"This is My Beloved Son... Listen to Him"

Second Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 26

It-Tieni Ħadd tar-Randan

 

Reading 1        GeNesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am!" he replied. Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,  and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust  on a height that I will point out to you." When they came to the place of which God had told him,  Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,  "Abraham, Abraham!"  "Here I am!" he answered. "Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger. "Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God,  since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son." As Abraham looked about,  he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram  and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son. Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:  "I swear by myself, declares the LORD,  that because you acted as you did  in not withholding from me your beloved son,  I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless  as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession  of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing— all this because you obeyed my command."  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari I          mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 22, 1-2.9a.10-13.15-18 

F’dak iż-żmien, Alla ried iġarrab lil Abraham u qallu: “Abraham!”. U hu wieġbu: “Hawn jien!” U qallu: “Aqbad lil ibnek il-waħdieni, li inti tħobb, lil Iżakk; u mur lejn l-art ta’ Morija, u hemm offrih b’sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq fuq waħda mill-għoljiet li jien se ngħidlek”. U waslu fil-post li kien semmielu Alla. U Abraham medd idu u qabad is-sikkina biex joqtol lil ibnu. U sejjaħlu l-anġlu tal-Mulej mis-smewwiet u qallu: “Abraham, Abraham!” U dan wieġbu: “Hawn jien”. U qallu:“La tmiddx idek fuq iż-żagħżugħ u tagħmillu ebda ħsara; għax issa naf li inti tibża’ minn Alla, u ma ċaħħadtnix minn ibnek il-waħdieni”. U Abraham rafa’ għajnejh, ta ħarsa madwaru, u ra muntun warajh maqbud minn qrunu fil-friegħi. U Abraham mar u qabad il-muntun, u offrieh b’sagrifiċċju tal-ħruq minflok ibnu. U għat-tieni darba l-anġlu tal-Mulej sejjaħ lil Abraham mis-smewwiet u qallu: “Naħlef fuq ruħi – oraklu tal-Mulej – la darba int għamilt ħaġa bħal din, u ma ċaħħadtnix minn ibnek il-waħdieni, jien imbierkek żgur u nkattarlek sewwa lil nislek bħall-kwiekeb tas-sema u bħar-ramel f’xatt il-baħar; u nislek għad jiret bwieb l-għedewwa tiegħu. U jitbierku b’nislek il-ġnus kollha tal-art talli smajt minn kelmti”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm        PSalm   116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

I believed, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Salm Responsorjali        Salm 115 (116), 10.15-19

R/. (9): Jien nimxi quddiem il-Mulej f’art il-ħajjin

Bqajt nemmen, imqar meta għedt:

“Jien imdejjaq ħafna!”

Għażiża f’għajnejn il-Mulej

hi l-mewt tal-ħbieb tiegħu.      R/.

Iva, Mulej, jien qaddej tiegħek,

jien qaddej tiegħek, bin il-qaddejja tiegħek.

Int ħallejtli l-irbit tiegħi.

Lilek noffri sagrifiċċju ta’ radd il-ħajr,

u isem il-Mulej insejjaħ.          R/.

Intemm lill-Mulej il-wegħdiet tiegħi,

quddiem il-poplu tiegħu kollu,

fil-btieħi ta’ dar il-Mulej,

ġo nofsok, Ġerusalemm!        R/.

Reading 2        ROMans 8:31B-34

Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son  but handed him over for us all,  how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us, who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died—or, rather, was raised—  who also is at the right hand of God,  who indeed intercedes for us.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari II           mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 8, 31b-34 

Ħuti, jekk Alla hu magħna min jista’ jkun kontra tagħna? Hu, li lanqas lil Ibnu stess ma ħafirha, imma tah għalina lkoll, kif ma jagħtiniex ukoll kollox miegħu? Min se jakkuża l-magħżulin ta’ Alla? Alla stess hu dak li jiġġustifikahom. Min se jikkundannahom? Kristu Ġesù li miet, jew aħjar, li qam mill-imwiet, jinsab fuq il-lemin ta’ Alla, hu li jidħol għalina.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel      MarK 9:2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents:  one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;  from the cloud came a voice,  "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.  This is the Word of the Lord.

Evanġelju         Qari skont Mark 9, 2-10 

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru u lil Ġakbu u lil Ġwanni, tellagħhom weħidhom fuq muntanja għolja, u tbiddel quddiemhom.  Ilbiesu sar abjad u jgħammex b’dija tal-għaġeb: ebda ħassiel fid-dinja ma jista’ jġib il-ħwejjeġ bojod daqshekk. U dehrilhom Elija ma’ Mosè, jitkellmu ma’ Ġesù. Qabad Pietru u qal lil Ġesù: “Mgħallem, kemm hu sew li aħna hawn! Ħa ntellgħu tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mosè, u waħda għal Elija”. Dan qalu għax ma kienx jaf x’jaqbad jgħid bil-biża’ kbir li waqa’ fuqhom. Imbagħad ġiet sħaba u għattiethom, u minn ġos-sħaba nstama’ leħen jgħid: “Dan hu Ibni l-għażiż, isimgħu lilu”. Minnufih taw ħarsa madwarhom, u ma raw lil ħadd iżjed magħhom ħlief lil Ġesù waħdu. Huma u neżlin minn fuq il-muntanja, tahom ordni biex ma jitkellmu ma’ ħadd fuq li kienu raw qabel ma Bin il-bniedem ikun qam mill-imwiet. Huma żammew kollox moħbi, iżda bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin x’kien ifisser tqum mill-imwiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej 

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Moriah, Tabor, Calvary: Darkness can be Radiant

A commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Moriah. Sinai. Nebo. Carmel. Horeb. Gilboa. Gerizim. Mount of Beatitudes. Tabor. Hermon. Zion. Mount of Olives. Calvary. Golgotha. Mountains are often used in the Bible as the stages of important encounters between God and his people. Though we may have never visited the lands of the Bible, we are all familiar with these biblical mountains and the great events of our salvation history that took place there.

Sunday's Old Testament and Gospel reading take place on two important biblical mountains-- Mount Moriah and Mount Tabor. Both readings give us profound insights into our God and his Son, Jesus, who is our Savior. First let us consider the story of the sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham as portrayed in Genesis 22:1-19. The story is called the Akedah in Hebrew (Anglicization of the Aramaic word for "binding") and it easily provokes scandal for the modern mind: What sort of God is this who can command a father to kill his own son?

How many pagan voices were assailing Abraham at this moment? What would a contemporary father do if he were to be called on to sacrifice his only son to God? He would be thought mad if he even considered it -- and unfaithful to God as well. What a poignant story indeed! "Take your son, your only son Isaac whom you love ... and offer him as a burnt offering. ... So Abraham rose early in the morning." Because Abraham listened to the Lord's messenger, his only son's life was spared. The binding of Isaac, then, is a symbol of life, not death, for Abraham is forbidden to sacrifice his son.

What happens on Mount Moriah finds an echo in what happens atop Mount Tabor and Mount Calvary in the New Testament: The mounts Moriah, Tabor and Calvary are significant places of vision in the Bible. For on these peaks, we see a God who never abandons us in our deepest despair, terror and death. God is with us through thick and thin, through day and night.

These mountains teach us that it is only when we are willing to let go of what we love most and cherish most in this life, to offer it back to God, the giver of all good gifts, that we can ever hope to receive it back in ways we never dreamed of or imagined. Only then will we experience resurrection, healing, consoling light and new life.

We can only speculate on what lies behind the story of the Transfiguration -- one of the Gospel's most mysterious and awesome visions (Mark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). Peter, James and John had an overwhelming experience with the Lord on Mount Tabor. Following the night of temptation and preceding the blackness of Golgotha, the glorious rays of the Transfiguration burst forth. Before their eyes, the Jesus they had known and with whom they walked became transfigured. His countenance was radiant; his garments streaming with white light. At his side, enveloped in glory, stood Moses, the mighty liberator, who had led Israel out of slavery, and Elijah, the greatest of Israel's prophets.

Jesus needed the light and affirmation of the mountaintop experience in his own life. In the midst of his passion predictions, he needed Mount Tabor, to strengthen him as he descended into the Jordan Valley and made his way up to Jerusalem. For every disciple since, it is the same. Those who follow Jesus must ascend the mountain to catch a glimpse of the mystery of God's presence in our world and in our lives.

And yet Mark's story of Jesus transfigured reminds us that gazing in contemplation is not enough. The disciples are told to listen to Jesus, the Beloved of God, and then return to their daily routine down in the valley.

The awesome Gospel story of the Transfiguration gives us an opportunity to look at some of our own mountaintop experiences. How have such experiences shed light on the shadows and darkness of life? What would our lives be without some of these peak experiences? How often do we turn to those few but significant experiences for strength, courage and perspective? How has the mountaintop experience enabled us to listen more attentively to God's voice -- a voice calling us to fidelity and authenticity in our belief? When we're down in the valley we often can't see Christ's glory.

The most consoling message of the Transfiguration is perhaps for those who suffer, and those who witness the deformation of their own bodies and the bodies of their loved ones. 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.

So many voices assail us that we find it difficult to listen to God's voice. Before light envelops us, we need to go through darkness. Before the heavens open up, we need to go through the mud and dirt. We must experience both mountains -- Tabor and Golgotha -- in order to see the glory of God. The Transfiguration teaches us that God's brilliant life included death, and there is no way around it -- only through it.

It also reminds us that the terrifying darkness can be radiant and dazzling. During moments of transfiguration, God penetrates the hardened, incredulous, even disquieting regions within us, about which we really do not know what to do, and he leaves upon them the imprint of his own face, in all its radiant and dazzling glory and beauty.

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