Readings for Sunday, August 6, 2023
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Il-Festa tat-Trasfigurazzjoni tal-Mulej
Reading 1 DANIEL 7: 9-10, 13-14
As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Danjel 7: 9-10. 13-14
Jien, Danjel, kont qiegħed inħares, meta tqiegħdu xi tronijiet, u wieħed Xiħ fil-għomor qagħad bilqiegħda; ilbiesu abjad silġ, u xuxtu bajda suf; ilsna tan-nar it-tron tiegħu, nar iħeġġeġ ir-roti tiegħu; xmara ta’ nar kienet għaddejja, ħierġa minn quddiemu; eluf ta’ eluf kienu jaqduh, u għaxart elef ta’ għaxriet ta’ eluf weqfin quddiemu. Il-Qorti qagħdet bilqiegħda, u l-kotba nfetħu. Billejl deherli li qiegħed nara bħal Iben ta’ Bniedem, ġej fis-sħab tas-sema, li baqa’ sejjer sax-Xiħ fil-għomor u tressaq quddiemu. U lilu ngħatat ħakma, gieħ u saltna, biex lilu jaqdi kull ġens u poplu u lsien. Il-ħakma tiegħu ħakma għal dejjem, li ma tgħaddix, u s-saltna tiegħu li ma tinqeridx. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 96: 1-2.5-6.9
R/. Il-Mulej isaltan, hu ’l fuq mill-art kollha!
Ħa tifraħ l-art, ħa jifirħu l-ħafna gżejjer!
Sħab u dlam hemm madwaru,
is-sewwa u l-ħaqq is-sisien tat-tron tiegħu. R/.
Bħax-xema’ jdubu l-muntanji quddiem il-Mulej,
quddiem is-Sid tal-art kollha;
ixandru s-smewwiet il-ġustizzja tiegħu,
u l-popli kollha jaraw is-sebħ tiegħu. R/.
Għax inti l-Mulej,
’il fuq mill-art kollha,
’il fuq mill-allat inti ħafna għolejt. R/.
Reading 2 2 PETER 1:16-19
Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Qari 2 mit-Tieni Ittra ta’ San Pietru 1: 16-19
Għeżież: aħna ma konniex qegħdin nibnu fuq ħrejjef maħluqa minn moħħna meta għarrafniekom dwar il-qawwa ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu u dwar il-miġja tiegħu. Rajna b’għajnejna aħna stess il-kobor tiegħu meta hu ħa mingħand Alla l-Missier ġieħ u sebħ, u leħen mit-Tron Glorjuż instama’ jgħid għalih: “Dan hu Ibni, l-għażiż tiegħi, li bih jiena nitgħaxxaq.” Aħna smajnieh dan il-leħen ġej mis-sema meta konna miegħu fuq il-muntanja mqaddsa. U hekk għandna mwettqa aħjar il-kelma tal-profeti. Tagħmlu sewwa jekk toqogħdu attenti għaliha; hi bħal fanal li jagħti d-dawl f’post mudlam, sa ma jibda jbexbex il-jum u f’qalbkom titla’ l-kewkba ta’ filgħodu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel MATTHEW 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, 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."
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 17:1-9
Sitt ijiem wara, Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru u ’l Ġakbu u ’l ħuh Ġwanni, tellagħhom fuq muntanja għolja weħidhom, u tbiddel quddiemhom. Wiċċu sar jiddi bħax-xemx, u lbiesu sar abjad bħad-dawl. U dehrulhom Mosè u Elija jitħaddtu miegħu. Qabeż Pietru u qal lil Ġesù: “Mulej, kemm hu sew li aħna hawn! Jekk trid intella’ hawn tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mosè u waħda għal Elija.” Kif kien għadu jitkellem, sħaba kollha dawl għattiethom u minn ġos-sħaba nstema’ leħen jgħid: “Dan hu Ibni l-għażiż, li fih sibt l-għaxqa tiegħi; isimgħu lilu.” Id-dixxipli, kif semgħu dan, waqgħu wiċċhom fl-art, mimlijin biża’. Ġesù resaq lejhom, messhom u qalilhom: “Qumu. La tibżgħux.” Huma refgħu għajnejhom u ma raw lil ħadd ħlief lil Ġesù waħdu. Huma u neżlin minn fuq il-muntanja, Ġesù ordnalhom u qalilhom: “Tgħidu lil ħadd b’din id-dehra sa ma Bin il-bniedem ikun qam mill-imwiet.” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Eight-minute Homily by Fr Tony Kadavil
METAMORPHOSIS OF HOPE
Introduction:
The common theme of this Sunday’s readings is the metamorphosis or transformation of Christ by the empowering of God the Father Who sent His Son as our Saviour and Redeemer. Today’s Gospel, describing Christ’s Transfiguration, challenges us to revitalize our Faith as true disciples of Christ, just as the passages from Daniel and II Peter were written to strengthen the Faith of their audiences in times of persecution.
Scripture lessons:
The first reading, taken from the Book of Daniel,spreads out before us Daniel’s vision of God’s glorious Heavenly Court of Judgment. The Transfiguration is a prefiguring of Christ’s glorification by God the Father in the Court of Heaven after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven. In the second reading, St. Peter argues, in his Second Letter to the Church, that the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (at which the voice of God the Father was heard by the three apostles, verses 16-18), and the testimony of the Old Testament prophets (in the Messianic prophecies), are the guarantee of the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming.
In the Transfiguration account in today’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed as a glorious figure, superior to Moses and Elijah. The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to allow Jesus to consult his Heavenly Father in order to ascertain His plan for His Son’s suffering, death and Resurrection. The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples aware of Jesus’ Divine glory, so that they might discard their worldly ambitions and dreams of a conquering political Messiah and might be strengthened in their time of trial.
On the mountain, Jesus is identified by the Heavenly Voice as the Son of God. Thus, the Transfiguration narrative is a Christophany, that is, a manifestation or revelation of Who Jesus really IS. Describing Jesus’ Transfiguration, the Gospel gives us a glimpse of the Heavenly glory awaiting those who do God’s will by putting their trusting Faith in Him.
Life messages:
(1) The changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus by transubstantiation in the Holy Mass, is the source of our strength. Just as the Transfiguration of Jesus strengthened the Apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of Heavenly strength against our own temptations and our chief source for the renewal of our lives. In addition, communion with Jesus in prayer and especially in the Eucharist should be a source of daily transformation of both our minds and hearts, enabling us to love and serve Jesus in every one of our brothers and sisters with whom we come in contact each day.
(2) Each Sacrament that we receive transforms us. Baptism, for example, transforms us into sons and daughters of God and heirs of Heaven. Confirmation makes us the temples of the Holy Spirit. By approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we recognize, repenting, that we have sinned, God brings us back to the path of holiness. By receiving in Faith, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, we are spiritually, and sometimes physically, healed, and our sins are forgiven.
(3) The Transfiguration offers us a message of hope and encouragement. In moments of doubt, pain and suffering, disappointment and despair, we need mountain-top experiences that we may reach out to God and listen to His consoling words: “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.”
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