READINGS for February 24th, 2013
The Second Sunday in Lent
It-Tieni Hadd tar-Randan
Messalin C 150
……………………….
The Vision of Abraham - First Reading:
Genesis 15:5-12,17-18
YHWH brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward
the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram,
“So shall your seed be.” He believed in
YHWH; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. He said to him, “I am YHWH who brought you
out of Ur
He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old,
a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young
pigeon.” He brought him all of these, and
divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he
didn’t divide the birds. The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and
Abram drove them away.
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on
Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. It came to pass that, when the sun went down,
and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between
these pieces. In that day YHWH made a
covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt
to the great river, the river Euphrates ." This is
the Word of The Lord.
Alla jagħmel patt mal-qaddej
ġust Abram - L-Ewwel Qari - -Ġenesi. 15, 5-12,
17-18
F'dak iż-żmien: Il-Mulej ħareġ lil Abram 'il barra u qallu:
Ħares sewwa lejn is-smewwiet u għodd il-kwiekeb, jekk għandek ħila
tgħoddhom." U żied jgħidlu: "Hekk
għad ikun nislek." U Abram
emmen fil-Mulej, u dan għaddhulu b'ġustizzja. U qallu: "Jiena l-Mulej li
ħriġtek minn Ur
Hi u nieżla x-xemx waqa' fuq Abram ngħas qawwi, u waqgħu fuqu biża' u dalma kbira. Meta a x-xemx kienet niżlet u kien dalam, kenur idaħħan u lsien nar iżiġġ qasmu
………………………
The Presence of God - Responsorial Psalm 27
When have you realized God
was present? When did you yearn for God to be present? An experience of God is
addictive. We have a sense of overwhelming power and peace, a sense of our
insignificance and overwhelming love. When we have such an experience, we might
feel small, but we can just as easily feel that we are in good hands. With God,
evil will not touch us. When the experience is over,
we feel at a loss. We want to be with God again. He becomes our focus, our
goal, and our beloved. Without him, we feel incomplete. We want him, we need
him.
YHWH is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I
fear? YHWH is the strength of my life.
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me,
even then I will be confident.
One thing I have asked of YHWH, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of YHWH all the days of my life, to see the beauty of YHWH, and to inquire in his temple.
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me,
even then I will be confident.
One thing I have asked of YHWH, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of YHWH all the days of my life, to see the beauty of YHWH, and to inquire in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly
in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift
me up on a rock.
Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to YHWH.
Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to YHWH.
Hear, YHWH, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy
also on me, and answer me.
When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, YHWH.”
Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger.
You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then YHWH will take me up.
Teach me your way, YHWH. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies.
Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me,
such as breathe out cruelty.
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of YHWH in the land of the living.
Wait for YHWH. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for YHWH.
When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, YHWH.”
Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger.
You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then YHWH will take me up.
Teach me your way, YHWH. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies.
Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me,
such as breathe out cruelty.
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of YHWH in the land of the living.
Wait for YHWH. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for YHWH.
Salm
Responsorjali - Salm 26 (27)
R/ Il-Mulej id-dawl u
s-salvazzjoni tiegħi.
Il-Mulej d-dawl u s-salvazzjoni tiegħi,
minn min għandi nibża'?
Il-Mulej hu l-kenn tiegħi,
quddiem minn għandi nitwerwer? R/
Isma', Mulej, leħen l-għajta tiegħi,
ħenn għalija u weġibni.
"Ejja" għidt f'qalbi, "fittex 'il-wiċċi!"
Jien wiċċek
infittex, Mulej. R/
La taħbix wiċċek
minni,
la twarrabx
bl-herra l-qaddej tiegħek.
Inti l-għajnuna tiegħi
tħallinix u titlaqnix,
Alla tas-salvazzjoni tiegħi. R/
Nemmen li għad nara t-tjieba tal-Mulej
f'art il-ħajjin.
Ittama fil-Mulej, żomm sħiħ u
qawwi qalbek,
ittama fil-Mulej. R/
………………………..
Above the Daily Routine - Second Reading
Brothers
and sisters, all of you should imitate me. Carefully watch those who live their
lives, just like the example we’ve given you.
For, there are people whom I ‘ve warned you about. I’m crying even now
as I tell you about them. They are enemies of the cross Jesus died on. They will suffer complete destruction. Their
god is their belly and their glory is really full of shame, because they only
think about things on earth. But, we are citizens of heaven! We wait for our
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven for us. Jesus will change
our weak bodies into a glorious one like his. He will do it with the same power
that will make everything serve his wishes.
I love you, my brothers and sisters. Hold onto your faith. You are the
ones I love and long for. You are my joy and my crown. This is
the Word of The Lord.
Kristu għad ibiddilna fis-sura tal-ġisem glorjuż tiegħu.
It-Tieni Qari - Filippin. 3, 17-41
Ħuti, ixbħu lili,
u ħarsu lejn dawk li jimxu skont
l-eżempju li rajtu fina. Għaliex hawn
ħafna – dan għedthulkom
bosta drabi, imma issa ntennihulkom bid-dmugħ f'għajnejja – li jġibu ruħhom
bħal għedewwa tas-Salib ta'
Kristu. It-telfien għad ikun tmiemhom;
alla tagħhom hu żaqqhom, jiftaħru b'dak li jmisshom jistħu minnu, u moħħhom
biss fil-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja. Imma aħna pajżani tas-sema; minn
……………………..
Looking to the Future in a
Rearview Mirror –
Gospel: Luke
9: 28b - 36
Jesus took Peter, John, and James along as he
climbed the mountain to pray. During his
prayer on the mountain, the face of Jesus changed into something never seen
before. And his clothes became as white as a lightening flash. Suddenly, Moses
and Elijah were talking to Jesus about his death, which would happen in Jerusalem
As Peter spoke, a cloud appeared and cast its shadow
over them. They were really afraid when they entered the cloud. Then, a voice
called out from the cloud: "This is my Son, the one I chose. Listen to
him." After the voice spoke, they
only found Jesus there. The three
followers grew very quiet. And, at that time, they didn't tell anyone what they
had seen.
This is the Word of The Lord.
(Version: World
English Bible)
Huwa u jitlob, id-dehra ta' wiċċu tbiddlet. L-Evanġelju
- Luqa. 9, 28b-36
F'dak iż-żmien,
Ġesu' ħa miegħu lil Pietru, lil Ġwanni u lil Ġakbu, u tala' fuq il-muntanja biex jitlob.U ġara li huwa u jitlob,
id-dehra ta' wiċċu tbiddlet u l-ilbiesi tiegħu saru ta' bjuda li tgħammex.
U kien hemm żewġt irġiel
jitħaddtu miegħu, Mose' u Elija, li dehru
fil-glorja, jitħaddtu fuq it-tmiem ta' ħajtu li kellu jseħħ f'Ġerusalemm.
Pietru u sħabu kienu mejtin bin-ngħas,
imma baqgħu mqajmin sewwa, u raw
il-glorja tiegħu u ż-żewġt irġiel li kienu miegħu. X'ħin dawn it-tnejn kienu se
jinfirdu minnu, Pietru qal lil Ġesu': "Mgħallem, kemm hu sew li aħna
hawn! Ħa ntellgħu tliet tined, waħda
għalik, waħda għal Mose' u waħda għal Elija!" Ma kienx jaf x'inhu jgħid.
Waqt li kien
qiegħed jgħid dan, ġiet sħaba minn minn
………………….
COMMENTARY
Father Cantalamessa on the
Transfiguration
Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household
preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this
Sunday's liturgy.
He went up the mountain to pray
Sunday's Gospel
narrates the Transfiguration. In his Gospel Luke gives the reason why Jesus
"went up the mountain" that day: He went up "to pray." It was prayer that made his raiment white as
snow and his countenance splendid like the sun. Following the program we
announced in our commentary for last Sunday, we would like to take this episode
as a point of departure for examining how prayer takes up Christ's whole life
and what this prayer tells us about the profound identity of his person.
Someone has said: "Jesus is a Jewish man who does not regard himself as identical with God. Indeed, one does not pray to God if one is God." Leaving aside for a moment what Jesus thought about himself, this claim does not take account of an elementary truth: Jesus is also a man and it is as a man that he prays.
God, of course, could not have hunger or thirst either, or suffer, but Jesus hungers and thirsts and suffers because he is human. On the contrary, it is precisely Jesus' prayer that allows us to consider the profound mystery of his person. It is a historically attested fact that in prayer Jesus turns to God calling him "Abba," that is, dear father, my father, papa. This way of addressing God, although not unknown before Jesus' time, is so characteristic of Jesus that we are obliged to see it as evidence of a singular relationship with the heavenly Father.
Let us listen to this prayer of Jesus reported by Matthew: "At that time Jesus said in reply, 'I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to mere children. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him'" (Matthew 11:26-27).
Between Father and Son there is, as we see, total reciprocity, "a close, familiar relationship." In the parable of the murderous tenants of the vineyard this singular relationship of father and son that Jesus has with God again clearly emerges; it is a relationship different from all the others who are called "servants" (cf. Mark 12:1-10).
At this point, however, an objection is made: Why then did Jesus never openly give himself the title "Son of God" during his life, but instead always spoke of himself as the "Son of man"? The reason for this is the same as that for which Jesus never calls himself the Messiah, and when others call him this name he is reticent, or even forbids them to spread it around. Jesus acted in this way because those titles were understood by the people in a very precise way that did not correspond to the idea that Jesus had of his mission.
Many were called "Son of God": kings, prophets, great men. The Messiah was understood to be the one sent by God who would lead a military fight againstIsrael
His own disciples did not understand this and continued to dream of a destiny of glory and power. Jesus did not understand himself to be this type of Messiah: "I did not come to be served," he said, "but to serve." He did not come to take anyone's life away, but rather "to give his life in ransom for many."
Christ first had to suffer and die before it was understood what kind of Messiah he was. It is symptomatic that the only time that Jesus proclaims himself Messiah is when he finds himself in chains before the High Priest, about to be condemned to death, without any other possibility of equivocations. "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?" the High Priest asks him, and he answers: "I am!" (Mark 14:61ff).
Someone has said: "Jesus is a Jewish man who does not regard himself as identical with God. Indeed, one does not pray to God if one is God." Leaving aside for a moment what Jesus thought about himself, this claim does not take account of an elementary truth: Jesus is also a man and it is as a man that he prays.
God, of course, could not have hunger or thirst either, or suffer, but Jesus hungers and thirsts and suffers because he is human. On the contrary, it is precisely Jesus' prayer that allows us to consider the profound mystery of his person. It is a historically attested fact that in prayer Jesus turns to God calling him "Abba," that is, dear father, my father, papa. This way of addressing God, although not unknown before Jesus' time, is so characteristic of Jesus that we are obliged to see it as evidence of a singular relationship with the heavenly Father.
Let us listen to this prayer of Jesus reported by Matthew: "At that time Jesus said in reply, 'I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to mere children. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him'" (Matthew 11:26-27).
Between Father and Son there is, as we see, total reciprocity, "a close, familiar relationship." In the parable of the murderous tenants of the vineyard this singular relationship of father and son that Jesus has with God again clearly emerges; it is a relationship different from all the others who are called "servants" (cf. Mark 12:1-10).
At this point, however, an objection is made: Why then did Jesus never openly give himself the title "Son of God" during his life, but instead always spoke of himself as the "Son of man"? The reason for this is the same as that for which Jesus never calls himself the Messiah, and when others call him this name he is reticent, or even forbids them to spread it around. Jesus acted in this way because those titles were understood by the people in a very precise way that did not correspond to the idea that Jesus had of his mission.
Many were called "Son of God": kings, prophets, great men. The Messiah was understood to be the one sent by God who would lead a military fight against
His own disciples did not understand this and continued to dream of a destiny of glory and power. Jesus did not understand himself to be this type of Messiah: "I did not come to be served," he said, "but to serve." He did not come to take anyone's life away, but rather "to give his life in ransom for many."
Christ first had to suffer and die before it was understood what kind of Messiah he was. It is symptomatic that the only time that Jesus proclaims himself Messiah is when he finds himself in chains before the High Priest, about to be condemned to death, without any other possibility of equivocations. "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?" the High Priest asks him, and he answers: "I am!" (Mark 14:61ff).
All the titles and
categories with which men, friends and enemies, try to saddle Jesus during his
life appear narrow, insufficient. He is a teacher, "but not like other
teachers," because he teaches with authority and in his own name. He is
the son of David, but also David's Lord; he is greater than a prophet, greater
than Jonah, greater than Solomon.
The question that the people posed, "Who on earth is he?" expresses well the sentiment that surrounded him like a mystery, something that could not be humanly explained.
The attempt of some scholars and critics to reduce Jesus to a normal Jew of his time, who would not have in fact said or done anything special, is in total contrast to the most certain historical data that we have of him. Such views can only be understood as guided by a prejudicial refusal to admit that something transcendent could appear in human history. These reductive approaches to Jesus cannot explain how such an ordinary being became -- as these same critics say -- "the man who changed the world."
Let us now go back to the episode of the Transfiguration to draw from it some practical teaching. Even the Transfiguration is a mystery "for us," it hits close to home.
The question that the people posed, "Who on earth is he?" expresses well the sentiment that surrounded him like a mystery, something that could not be humanly explained.
The attempt of some scholars and critics to reduce Jesus to a normal Jew of his time, who would not have in fact said or done anything special, is in total contrast to the most certain historical data that we have of him. Such views can only be understood as guided by a prejudicial refusal to admit that something transcendent could appear in human history. These reductive approaches to Jesus cannot explain how such an ordinary being became -- as these same critics say -- "the man who changed the world."
Let us now go back to the episode of the Transfiguration to draw from it some practical teaching. Even the Transfiguration is a mystery "for us," it hits close to home.
In the second reading
For the Bible the body is not an inessential element of human beings; it is an integral part. Man does not have a body, he is a body. The body was created directly by God, assumed by the Word in the incarnation and sanctified by the Spirit in baptism.
The man of the Bible is enchanted by the splendor of the human body: "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me" (Psalm 139). The body is destined to share the same glory in eternity as the soul. "Body and soul: either they will be two hands joined in eternal adoration or two wrists bound together in eternal captivity" (Charles Péguy).
Christianity preaches the salvation of the body, not salvation from the body, as the Manichean and Gnostic religions did in antiquity and as some Eastern religions do today.
And what can we say to those who suffer? What can we say to those who witness the deformation of their own bodies or those of loved ones? The most consoling message of the Transfiguration is perhaps for them. "He will transfigure our miserable body, conforming it to his glorious body."
Bodies humiliated by sickness and death will be ransomed. Even Jesus will be disfigured in the passion, but will rise with a glorious body with which he will live for eternity and, faith tells us, with which he will meet us after death. © Innovative Media Inc.
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