Jul 31 2021

First reading Leviticus 25:1,8-17

The law of the jubilee year

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. He said:

‘You are to count seven weeks of years – seven times seven years, that is to say a period of seven weeks of years, forty-nine years. And on the tenth day of the seventh month you shall sound the trumpet; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout the land. You will declare this fiftieth year sacred and proclaim the liberation of all the inhabitants of the land. This is to be a jubilee for you; each of you will return to his ancestral home, each to his own clan. This fiftieth year is to be a jubilee year for you: you will not sow, you will not harvest the ungathered corn, you will not gather from the untrimmed vine. The jubilee is to be a holy thing to you, you will eat what comes from the fields.

‘In this year of jubilee each of you is to return to his ancestral home. If you buy or sell with your neighbour, let no one wrong his brother. If you buy from your neighbour, this must take into account the number of years since the jubilee: according to the number of productive years he will fix the price. The greater the number of years, the higher shall be the price demanded; the less the number of years, the greater the reduction; for what he is selling you is a certain number of harvests. Let none of you wrong his neighbour, but fear your God; I am the Lord your God.’

Responsorial Psalm 66(67):2-3,5,7-8

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.

Gospel Matthew 14:1-12

The beheading of John the Baptist

Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.

_____________________________________

(Versi English)

Levitivus 5:1, 8-17, Matthew 14:1-12

“The price of integrity”
Today, the gospel speaks of King, a weak man, who compromised the truth because he wanted to please others. It also tells us of the death of John the Baptist, who dared to speak the truth to the King and did not compromise in what he believed. In the process, he paid his life for standing up for God’s values. Today, let us allow this gospel story to speak to us as it invites us to reflect on which character we identify ourselves with: Herod or John the Baptist.

Today, we are called to imitate John the Baptist and walk the truth and integrity path. We must courageously stand up for our faith and witness the Gospel values, even when doing so leads us to walk the path of humiliation, rejection and even persecution. May God give us the grace to have the courage to be people of integrity.

Question for reflection:
Am I a person of integrity?

(Versi BM)

Renungan
Imamat 25:1, 8-17, Matius 14:1-12

“Harga integrity”
Injil hari ini berbicara tentang Raja, seorang yang lemah yang berkompromi dengan kebenaran kerana dia ingin menyenangkan orang lain. Ia juga mengingatkan kita tentang kematian Yohanes Pembaptis yang berani bercakap tentang kebenaran kepada Raja dan tidak berkompromi dengan apa yang dia yakini. Dalam proses itu, dia membayarnya dengan nyawanya demi nilai-nilai Tuhan. Marilah hari ini membenarkan kisah injil berbicara kepada kita kerana ia menjemput kita untuk merenungkan watak yang kita kenal dalam diri kita: Herodes atau Yohanes Pembaptis.

Hari ini kita dipanggil untuk meniru Yohanes Pembaptis dan mengikuti jalan kebenaran dan integriti. Kita harus berani mempertahankan iman kita dan bersaksi demi nilai-nilai Injil, walaupun ketika ia membawa kita berjalan di jalan penghinaan, penolakan dan bahkan penganiayaan. Semoga Tuhan memberikan rahmat kepada kita untuk berani menjadi orang yang berintegriti.

(Versi Murut)

*Imamat 25:1, 8-17; Matius 14:1-12*
Paat ragili niayuk raja’ Irodis, gabenor ru libung Galilia, nokorongog ra tanou ri Jisus. Indagu raja’ Irodis ra tingganai-tingganai namo, “Maaru’ gitio i Juanis Mampariu’ i! Naayag Io saguli’! Ginio ra Io mokoondo’ ra kuasa’ mambaal ra kaimuagan.” Kukula’ buoi ra nakasail i, maya’ ra susuban ru raja’ Irodis, i Juanis Mampariu’ rinakop. Bangkilo’ io am pasubolo’ ra pangaputan. Binaal ru raja’ Irodis koson raginio maya’ ra kasagaan ri Irodias, andu’ ri Pilipus, pongkotob ru raja’ Irodis. Sabap ra masalok i Juanis mansawai ri raja’ Irodis, kono, “Kalo iowon kou manangandu’ ri Irodias!” Potoyon raan ri raja’ Irodis i Juanis no kaa’ malaa’ io ra ulun ru Jaudi sabap ra ilo ti mangkara’ ri Juanis no sangulun nabi. Paat ra pangiantakan orou naganakan ri Irodis, anak ruandu’ ri Irodias nansayau ra saang ru tambului-tambului no. Tinuyang-tuyang ri raja’ Irodis lumaai riso, saboi io minindagu, “Magibot aku rirun ra atan ayuk kitaakon muno, aniin tokou!” Sabap ra sinusuk io ru ina’ nano, indagu boo ralaa no, “Pataaki’ raki’ raino niayuk ulu ri Juanis Mampariu’ ra rondo’ talam!” Mumpara’ boo ngiluk ru guang ru raja’ Irodis no, kaa’ nakapagibot io no ra saang ru tambului-tambului no. Ginop ra panusub i Irodis maa’ raginio bayaan kitaakon ru ralaa no. Ginio ra i Juanis iningguluan ra pangaputan. Ibito’ boo ulu no am pataaki’ ra ralaa no ra rondo’ talam. Ibito’ poyo ru ralaa no ra ina’ nano. Kopongo ragili ongoyo’ boo alapo’ baangkai ri Juanis no ru maamaya’-maamaya’ nano am lobongo’ nilo. Ilo pana ugar boo am balai’ nilo i Jisus ra baal raginio.

Logo ru kabanisan
Orou raiti’, kon ru Injil am raja’ Irodis, sangulun ondo’ malawo, ondo’ mikiala ra katapatan sabap ra masaga’ io mampakatasu’ ra guang ulun bokon. Ginio niayuk mambala’ ritakau ra pinatayan ri Juanis Mampariu’, ondo’ baani minindagu ra katapatan ra raja’ Irodis am mikiala ra atan ondo’ initopot nano. Ralalom ru pangulawan no, nampataak io ra kaayagan nano koson manungka’ ra logo ri Aki Kapuuno’. Orou raiti’, ibok iowo’ takau tunung ru Injil ti mindagu ritakau ra mangkimait ritakau koson mampaguang ra ati rondo’ ra paliso mapandayan takau ra itakau galama’ ginio i Irodis kapoam i Juanis Mampariu’.
Orou raiti’, itakau piawon manilu ri Juanis Mampariu’ am mugar ra katapatan am kabanisan ru ralan. Itakau musiti’ baani manungka’ ra kaintapatan takau am mampainono’ ra logo ru Injil, iono paat ra doing so maningganai ritakau mugar ra ralan pagasaban, impayin am poyo pangimbalaan. Gama’ i Aki Kapuuno’ manaak ritakau ra asi’ ondo’ manaak ra baani koson masauk ra ulun mabanis guang.

Pangkuatan ra paguangin:
Aku ti mabanis guang kia?

(Versi Iban)

Adat Lewi 25:1,8-17
Matthew 14:1-12

Rega ngembuan integriti.
Saritu, Injil nusi pasal siko rajah, ti lemi, ti enda beduli ka pemendar laban iya deka ngelantang ati orang bukai. Injil saritu mega nusi pasal pemati John Pembaptisa, ti bejako ka pemendar ngagai raja nya sereta enda rapu ka utai ti diarap ka iya. Ketegal tu iya ngadau nyawa ketegal ajar Allah Taala. Saritu, aram meh kitai meri awak ka jerita injil tu bejako ngagai kitai awak belematika ulah kitai:raja Herod tauka John Pembaptisa.

Saritu, kitai dipinta nitih ka John Pembaptisa sereta bejalai atas pemendar sereta integriti. Kitai patut berani niri ka pemendar sereta besaksi ka ajar Injil, taja kitai deka dipemalu, ditulak tauka dibeduan. Awak ka Allah Taala meri kitai nimet bisi pemerani nyadi orang ti ngembuan integriti.

Kati ka aku tu orang ti bisi integriti?

(Versi Cina)

省思
《肋廿五：1,8-17》
《玛十四：1-12》

“廉洁的代价”
今天，福音阐述了黑落德王，懦弱的男人，他为了取悦他人而向真理妥协了。这也让我们知道了，洗者若翰的死亡，他勇于向王述说了真理，并且不为他所信实的道理妥协。在这过程里，他为捍卫天主的价值观而付出了自己的性命。今天，让我们允许福音里的这一个事迹向我们述说，好让它邀请我们去反思自己是什么角色：黒落德王吗，抑或是洗者若翰呢。

今天，我们受到的召唤是效仿洗者若翰，以及行走在真理及廉洁的道路上。我们必须勇敢地捍卫我们的信德及对福音价值观的见证，就算当我们这么做将使得我们走在屈辱、排斥、甚至遭受迫害等的途径上。愿天主赐给我们恩宠，好让我们拥有勇气成为廉洁的人。

省思题：
我是否是个廉洁的人呢？