starts here and now, and that will continue beyond physical death.

The promise of resurrection and eternal life leads us to live differently. We, as friends of the Living God, choose to love others, to do good, to keep our promises, to fight for justice, to work for peace, etc. Despite the disappointments and frustrations that we face each day, we live in communion with God and one another because we know that His life and love will never end.

Question for reflection:
How does my faith in the resurrection influence the way I live today?

Renungan

Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17, Markus 12:18-27

“Yesus menyatakan siapa Allah: Allah adalah Allah orang hidup”
“Ia bukanlah Allah orang mati, melainkan Allah orang hidup”. Yesus merujuk kepada pertemuan Musa dengan Allah di dalam nyala api yang keluar dari semak duri. Tuhanlah yang mengatakan, “AKULah Allah Abraham, Ishak dan Yakub”. Penggunaan kata “Aku (I am)”, dan bukan “Aku (I was)” menunjukkan bahawa Allah adalah Allah yang hidup, bukan yang mati. Inilah keselamatan yang dapat kita pegang. Tuhan menjamin hidup yang kekal untuk sahabat-sahabat-Nya. Apakah hidup kekal? Ia adalah perkongsian hidup dan kasih Allah yang bermula di sini dan saat ini dan akan berterusan setelah kematian fizikal.

Janji kebangkitan dan kehidupan kekal memimpin kita untuk hidup berbeza. Kita sebagai sahabat-sahabat Allah Hidup memilih untuk mengasihi sesama, melakukan kebaikan, berpegang pada janji, berjuang demi keadilan, bekerja untuk kedamaian dan sebagainya. Walaupun kita berhadapan dengan kekecewaan dan keputusasaan setiap hari, kita hidup bersatu dengan Tuhan dan satu sama lain kerana kita tahu bahawa hidup dan kasih-Nya tidak akan pernah berhenti.

Soalan renungan:
Bagaimana iman saya akan kebangkitan mempengaruhi cara hidup saya hari ini?

(Versi Murut)

02 Jun 2021, Orou Katalu Minggu’ Kaindalaman Kabalu’, SS. Marcellinus & Peter, Martir

Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17; Markus 12:18-27

Nampabalaan ri Jisus ra osoi i Aki Kapuuno’: i Aki Kapuuno’ noyo i Aki Kapuuno’ ondo’ maayag
“Io sala’ ka i Aki Kapuuno’ ru ulun matoi, Aki Kapuuno’ ru ulun maayag.” Rinagu ri Jisus pantuuman ri Musa am i Aki Kapuuno’ giu’ ralalom simbula’ ru apui ondo’ mingkual intor ra bulungkut makaruui. Tuhan noyo ondo’ mindagu ra, “AKU noyo i Aki Kapuuno’ ri Abragam, i Isak am i Jakub.” Namaguna’ ra ragu “AKU noyo”, am sala’ ka “AKU ti am” manulu’ ra i Aki Kapuuno’ iono i Aki Kapuuno’ ondo’ maayag, sala’ ondo’ matoi. Gitio noyo pamayagan ondo’ maalap takau kaguut. Tuhan mambantu’ ra kaayagan ondo’ mantilayun ra rangan-rangan Nano. Atan kia kaayagan mantilayun? Ginio noyo pagapuan ru kaayagan am togom ri Aki Kapuuno’ ondo’ tumalimpuun ragiti am paat ragitio am rumayus mopongo matoi batang ru inan.
Bantu’ ru kaayagan saguli’ am kaayagan mantilayun maningganai ritakau koson maayag ra suai. Itakau koson ra rangan-rangan ri Aki Kapuuno’ Maayag mampili’ koson motogom ra gino po ngai’, mambaal ra moonsoi, gumuut ra bantu’, mingkotog sabap ra katimpakan, mangandoi koson pabansayan am bokon poyo. Kabalu’ pana mauma’ takau masindualan am mangkaus ra moonong orou, maayg takau masimpung ra Tuhan am rondo’ am bokon sabap ra makapandai takau ra maayag am togom Nano kalo igondo’ lumonggo’.

Pangkuatan ra paguangin:
Ati kulaan kaintapatan kuti ra kaayagan saguli’ sumonor ra baal kaayagan kuti ra orou raiti’?

(Versi Iban)

02-06-2021 Hari Tiga Minggu Selama Ka-9 – St. Marcellinus & Peter.

Renungan
Tobit 3:1-11,16-17; Mark 12:18-27

“Jesus mandangka sapa Allah Taala: Iya meh Allah Taala ka orang ti idup. “
“Iya meh Allah Taala,ukai orang ti mati tang Allah Taala ka orang ti idup”. Jesus ngena pasal Moses ti betemu enggau Allah Taala ba endur babas ti bisi api tang enda angus. Dia Allah Taala bejako, “Aku meh Allah Taala Abraham, Isaac enggau Jacob”. Leka jako “Aku Meh” mandang ka Allah Taala nya sertai kitai belama, Iya Allah Taala ka orang ti idup. Tu meh utai ti dipegai kitai nyadi ka lalau tenggau. Allah Taala besemaya meri pengidup meruan ka orang ti bekaul enggau Iya. Nama pengidup meruan? Bekunsi pengidup enggau pengerindu Allah Taala bepun diatu sereta ditu, ti lalu di tangkan sepengudah pemati tubuh kitai.

Semaya angkat ari pemati enggau bulih pengidup meruan meransang kitai awak diau enggau enda nitih jalai dunya. Kitai meh kaban Allah Taala ti idup, milih rindu ka orang bukai, ngereja pemadas, ngisi danji kitai, niri ka pengelurus, gawa ka pemaik. Taja kitai dituntung penusah ati ninting hari, kitai begelumu dalam Allah Taala enggau orang bukai laban kitai arap ka pengidup Iya sereta pengerindu Iya nadai puntan tauka padam.

Kati pengarap aku dalam pengangkat ari pemati meri pangka dalam pengidup aku saritu?

(Versi Cina)

2021年6月2日常年期第九周单数年星期三圣玛策廉及圣伯多禄

省思
«多三:1-11,16-17»
«谷十二:18-27»

” 耶稣揭示了天主是谁:天主是活人的天主”

“祂是天主，不是死人的天主，而是活人的天主”。耶稣指的是梅瑟在燃烧的灌木丛中与天主相遇。天主说: “我是亚巴郎，依撒格和雅各伯的天主。” 这是现在式的用法 “我是” 而不是 “我曾经” 的过去式表明，天主是活人的天主，而不是死人的天主。这是我们的保证可以紧紧的拥有。天主向祂的朋友们保证获得永生。什么是永生？这是天主分享祂的生命和爱，从现在开始而将持续到身肉体上的死亡。

复活和永生的诺言使我们度过不同的生活。我们作为永生天主的朋友，选择爱别人、去做善事、遵守我们的诺言、为正义而战、为和平而努力等等。虽然我们的生活每天面对失望和沮丧，但是我们与天主和其他人彼此共融，因为我们知道祂的生命和爱将永无止境。

省思题：
我对复活的信仰如何影响我今天的生活方式？

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr. Sandra Seow FMVD.