Mar 18 2021

First reading Exodus 32:7-14

Moses pleads with the Lord his God to spare Israel

The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. “Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.’

But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.’

So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Responsorial Psalm 105(106):19-23

O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.

They fashioned a calf at Horeb

and worshipped an image of metal,

exchanging the God who was their glory

for the image of a bull that eats grass.

They forgot the God who was their saviour,

who had done such great things in Egypt,

such portents in the land of Ham,

such marvels at the Red Sea.

For this he said he would destroy them,

but Moses, the man he had chosen,

stood in the breach before him,

to turn back his anger from destruction.

Gospel John 5:31-47

You place your hopes on Moses but Moses will be your accuser

Jesus said to the Jews:

‘Were I to testify on my own behalf,

my testimony would not be valid;

but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf,

and I know that his testimony is valid.

You sent messengers to John,

and he gave his testimony to the truth:

not that I depend on human testimony;

no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this.

John was a lamp alight and shining

and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave.

But my testimony is greater than John’s:

the works my Father has given me to carry out,

these same works of mine testify

that the Father has sent me.

Besides, the Father who sent me

bears witness to me himself.

You have never heard his voice,

you have never seen his shape,

and his word finds no home in you

because you do not believe in the one he has sent.

‘You study the scriptures,

believing that in them you have eternal life;

now these same scriptures testify to me,

and yet you refuse to come to me for life!

As for human approval, this means nothing to me.

Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you.

I have come in the name of my Father

and you refuse to accept me;

if someone else comes in his own name

you will accept him.

How can you believe,

since you look to one another for approval

and are not concerned

with the approval that comes from the one God?

Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father:

you place your hopes on Moses,

and Moses will be your accuser.

If you really believed him

you would believe me too,

since it was I that he was writing about;

but if you refuse to believe what he wrote,

how can you believe what I say?’

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18th March 2021 Thursday 4th Week of Lent

Reflection
Exodus 32:7-14, John 5:31-47

“Human glory means nothing to me!”
Today’s passage is a continuation of the previous days. Like the others, it might not be easy to understand. Let us, however, focus on the verse that speaks to you at this point in your life. One key sentence that we can ponder on is: ‘How can you believe since you look to each other for glory and are not concerned with the glory that comes from the one God?’. Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders worked for human glory and approval instead of God’s. For Jesus, He told them: ‘Human glory means nothing to me’. What about us? Whose glory and approval are we seeking?

Often, we want people to praise us or glorify us in order to affirm our sense of self-worth, and thus we do things to please them. As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus by rooting our self-worth in God and His love for us. We seek to please Him by doing what He requires from us, which is to love and serve those whom He places along our path. May we today ask God: “Lord, how do you want me to live my life?”

Question for reflection:
How can I live each day seeking God’s approval and not human glory?

18 hb Mac 2021 Hari Khamis Minggu Prapaska Ke – 4

Renungan
noKeluaran 32:7-14, Yohanes 5:31-47

“Kemuliaan manusia tidak bermakna bagi saya!”
Petikan hari ini merupakan kesinambungan dari hari-hari sebelumnya. Seperti yang lain, ia agak sukar untuk difahami. Namun marilah kita memberi tumpuan kepada ayat yang berbicara tentang hidup kita ketika ini. Satu ayat utama yang boleh kita renungkan adalah: ‘’Bagaimanakah kamu dapat percaya, kamu yang menerima hormat seorang dari yang lain dan yang tidak mencari hormat yang datang dari Tuhan yang Esa?’Yesus mengetahui bahawa pemimpin Yahudi bekerja untuk kemuliaan dan penerimaan manusiawi dan bukan Tuhan. Bagi Yesus, Dia mengatakan kepada mereka: ‘Kemuliaan manusia tidak bermakna bagi saya’. Bagaimana dengan kita? Kemuliaan siapakah yang kita cari?

Seringkali kita mahu orang memuji dan memuliakan kita untuk menegaskan harga diri kita dan dengan demikian kita melakukan sesuatu untuk menyenangkan mereka. Sebagai orang Kristian, kita dipanggil untuk mengikuti Yesus dengan mengakarkan diri kita kepada Tuhan dan kasihNya terhadap kita. Kita berusaha untuk menyenangkan Dia dengan melakukan kehendakNya, iaitu mengasih dan melayani orang-orang yang ditempatkan di sepanjang perjalanan hidup kita. Semoga hari ini kita mohon kepada Tuhan: “Tuhan, kehidupan bagaimana yang Engkau ingin untuk aku jalani?”

Soalan renungan:
Bagaimana saya dapat hidup setiap hari untuk mencari kehendak Allah dan bukan kemuliaan manusia?

18 Mac 2021, Orou Kaapat Minggu’ Kaapat Prapaska

Kaingkualan 32:7-14; Juanis 5:31-47

Ulun ra katulayan kolondo’ arati’ raki’
Pambasaan ra orou raiti’ tunggul intor ra orou nakasail. Koson ra bokon no, ginio maaru’ lair kalo matasu’ maratian. Kabalu’ pana raginio, ibok takau magilong ayuk tojojo ra ragu ondo’ paraguon ramuyun ralalom kaayagan min. Rondo’ ondo’ ragu ra mabuli takau mampaguang iono: “Ati kulaan akau mangintopot amun ru makiompor kau ayuk ra ulun am kalo makiompor kau ri Aki Kapuuno’ ondo’ rondo’ ayuk?” Nakapandai i Jisus ra tingganai-tingganai ulun Jaudi mangandoi koson makiompor ra ulun am pangiawan intor ri Aki Kapuuno’. Sabap ri Jisus, mindagu Io risilo: “Kalo makiompor Aku ra ulun”. Atan kulaan ritakau? Osoi ra ompor am pangiawan ondo’ uyumon takau?
Masalok, masaga’ takau omporon ru ulun kapoam iowon takau maa’ raginio mamanggo takau, am koon raginio mambaal takau ra baal ondo’ kasagain nilo. Koson ra ulun Kristian, itakau piawon koson maya’ ri Jisus ra manambakat takau galama’ ondo’ mokoonong ralalom ri Aki Kapuuno’ am togom Nano ritakau. Uyumon takau no ondo’ mampakatasu’ ra guang Nano ra mambaal ra atan kasagaan Nano baalon takau, iono motogom am mangandoi ra ulun ondo’ soroi ra intok liput takau. Ra orou raiti’ pakitaak takau ri Aki Kapuuno’: “Tuhan, ati kulaan kasaga’ Muno ra ralan ru kaayagan kuti?”

Pangkuatan ra paguangin:
Ati kulaan kaayagan kuti moonong orou makauyum ra pangiawan ri Aki Kapuuno’ am sala’ ka ompor ru ulun?

18-03-2021 Hari Empat Minggu Lent Ka-4

Renungan
Pemansut 32:7-14; John 5:31-47

“Puji ari mensia nadai reti ba aku!”
Bacha saritu, sambung ari jerita kemarik. Baka ka udah, jerita tu enda mudah di mereti ka. Taja pia, aram kitai merati ka genteran bacha ti bejako ngagai kitai lebuh awak diatu. Siti ari genteran bacha ti patut diperati kitai: Baka ni ku kita ulih arap, enti kita minta puji pangan diri, lalu enda minta puji ari Allah Taala siku aja?. Jesus nemu bala pemesai pengarap Judah gawa ngambi kena puji tauka diakun ulih mensia, ukai Allah Taala. Nya kebuah Jesus bejako ngagai sida: ‘Aku enda minta Diri dipuji mensia’. Kati baka kitai deh? Ni bagi puji enggau akun dunya ti digiga aku?

Suah kitai deka orang muji kitai ngambi kitai berasai bisi pemerani, nya kebuah kitai ngereja pengawa awak ngelantang ati sida. Kitai orang Kristen, dikangau nitih ka Jesus lalu betumbuh dalam Allah Taala sereta pengerindu Iya ka kitai. Kitai ngiga deka rinduka Iya enggau ngereja pengawa ti dipinta Iya ari kitai, keterubah nya Rindu sereta mela orang ti betemu enggau kitai ba rantau pejalai pengidup. Awak kitai nanya Allah Taala:”Tuhan kati Nuan deka aku diau dalam pengidup aku?

Kati aku ulih diau ninting hari begiga ka akun Allah Taala ukai mulia ari mensia?

2021年3月18日四旬期第四周星期四

省思
«出卅二:7-14»
«若五:31-47»

” 人類的光荣对我豪无意义！”
今天的福音章节是过去几天的延续。像其他的，可能不容易理解。但是，让我们集中精力在这生命中这一刻对你所说的那圣经章节。我们可以思考重要的一句话是：” 你們既然彼此尋求光榮，而不尋求出於唯一天主的光榮，你們怎麼能相信我呢？”。耶稣知道犹太人领袖为人类的光荣和认可而不是天主而努力。对于耶稣，祂告诉他们：“人类的光荣对我而言毫无意义。” 那我们呢？我们正在寻求谁的光荣和认可呢？

通常，我们希望人们称赞或光荣我们，以便可以肯定我们的自我价值观。因此，我们会做一些事情来取悦他们。作为基督徒，我们被要求跟随耶稣成为我们自己的价值观和祂对我们的爱。我们寻求祂所要求我们的去做而取悦祂，那就是要爱护和服务祂所爱的人在我们的生活的地方。今天我们可以问天主：“天主，祢要我度过怎样的生活？”

省思题：
在每天我如何寻求天主的赞同而不是世人的光荣？