Second Sunday of Lent-Preparing for the Glorious Celebration
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters: Breaking his journey to Jerusalem where he will suffer and die, Jesus goes up a high mountain where he is transfigured before the eyes of the chosen disciples. This glimpse of the Lord’s divinity is meant to encourage the disciples in their following of the Lord. It is also intended to spur us on as we undergo the “Lenten moments” of our lives, when we experience doubts, pains, and life’s absurdities. With Peter and the other disciples, we can say that we, too, have heard the Father’s voice on the holy mountain. We do well to be attentive to it. (taken from Sambuhay)
First Reading
God calls Abram away from the security of his land and home to form from him the chosen people. The call of Abram symbolizes our pilgrimage of faith.
A reading from the Book of 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 (Ps 33)
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
Second Reading
Jesus gave his life for us not because we merited it but because it was the Father’s gracious design. Paul invites us to be thankful by bearing our share of the hardship for the sake of the Gospel.
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to 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 savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. (Mt 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.”
The World of the Gospel
Gil Alinsangan, SSP
Transfiguration
Transfiguration is derived from the Latin word for the Greek metamorphosis, which designates change of form and appearance. In pagan belief, the gods and goddesses were the ones capable of changing their form in their dealings with human beings.
In the transfiguration of Jesus, the three disciples see Jesus resplendent in glory, as signified by his dazzling white clothes. It is the glory that belongs to him as God’s beloved Son. For a brief moment, the veil of his humanity is lifted and his body is enveloped by resplendent light. This is how the glory of God is presented in the Old Testament.
The transfiguration happens after the first prediction of the passion (Mt 16:21), immediately after Jesus’ declaration that some disciples will see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (Mt 16:28). The disclosure of Jesus’ true character points to the suffering and glorification of Jesus which are intimately related. The vision granted to the chosen disciples is meant to prepare them for the scandal of the cross. When, at the passion, they see him as “a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity… spurned and held in no esteem” (Is 53:3), they are to remember their experience on the mountain.
The transfiguration is a momentary anticipation of the consummation of the kingdom which is accomplished in Jesus’ death and resurrection. The divine sonship which Jesus enjoys will be fully manifested in his resurrection from the dead. At the same time it is a disclosure and guarantee of the Parousia, the full manifestation of Jesus’ glory when he returns at the end of the age, and vindicates his and God’s glory. What the disciples see is only a fleeting vision of that glory which will be fully revealed at the end.
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