Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist - Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 587
Reading 1 IS 49:1-6
Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 14C-15
R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Reading 2 ACTS 13:22-26
In those days, Paul said:
"God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’
“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.”
Alleluia SEE LK 1:76
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
TAFAKARI YA LEO
“MBEGU ZA UZIMA”
Tafakari ya Jumapili
Jumapili, Juni 24, 2018.
Juma la 12 la Mwaka wa Kanisa
Sherehe ya kuzaliwa kwa Mt.Yohane Mbatizaji
Is 49: 1-6;
Zab 138: 1-3, 13-15;
Mdo13: 22-26;
Lk 1: 57-66, 80
ISHARA YA UTUKUFU YA JUA LA HAKI !
Kwa kawaida Kanisa halisheherekei sikukuu za kuzaliwa za watakatifu. Lakini kuna sikukuu nyingine za pekee ambazo ni kuzaliwa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo-na sherehe za kuzaliwa Bikira Maria naya kuzawaliwa kwa Yohane Mbatizaji. Hii ni kwasababu Maria, tangu kuumbwa kwake kwanza alikingiwa dhambi ya asili. Yohane Mbatizaji alitakaswa kutoka dhambi ya asili akiwa tumboni mwa mama yake. Leo inajulikana kama “Noeli ndogo” kwasababu Yohane alimtangulia Yesu na alimbatiza Kristo. Maisha ya Yohane Mbatizaji yalijazwa na jambo moja-kumuonesha Yesu kwa watu na kuandaa ujio wa Ufalme wa Mungu. Maandiko matakatifu yanatuambia kwamba Yohane Mbatizaji alijazwa na Roho Mtakatifu hata angali tumboni mwa mama yake (Lk 1: 15, 41) na Kristo mwenyewe ambaye Bikira Maria alipata mimba kwa uwezo wa Roho Mtakatifu. Moto wa Roho Mtakatifu ulimjaza Yohane na akawa mtangulizi wa Masiha. Yohane alivunja ukimya wa manabii wa karne zilizopita alipoanza kuongelea kuhusu Neno wa Mungu kwa watu wa Israeli. Akiwa katikati ya watu waliopoteza matumaini yao kuhusu Mungu, sasa anaiamsha tena Imani yao, kuwatahadharisha kuhusu usafi wa mioyo yao, kuamsha tena ndani yao mapenzi mema ya kumtambua na kumkubali Masiha anayekuja. Watu walikimbilia jangwani kwenda kumsikiliza na kubatizwa.
Yohane aliitwa kutoka tumboni mwa mama yake kuwa mjumbe wa ufalme wa Mungu. Kwa njia hiyo hiyo Yesu naye anatualika sisi tuliowafuasi wake na tuliobatizwa kwa jina lake, tuweze kuwa manabii- tuwe watu wanaotangaza kwa maneno na matendo ujumbe wa haki na huruma. Tangu ubatizo wetu (Kuzaliwa katika maisha ya Kimungu) sisi kama Yohane, tuna utume wakufanya kutoka katika mpango wa Baba yetu. Sio tuu kumfuata Yesu, bali kutangaza siku ya ukombozi tunayo tumaini ndani ya kristo kwamba itatimilizwa.
Tutafakari leo, hasa katika zile hali ambazo hatukuwa waaminifu kwa Mungu katika maisha yetu. Mungu atatupokea tena na kubadilisha maisha yetu. Mungu anatusubiri na huruma yake haina kikomo. Turuhusu huruma yake ijaze mioyo yetu ili iweze kupokea daima uzuri wa Mungu. Nasi pia kama Yohane, alivyo itwa kuwa mjumbe wa Ufalme wa Mungu, Yesu anampa kila mbatizwa Roho wake kutangaza kwa maneno na matendo ufalme wa haki na huruma.
Watu wameishia kujidharau na kukataa maisha yao na sasa wanaishi maisha ya wengine. Ishi kuendana na mpango wa Mungu aliouweka katika maisha yako. Watu wengi wamekataa maisha yao ambayo wanapaswa kuyaishi na wameishia kuishi maisha ya wengine. Wewe ni wa thamani sana kwa jinsi ulivyo na Mungu anakupenda kwa jinsi ulivyo.
Katika maisha ya Yohane Mbatizaji tunaona unyenyekevu wa hali ya juu. Hakujisifu kwa kitu ambacho hakihusiani na yeye. Hata kwa wale ambao walikuwa wakichanganyikiwa kuhusu Masiha na yeye mwenyewe alisema “mimi sie Masiha” (Yn 1:20). Aliendelea hata nakusema kwamba Masiha ni mkubwa kuliko yeye, hivyo anapaswa yeye abatizwe na Masiha sio yeye ammbatize Masiha. (Mat. 3:14). Tunaitwa daima kutafakari juu ya unyenyekevu daima katika maisha yetu. Kilicho muhimu sana katika hili nikufahamu nafasi zetu na kuzikubali na bila kujaribu kuwa mtu mwingine ambaye sio mimi.
Ukweli ulikuwa ni kilele cha utume wa Yohane Mbatizaji. Tunatambau kwamba yeye alikuja ili aushuhudie ukweli. Bila shaka ukweli wenyewe ni Yesu (Mat. 14:1-12). Maisha yetu yanapaswa yapambwe na ukweli daima. Ukweli unapaswa kusemwa daima kwasababu unamuinua na kumtukuza Mungu.
Sala: Bwana, nisaidie niweze kuona dhambi zangu za zamani si katika hali ya kupoteza tumaini bali kama sababu ya kurudi kwako kwa uaminifu mkubwa. Bila kujali nimeanguka mara ngapi, nisaidie niweze kunyanyuka na kuimba tena sifa zako. Yesu nakuamini wewe. Mt. Yohane mbatizaji mhubiri wa ukweli usiye kuwa na woga, utuombee. Amina.