Ash Wednesday, 2014

L-Ewwel Qari

Joel 2: 12-18

2:12	Issa, għalhekk, the Lord says: “Be converted to me with your whole heart, in fasting and weeping and mourning.”
2:13	And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and convert to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and merciful, patient and full of compassion, and steadfast despite ill will.
2:14	Who knows if he might convert and forgive, and bequeath a blessing after him, a sacrifice and a libation to the Lord your God?
2:15	Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call an assembly.
2:16	Gather the people, sanctify the church, unite the elders, gather together the little ones and infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom depart from his bed, and the bride from her bridal chamber.
2:17	Between the vestibule and the altar, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, will weep, and they will say: “Spare, O Mulej, spare your people. And do not bequeath your inheritance into disgrace, so that the nations would rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
2:18	The Lord has been zealous for his land, and he has spared his people.

It-Tieni Qari

The Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 5: 20-6:2

5:20	Għalhekk, aħna ambaxxaturi għal Kristu, biex Alla qed iħeġġeġ permezz tagħna. Nitolbukom għal Kristu: jiġu rikonċiljati ma’ Alla.
5:21	Għax lil dak li ma kienx jaf id-dnub Alla għamel dnub għalina, sabiex insiru l-ġustizzja ta’ Alla fih.

2 Korintin 6

6:1	Iżda, bħala għajnuna għalik, inħeġġukom biex ma tirċevux il-grazzja ta’ Alla għalxejn.
6:2	Għax jgħid: “Fi żmien favorevoli, Jien tajt widen; u f’jum is-salvazzjoni, għinek.” Ara, issa huwa ż-żmien favorevoli; ara, issa hu jum is-salvazzjoni.

Evanġelju

L-Evanġelju Qaddis Skont Mattew 6: 1-6, 16-18

6:1	“Pay attention, lest you perform your justice before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you shall not have a reward with your Father, min hu fis-sema.
6:2	Għalhekk, when you give alms, do not choose to sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the towns, so that they may be honored by men. Amen ngħidilkom, they have received their reward.
6:3	But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
6:4	so that your almsgiving may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
6:5	And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites, who love standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets to pray, so that they may be seen by men. Amen ngħidilkom, they have received their reward.
6:6	But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.
6:16	And when you fast, do not choose to become gloomy, like the hypocrites. For they alter their faces, so that their fasting may be apparent to men. Amen ngħidilkom, that they have received their reward.
6:17	Imma għalik, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
6:18	so that your fasting will not be apparent to men, but to your Father, who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.