Sunday - March 05, 2023
TODAY'S READINGS
Second Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 25
Reading I
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
Abram went as the LORD directed him.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Verse Before the Gospel
From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, hear him.
Gospel
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him."
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
"Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
******************************
The Transfiguration for Your Life Today
Atop Mount Tabor, the pure light of Christ was revealed, as seen in this Gospel reading. The Father said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
The transfiguration is repeated every time we listen to him and allow our faith to be enlightened more today than it was yesterday. Now it is we who are transfigured! We are transformed into our true identity. What is our true identity? It’s our innermost being, which was created in the image of God and baptized into the likeness of God.
We enjoy life much more when we live according to our true identity. For example, how do you feel when you’re impatient? Not so good, right? That’s because God is patient (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 for a description of his true identity and yours), and when we are patient, we are much happier.
During Lent, by humbly examining how Christ-like we are and repenting from our sins, we let his light consume the darkness within us.
Jesus left his mountaintop experience to fulfill his calling. Following Christ, we too leave our mountaintops to do what God has gifted us to do. Although there is, as the reading from Timothy points out, hardship in living a holy life, we can be comforted by the fact that after every Calvary there is always an Easter. We can rely on “the strength that comes from God.”
Listen. Can you hear what God is saying about you? It’s the same words he spoke about Jesus on Mount Tabor: “This is my beloved child; listen to him/her.” What are you saying as Christ’s partner in ministry?
Today's Prayer
My Father, forgive me for not believing You when You say that I am Your “Beloved Son.” Sometimes I do not appreciate the life and gifts You have given me. I ask You for the grace to be more aware each day of Your deep love for me. Amen.
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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