The Word On Sunday: WILL YOU LISTEN IN LOVE THIS LENT?

Readings for Sunday, March 1, 2026

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Second Sunday of Lent Lectionary: 25

Reading 1 Genesis 12:1-4a

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 Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22.

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.

Reading 2 2 Timothy 1:8b-10

Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our saviour Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Gospel Matthew 17:1-9

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.”

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///// BIL-MALTI ////////

"Alla jsejħilna u jdawwalna”

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Qari tat-Tieni Ħadd tar-Randan

QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 12:1-4a

F’dak iż-żmien, il-Mulej qal lil Abram: “Qum u itlaq minn artek, minn art twelidek, u minn dar missierek, lejn l-art li jien nurik. U jien nagħmlek ġens kbir, inbierkek u nkabbarlek ismek, u int tkun barka. Jien inbierek lil min ibierkek, u nisħet lil min jisħtek. U jitbierku bik it-tribujiet kollha tal-art”. U telaq Abram kif kien qallu l-Mulej. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 32(33):4-5,18-19,20,22

R/. (22): Ħa tkun, Mulej, it-tjieba tiegħek fuqna.

Sewwa hi l-kelma tal-Mulej,
kollox bil-fedeltà huwa għamel.
Hu jħobb id-dritt u s-sewwa;

bit-tjieba tal-Mulej mimlija l-art. R/.

Ara, għajnejn il-Mulej fuq dawk li jibżgħu minnu,
fuq dawk li jittamaw fit-tjieba tiegħu,
biex jeħilsilhom mill-mewt ħajjithom,
u jaħjihom fi żmien il-ġuħ. R/.

Ruħna tixxennaq għall-Mulej,
hu l-għajnuna u t-tarka tagħna.
Ħa tkun, Mulej, it-tjieba tiegħek fuqna,
kif fik hi t-tama tagħna. R/.

QARI 2 mit-Tieni Ittra ta’ San Pawl lil Timotju 1:8b-10

Għażiż, aqsam miegħi t-tbatija għall-Evanġelju, u afda fil-qawwa ta’ Alla, li salvana u sejħilna b’sejħa qaddisa, mhux għax qies l-għemejjel tagħna, imma skond il-pjan tiegħu stess u skond il-grazzja tiegħu. Din il-grazzja tahielna qabel iż-żmien tal-eternità fi Kristu Ġesù, imma dehret issa permezz tad-dehra tas-Salvatur tagħna Kristu Ġesù li qered il-mewt, u dawwal il-ħajja bla tmiem permezz tal-Evanġelju. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mattew 17:1-9

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru u lil Ġakbu u lil 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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///////////// REFLECTION ///////////////

JESUS AND HUMILITY

An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil

Introduction:

The common theme of Sunday’s readings is metamorphosis or transformation. The readings invite us to work, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to transform and renew our lives during Lent, so that we may radiate the glory and grace of the transfigured Lord, which we have just received, all around us by our Spirit-filled lives.

Scripture lessons:

The first reading describes the transformation of a pagan patriarch into a believer in the one God. His name will be transformed from Abram to Abraham and his small family into a great nation. All Abram has to do is to obey the Lord God’s command, and he does so. The second reading, taken from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy, explains the type of Lenten transformation expected of us. We are transformed when we recognize the hand of a loving, providing, and disciplining God behind all our hardships, pain, and suffering and try our best to grow in holiness by cooperating with the grace of God given to us through Jesus and his Gospel.

In the Transfiguration story in Sunday’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 their dreams of him as a conquering political Messiah, and that they might be strengthened in their time of trial.

On the mountain, Jesús is identified out of the Cloud by the Heavenly Voice (God the Father), as “My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!” On Jesus, the Holy Spirit would also descend as a dove, confirming for John (Jesus’ Precursor and Baptiser), the the identity of his cousin Jesus of Nazareth, as the Promised Messiah, as John publicly proclaimed. 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, as the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 33), for today, encourages us to do.

Life messages:

(1) The Transubstantiation in the Holy Mass is the source of our strength. In each Holy Mass our offering of bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus under the appearances of bread and wine. Hence, just as the Transfiguration of Jesus strengthened the Apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of Heavenly strength for resisting evil when the evil one incites us to disobey the will of God and to choose to serve ourselves as gods turning our backs on God, rejecting His Love, Grace and salvation -- and then yielding ourselves more completely to the evil one’s ways and lies.

The Holy Mass, then is the best defence against the barrages of temptations for it provides us with and inexhaustible source a source of grace for renewing our lives during Lent and of strengthened protection against temptations at repeated attacks of the evil one. In addition, should be a source of daily transformation of both our minds and hearts, enabling us to see 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 the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings the sinner back to the path of holiness. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, received in Faith, gains for the recipient complete spiritual healing, forgiveness for all our sins and whatever kind of Physical healing God knows will be best for us at that time.

(3) A message of hope and encouragement. In moments of doubt, pain and suffering, disappointment and despair, we need mountain-top experiences to reach out to God and listen to His consoling words: “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.” Our Lenten penance will lead us to Easter joy.