Catechism Links
CCC 554-556. 568: the Transfiguration
CCC 59, 145-146, 2570-2572: the obedience of Abraham
CCC 1000: faith opens the way to comprehending the mystery of the Resurrection
CCC 645, 999-1001: the resurrection of the body
CCC Cross Reference:
Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
Ps 27:8 2730
Phil 3:16-17 1156, 2633; Phil 3:18-21 2204; Phil 3:20 2217; Phil 3:21 2286; Phil 4:1 1807
Lk 9:28 2600; Lk 9:30-35 2583; Lk 9:31 554, 1151; Lk 9:33 556; Lk 9:34-35 659, 697; Lk 9:35 516, 554
Back to Deacon's Bench '07
Back to Servant of the Word '10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22
Reading 1
Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Reading II
Phil 3:17—4:1 or 3:20—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Gospel
Lk 9:28b-36
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Genesis 15:5-12,17-18
Taking Abram outside, the Lord said, ‘Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants.’ Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
‘I am the Lord’ he said to him ‘who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldaeans to make you heir to this land.’ ‘My Lord,’ Abram replied ‘how am I to know that I shall inherit it?’ He said to him, ‘Get me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these, cut them in half and put half on one side and half facing it on the other; but the birds he did not cut in half. Birds of prey came down on the carcases but Abram drove them off.
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, there appeared a smoking furnace and a firebrand that went between the halves. That day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram in these terms:
‘To your descendants I give this land,
from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River.’
Psalm: Psalm 26:1,7-9,13-14
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
‘Seek his face.’
The Lord is my light and my help.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.
The Lord is my light and my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
Second reading Philippians 3:17-4:1
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the savior we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.
Alternative second reading Philippians 3:20-4:1
For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.
Gospel Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
2nd Sunday of Lent
From: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
God's Covenant with Abram
----------------------------------------
[5] And [the Lord God] brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." [6] And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
[7] And he said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." [8] But he said, "O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" [9] He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." [10] And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. [11] And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
[12] As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him.
[17] When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. [18] On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates."
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
15:1-21. God rewards Abraham for his generosity towards Mechizedek and for his renouncing of the riches offered him by the king of Sodom. He appears to him in a vision and promises his help, many descendants and the land of Canaan. Here all that is required of Abraham is that he believe in the promise that God himself, through a rite of covenant, undertakes to fulfill. This passage emphasizes the gravity of God's promise and speaks of the faithfulness of God, who will keep his word.
15:4-6. Once more Abraham is asked to make an act of faith in the word of God, and he does so. This pleases God and is reckoned righteous. This makes Abraham the father of all those who believe in God and his saving word.
In the light of this passage St Paul sees Abraham as the model of how a person becomes righteous in God's eyes--through faith in his word, the definitive word being the announcement that God saves us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this way, Abraham not only becomes the father of the Jewish people according to the flesh, but also the father of those who without being Jews have become members of the new people of God through faith in Jesus: "We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he was circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised" (Rom 4:9-12).
Abraham's faith revealed itself in his obedience to God when he left his homeland (cf. 12:4), and later on when he was ready to sacrifice his son (cf 22:1-4). This is the aspect of Abraham's obedience which is given special emphasis in the Letter of St James, inviting Christians to prove the genuineness of their faith with obedience to God and good works: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness'; and he was called the friend of God" (Jas 2:21-23).
15:7-21. The strength of God's resolve to give the land of Canaan is vividly demonstrated by his ordaining a rite of covenant to externalize the commitment undertaken by both parties. According to this ancient rite (cf. Jer 34:18), the action of the two parties--"passing between" the pieces of the victims-indicated a readiness to be similarly cut in pieces if one were guilty of breaking the pact. The text makes the point that God (represented by the flaming torch: cf Ex 3:2; 13:21; 19: 18) "passes between" the bloody limbs of the victims, to ratify his promise.
This is how the book of Genesis portrays the people of Israel's right to the land of Canaan and explains how the land came to belong to it only in recent times, after the Exodus. During the ceremony Abraham is given advance information about the afflictions the people will suffer before the promise is fulfilled. An explanation is also given as to why God will take the land away from the Canaanites (here described as Amorites): their evil-doing will have gone too far. God emerges here as the Lord of the earth and of nations. On the sojourn of the people of Israel in Egypt, cf. the note on 37:2-50:25.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Philippians 3:17-4:1
Citizens of Heaven
---------------------------
[17] Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. [18] For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Exhortation to Perseverance and Joy
-----------------------------------------------------
[1] Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
17. The Apostle's teaching goes further than to list a series of truths and rules for moral behavior: he backs this up with his own life in the service of the Gospel, and, through it, all men; this is what makes his preaching arresting and convincing.
There is no better teaching than the teacher's own example," St John Chrysostom exclaims, commenting on this passage; "by taking this course the teacher is sure of getting his disciple to follow him. Speak wisely, instruct as eloquently as you can ..., but your example will make a greater impression, will be more decisive.... When your actions are in line with your words, nobody will be able to find fault with you" ("Hom. on Phil, ad loc.").
This, then, is the standard Christians should aim at. It will help those they come in contact with to learn how to be hard-working, noble, loyal and sincere people, or at least to tend in that direction.
One can see from this verse, as from many other passages in his letters, that St Paul refers to himself now as "me", now as "us". In the second case he is probably also referring to his co-workers; these they should also imitate, for like him they are imitators of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:17). it is quite likely that he is thinking particularly of Timothy, whose name he put alongside his own at the head of this letter -- and whom he praised in glorious terms in the previous chapter (cf. Phil 2:19, 22).
Imitation of the saints is a very good way to equip oneself to serve others. "Most earnestly, then, we exhort you", Pius XII says, "be very solicitous for the salvation of those whom Providence has entrusted to your apostolic labors, maintai- ning throughout the closest union with our divine Redeemer, by whose strength we can do all things (cf. Phil 4:13). It is our ardent desire, beloved sons, that you may emulate those saintly men of old who, by the immensity of their achievement, bore witness to the power of divine grace. Would that each of you could on the evidence of the faithful attribute to himself in humble sincerity the words of the Apostle: 'I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls' (2 Cor 12: 15)" ("Menti Nostrae", 31).
18-19. St Paul points to the bad example given by those (cf. v. 2) who, by upholding false doctrines or abusing their Christian freedom, lead a life steeped in vice; they let themselves be controlled by their sensual appetites and they set their hearts on things which enslave them, which should rather make them blush. They are enemies of Christ's cross.
"They glory in their own shame": they take pride in behavior which is shameful. This may also be an allusion to circumcision, for Judaizers were proud of a mark which decency keeps covered.
v 20-21. "It is nature, flawed by sin, that begets all the citizens of the earthly city, whereas it is grace alone which frees nature from sin, which begets citizens of the heavenly city" ("De Civitate Dei", 15, 2). Christians are "citizens of heaven" and therefore are called to live a life that is joyful and full of hope, as befits children of God.
The effort to live in a manner worthy of members of the commonwealth of heaven is aided by hope in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory. The Parousia, as well as the passion and death of Christ and his subsequent resurrection, are constant themes in the Apostle's preaching. Reflection on these mysteries helps us to have hope and gives us encouragement in our everyday struggle.
Christ's resurrection is the cause of our resurrection, for "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead" (1 Cor 15: 20-21). An essential prerequisite for attaining resurrection in glory is the effort to identify with Christ, in both joy and suffering, in both life and death. "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him" (2 Tim 2:12). Christ is the Lord of all creation; his authority extends over the entire universe (cf. Col 1:15-20). If we make the effort that fidelity requires, he will take our body, which is weak and subject to illness, death and decay, and transform it into a glorious body.
*********************************************************************************************
From: Luke 9:28b-36
The Transfiguration
----------------------------
[28b] [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. [29] And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. [30] And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, [31] who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. [32] Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. [33] And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said. [34] As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [35] And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" [36] And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
28-36. By His transfiguration Jesus strengthens His disciples' faith, revealing a trace of the glory His body will have after the Resurrection. He wants them to realize that His passion will not be the end but rather the route He will take to reach His glorification. "For a person to go straight along the road, he must have some knowledge of the end--just as an archer will not shoot an arrow straight unless he first sees the target [...]. This is particularly necessary if the road is hard and rough, the going heavy, and the end delightful" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae", III, q. 45, a. 1).
Through the miracle of the Transfiguration Jesus shows one of the qualities of glorified bodies--brightness, "by which the bodies of the saints shall shine like the sun, according to the words of our Lord recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew: 'The righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father' (Matthew 13: 43). To remove the possibility of doubt on the subject, He exemplifies this in His transfiguration. This quality the Apostle (St. Paul) sometimes calls glory, sometimes brightness: 'He will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body' (Philippians 3:21); and again, 'It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory' (1 Corinthians 15:43). Of this glory the Israelites beheld some image in the desert, when the face of Moses, after he had enjoyed the presence and conversation of God, shone with such luster that they could not look on it (Exodus 34:29; 2 Corinthians 3:7). This brightness is a sort of radiance reflected by the body from the supreme happiness of the soul. It is a participation in that bliss which the soul enjoys [...]. This quality is not common to all in the same degree. All the bodies of the saints will be equally impassible; but the brightness of all will not be the same, for, according to the Apostle, 'There is one glory of the sun, and another of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead' (1 Corinthians 15:4f)" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 12, 13). See also the notes on Matthew 17:1-13; 17:5; 17:10-13; and Mark 9:2-10; 9:7.
31. "And spoke of His departure": that is, His departure from this world, in other words, His death. It can also be understood as meaning our Lord's Ascension.
35. "Listen to Him!": everything God wishes to say to mankind He has said through Christ, now that the fullness of time has come (cf. Hebrews 1:1). "Therefore," St. John of the Cross explains, "if any now should question God or desire a vision or revelation, not only would he be acting foolishly but he would be committing an offense against God, by not fixing his gaze on Christ with no desire for any new thing. For God could reply to him in this way: 'If I have spoken all things to you in My Word, which is My Son, and I have no greater word, what answer can I give you now, or what can I reveal to you that is greater than this? Fix your eyes on Him alone, for in Him I have spoken and revealed to you all things, and in Him you will find even more than what you ask for and desire [...]. Hear Him, for I have no more faith to reveal, nor have I any more things to declare'" ("Ascent of Mount Carmel", Book 2, Chapter 22, 5).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
No comments:
Post a Comment