Sunday Vigil

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Amos 9,11-15

On that Day, I shall rebuild the tottering hut of David, make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins and rebuild it as it was in the days of old, for them to be master of what is left of Edom and of all the nations once called mine -Yahweh declares, and he will perform it. The days are coming- declares Yahweh- when the ploughman will tread on the heels of the reaper, and the treader of grapes on the heels of the sower of seed, and the mountains will run with new wine and the hills all flow with it. I shall restore the fortunes of my people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, they will lay out gardens and eat their produce. And I shall plant them in their own soil and they will never be uprooted again from the country which I have given them, declares Yahweh, your God.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The prophet reminded the people of Israel that, especially in times of abundance, they had transformed the privilege of having been chosen by God into an excuse for pride and self-sufficiency and therefore of deafness to His Law. Pride always leads us far from God and inevitably leads to ruin. This is a recurring theme in the history of Israel, which the prophets never fail to condemn, urging believers not to forget their origin and the need they still have for salvation. This is a permanent dimension of biblical faith, both Jewish and Christian. We disciples of Jesus are weak and enslaved to sin if we do not remember God's love in our story. God has called us and freed us because he saw our slavery and our need of salvation. After having announced so many oracles against Israel, which had strayed from God, now Amos speaks words of comfort to the "remnant" of the people who remained faithful to the Lord. The house of David is described as a "booth" which has fallen into ruin. But it is just when everything seems to be lost that the prophetic word comes to console: what is impossible for men and women is possible for God. The house of David will be rebuilt - Amos says encouragingly - and will rule over the nations. The earth will produce so abundantly that there will be no break between the time of planting and the time of reaping. The new wine and the fruits of the garden announce the messianic time. There is a sense of universality in the words of the prophet. Through his people Israel, God intends to spread his mercy and salvation to all. With the coming of Jesus, we too have been chosen to carry out this mission of universal salvation: we are called not to live for ourselves, but for God's dream, that is the salvation of the human family.