Farewell to Alleluia and Gloria
During the penitential seasons of the Church, the Gloria and the Alleluia are not said or sung. The Gloria is sung only at the Mass on Holy Thursday, usually with great ceremony, organ and sometimes trumpets, and often with the ringing of bells. After the singing of the Gloria, musical instruments are to be silent until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil. (Catholic families might imitate this solemn silence by not playing instrumental music in their homes at this time.)

In the Middle Ages and throughout the 16th century, the "burying" of the Alleluia was a solemn ritual on Septuagesima Sunday. A procession of children carrying a wooden plaque bearing the word "Alleluia" laid it at the feet of the statue of the Blessed Virgin, covering it with a purple cloth. It remained there until Easter at the Gospel procession, when the plaque was carried as the priest intoned the three Alleluias before the Easter Gospel. In Paris, a straw figure inscribed with the word was carried out of the choir at the end of the service and burned in the church yard.

Although the practice of literally removing the Alleluia from the Church may have disappeared, even today in some parish celebrations of the Easter Vigil an Alleluia card is carried in procession and placed in front of the altar during the singing of the first Alleluias before the Gospel for Easter.

The hymn Alleluia, Song of Gladness and the one that follows date from the early 9th and 10th centuries; both refer to the farewell to the Alleluia in the liturgy.

From: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

The Sacrifice of Isaac and the Renewal of the Promise

[1] After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!"
And he said, "Here am I." [2] He said, "Take your son, your only son
Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him
there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall
tell you."

[9a] When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an
altar there, and laid the wood in order. [10] Then Abraham put forth his hand, and
took the knife to slay his son. [11] But the angel of the Lord called to him
from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." [12] He
said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know
that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son,
from me." [13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind
him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took
the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

[15] And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
[16] and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done
this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will indeed
bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and
as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the
gate of their enemies, [18] and by your descendants shall all the nations of
the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

Commentary:

22:1-19. God has been true to his promise: he has given Abraham a son by
Sarah. Now it is Abraham who should show his fidelity to God by being ready
to sacrifice his son in recognition that the boy belongs to God. The divine
command seems to be senseless: Abraham has already lost Ishmael, when he and
Hagar were sent away; now he is being asked to sacrifice his remaining son.
Disposing of his son, meant detaching himself even from the fulfillment of
the promise which Isaac represented. In spite of all this, Abraham obeys.

'"As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham 'who had
received the promises' (Heb 11:17) is asked to sacrifice the son God had
given him. Abraham's faith does hot weaken ('God himself will provide the
lamb for a burnt offering'), for he 'considered that God was able to raise
men even from the dead' (Heb 11:19). And so the father of believers is
conformed to the likeness of the Father who will not spare his own son but
will deliver him up for us all (cf. Rom 8:32). Prayer restores man to God's
likeness and enables him to share in the power of God's love that saves the
multitude (cf. Rom 4:16-21)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2572).

By undergoing the test which God set, Abraham attains perfection (cf. Jas
2:2 1) and he is now in a position for God to reaffirm in a solemn way the
promise he made previously (cf. Gen 12:3).

The sacrifice of Isaac has features which make it a figure of the redemptive
sacrifice of Christ. Thus, there is father giving up his son; the son who
renders himself to his father's will; the tools of sacrifice such as the
wood, the knife and the altar. The account reaches its climax by showing
through Abraham's obedience and Isaac's non-resistance, God's blessing will
reach all the nations of the earth (cf. v. 18). So, it is not surprising
that Jewish tradition should attribute a certain redemptive value to Isaac's
submissiveness, and that the Fathers should see this episode prefiguring the
passion of Christ, only Son of the Father.

22:2. "The land of Moriah": according to the Syrian version of Genesis this
is "land of the Ammorites". We do not in fact know where this place was,
although in 2 Chronicles 3:1 it is identified the mountain on which the
temple Jerusalem was built, to stress the holiness of that site.

22:12. God is satisfied just by Abraham's sincere intention to do what he
asked of him. It is as good as if he had actually done the deed. "The
patriarch turned sacrificer of his son for the love of God; he stained his
right hand with blood in intention and offered sacrifice. But owing to God's
loving kindness beyond telling he received his son back safe and sound and
went off with him; the patriarch was commended for his intention and
bedecked with a bright crown; he had engaged in the ultimate struggle and at
every stage given evidence of his godly attitude" ("Homiliae in Genesim",
48, 1).

Making an implicit comparison between Isaac and Jesus, St Paul sees in the
death of Christ the culmination of God's love; he writes: "He who did not
spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all
things with him?" (Rom 8:32).

If staying Abraham's hand was really a sign of God's love, an even greater
one was really a sign of God's love, an even greater one was the fact that
he allowed Jesus to die as an expiatory sacrifice on behalf of all mankind.
In that later sacrifice, because "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8), "the abyss of
malice which sin opens wide has been bridged by his infinite charity. God
did not abandon men. His plans foresaw that the sacrifices of the old law
would be insufficient to repair our faults and reestablish the unity which
had been lost. A man who was God would have to offer himself up" (St. J.
Escriva, "Christ is Passing By", 95).

22: 13-14. Some Fathers see this ram as a prefigurement of Jesus Christ,
insofar as, like Christ, the ram. was immolated in order to save man. In
this sense, St Ambrose wrote: "Whom does the ram represent, if not him of
whom it is written, 'He has raised up a horn for his people' (Ps 148:14)?
[...] Christ: It is He whom Abraham saw in that sacrifice; it was his
passion he saw. Thus, our Lord himself says of Abraham: 'Your father Abraham
rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad' (Jn 8:56).
Therefore Scripture says: 'Abraham called the name of that place 'The Lord
will provide,' so that today one can say: the Lord appeared on the mount,
that is, he appeared to Abraham revealing his future passion in his body,
whereby he redeemed the world; and sharing, at the same time, the nature of
his passion when he caused him to see the ram suspended by his horns. The
thicket stands for the scaffold of the cross" ("De Abraham", 1, 8, 77-7.8).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Romans 8:31b-34

Trust in God

[31b] If God is for us, who is against us? [32] He who did not spare
his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all
things with him? [33] Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies; [34] who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus,
who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand
of God, who indeed intercedes for us?

Commentary:

31-39. The elect will emerge unscathed and victorious from all attacks,
dangers and sufferings and will do so not through their own efforts but
by virtue of the all-powerful aid of him who has loved them from all
eternity and who did not hesitate to have his own Son die for their
salvation. It is true that as long as we are on this earth we cannot
attain salvation, but we are assured that we will attain it precisely
because God will not withhold all the graces we need to obtain this
happy outcome: all that is needed is that we desire to receive this
divine help. Nothing that happens to us can separate us from the Lord
--not fear of death or love of life, not the bad angels or devils, not
the princes or the powers of this world, nor the sufferings we undergo
or which threaten us nor the worst that might befall us. "Paul
himself", St John Chrysostom reminds us, "had to contend with numerous
enemies. The barbarians attacked him; his custodians laid traps for
him; even the faithful, sometimes in great numbers, rose against him;
yet Paul always came out victorious. We should not forget that the
Christian who is faithful to the laws of his God will defeat both men
and Satan himself" ("Hom. on Rom.", 15).

This is the attitude which enables us to live as children of God, who
fear neither life nor death: "Our Lord wants us to be in the world and
to love the world but without being worldly. Our Lord wants us to
remain in this world--which is now so mixed up and where the clamor of
lust and disobedience and purposeless rebellion can be heard--to teach
people to live with joy [...]. Don't be afraid of the paganized world:
our Lord has in fact chosen us to be leaven, salt and light in this
world. Don't be worried. The world won't harm you unless you want it
to. No enemy of our soul can do anything if we don't consent. And we
won't consent, with the grace of God and the protection of our Mother
in heaven" (S. Bernal, "Monsignor Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer", p.
213).

31. This exclamation of the Apostle vividly reveals the full extent of
the love of God the Father, who not only listens to our prayers but
anticipates our needs. God is with us, he is always by our side. This
is a cry expressing confidence and optimism, despite our personal
wretchedness; it is firmly based on our sense of divine sonship.
"Clothed in grace, we can cross mountains (cf. Ps 103:10), and climb
the hill of our Christian duty, without halting on the way. If we use
these resources with a firm purpose and beg our Lord to grant us an
ever increasing hope, we shall possess the infectious joy of those who
know they are children of God: 'If God is for us, who is against us?'
(Rom 8:31) Let us be optimists. Moved by the power of hope, we shall
fight to wipe away the trail of filth and slime left by the sowers of
hatred. We shall find a new joyful perspective to the world, seeing
that it has sprung forth beautiful and fair from the hands of God. We
shall give it back to him with that same beauty" ([St] J. Escriva, "Friends
of God", 219).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Mark 9:2-10

The Transfiguration

[2] And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and
led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was
transfigured before them, [3] and His garments became glistening,
intensely white, as no fuller on earth bleach them. [4] And there
appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.
[5] And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let
us make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for
Elijah." [6] For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly
afraid. [7] And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the
cloud, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." [8] And suddenly
looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell
no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from
the dead. [10] So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what
the rising from the dead meant.

Commentary:

2-10. We contemplate in awe this manifestation of the glory of the Son
of God to three of His disciples. Ever since the Incarnation, the
divinity of our Lord has usually been hidden behind His humanity. But
Christ wishes to show, to these favorite disciples, who will later be
pillars of the Church, the splendor of His divine glory, in order to
encourage them to follow the difficult way that lies ahead, fixing
their gaze on the happy goal which is awaiting them at the end. This
is why, as St. Thomas comments (cf. "Summa Theologia", III, q. 45, a.
1), it was appropriate for Him to give them an insight into His glory.
The fact that the Transfiguration comes immediately after the first
announcement of His passion, and His prophetic words about how His
followers would also have to carry His cross, shows us that "through
many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

What happened at the Transfiguration? To understand this miraculous
event in Christ's life, we must remember that in order to redeem us by
His passion and death our Lord freely renounced divine glory and became
man, assuming flesh which was capable of suffering and which was not
glorious, becoming like us in every way except sin (cf. Hebrew 4:15).
In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ willed that the glory which was
His as God and which His soul had from the moment of the Incarnation,
should miraculously become present in His body. "We should learn from
Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not
even want the glory that belong to Him. Though He had the right to be
treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians
2:6)" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62). Bearing in
mind WHO became man (the divinity of the person and the glory of His
soul), it was appropriate for His body to be glorious; given the
PURPOSE of His Incarnation, it was not appropriate, usually, for His
glory to be evident. Christ shows His glory in the Transfiguration in
order to move us to desire the divine glory which will be given us so
that, having this hope, we too can understand "that the sufferings of
this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be
revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

2. According to Deuteronomy (19:15), to bear witness to anything the
evidence of two or three much concur. Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted
three Apostles to be present. It should be pointed out that these
three Apostles were specially loved by Him; they were with Him also at
the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and will also be
closest to Him during His agony at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). Cf. note
on Matthew 17:1-13.

7. This is how St. Thomas Aquinas explains the meaning of the
Transfiguration: "Just as in Baptism, where the mystery of the first
regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was
made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Spirit
appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known in
the voice; so also in the Transfiguration, which is the sign of the
second regeneration [the Resurrection], the whole Trinity appears--the
Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright
cloud; for just as in Baptism He confers innocence, as signified by the
simplicity of the dove, so in the Resurrection will He give His elect
the clarity of glory and the refreshment from every form of evil, as
signified by the bright cloud" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 45, 1.4 ad
2). For, really, the Transfiguration was in some way an anticipation
not only of Christ's glorification but also of ours. As St. Paul says,
"it is the same Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we
are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and
fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we
may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:16-17).

10. That the dead would rise was already revealed in the Old Testament
(cf. Daniel 12:2-3; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 12:43) and was believed by pious
Jews (cf. John 11:23-25). However, they were unable to understand the
profound truth of the death and Resurrection of the Lord: they expected
a glorious and triumphant Messiah, despite the prophecy that He would
suffer and die (cf. Isaiah 53). Hence the Apostles' oblique approach;
they too do not dare to directly question our Lord about His
Resurrection.

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Sunday, March 12, 2006
Second Sunday of Lent

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
Psalm 116:10, 15-19
Romans 8:31-34
Mark 9:2-10

Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.

-- Psalm cxl. 2

For Pete's Sake

by Fr. Paul Scalia

Other Articles by Fr. Paul Scalia

For Pete's Sake

03/11/06

“Lord it is good that we are here!” Well, there he goes again. St. Peter always seems to interrupt and blurt out whatever comes to mind and apparently with no sense of propriety. As the ancient writer Origen observed, St. Peter “often appears in Scripture as hasty in putting forth his own ideas of what is right and expedient.”


And so we find him at one moment asking to walk on water, then sinking for lack of faith. There he is confessing our Lord as Son of the living God, then blocking Him from His mission. At the Last Supper he pledges his life for the Lord, only to deny Him before sunrise. Yet if St. Peter seems too hasty in his reactions, we should also beware lest we dismiss him entirely, for we can learn a great deal from the Prince of the Apostles. Take for example the Transfiguration. Overcome at the sight of our Lord glorified, St. Peter exclaims, “Lord it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mk 9:5). Sure, it seems like another gaffe by St. Peter, especially since He receives what amounts to a divine scolding: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him” (Mk 9:7). But in fact he has the right instinct. He just jumps the gun a bit. When St. Peter beholds our Lord’s glory, he sees it for what it is: the goal. Our Lord came into the world to win such glory — for Himself and for all men. By His Incarnation He took on our human nature. By His Passion and Death He purified it. By His Resurrection and Ascension He glorified it. Heaven, the goal of human life, is to contemplate our Lord in glory and to be glorified with Him. St. Peter immediately and instinctively senses (but perhaps does not yet understand) that the contemplation of Christ in glory is the greatest good. Naturally, he wants to stay: “Lord it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” So before we roll our eyes at his mistake, let us first appreciate St. Peter’s example. After all, most of us set the goal much lower than he. Indeed few of us would even rise to the level of his mistake. How many of us truly see heaven — the vision of Christ face-to-face — as our life’s goal? In truth, we would be content with far less: with material wealth, or comfort, a bit of fame perhaps, or power. At best people might possess the vague ambition to “make the world a better place.” Eternal contemplation of Christ in glory somehow does not figure into most people’s life goals. But St. Peter knew it immediately. St. Peter goofed, then, not in his words but in his timing. He wanted to contemplate Christ glorified — but before our Lord won that glory by His Passion and Death. He wanted the prize without the contest. And again, this is a mistake we should be slow to criticize — we who would have the Gospel without sacrifice, holiness without prayer, virtue without effort, Communion without confession, and Easter without Lent. In a sense, St. Peter reveals us to ourselves. In him we can see ourselves trying to find a shortcut, an easier route, a detour, some way of avoiding the Cross. Mother Church places the Transfiguration before us while Lent is still young so that we will learn to imitate St. Peter’s faith and avoid his hastiness. In Lent we accompany our Lord in the contest. We take upon ourselves some share of His suffering and death so that we will attain some share also of His eternal glory. May the clumsy example of St. Peter focus our thoughts on the ultimate goal and inspire us to accompany our Lord in the contest. Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, Virginia. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

Thanks, as always. I especially enjoy the homilies you post!

...we who would have the Gospel without sacrifice, holiness without prayer, virtue without effort, Communion without confession, and Easter without Lent. In a sense, St. Peter reveals us to ourselves. In him we can see ourselves trying to find a shortcut, an easier route, a detour, some way of avoiding the Cross.

Some even go so far as to serve in the Senate as a Massachusetts Democrat.

I'm not being totally flippant (well, not totally). The modern libral Democrat party came to mind when I read this phrase from Fr. Scalia.

libral = liberal

From the pages of Vivificat!

From today's Office of Readings - A reading from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope

The Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.

The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.

With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.

The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?

The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.

In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.

No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.

When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

- Purchase this icon from Holy Transfiguration Monastery

- Source for the Reading: Universalis.Com

-Theo

Yes, it's easy to see why BOTH Massachusetts senators might come to mind -- taking shortcuts -- or at least trying to on earth.

We'll have to see what judgment brings for them................

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 103 (104)
Hymn to God the Creator
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord, my God, how great you are! You are robed in majesty and splendour; you are wrapped in light as in a cloak. You stretch out the sky like an awning, you build your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot, you walk upon the wings of the wind. You make the breezes your messengers, you make burning fire your minister. You set the earth upon its foundation: from age to age it will stand firm. Deep oceans covered it like a garment, and the waters stood high above the mountains; but you rebuked them and they fled; at the sound of your thunder they fled in terror. They rise to the mountains or sink to the valleys, to the places you have decreed for them. You have given them a boundary they must not cross; they will never come back to cover the earth. You make springs arise to feed the streams, that flow in the midst of the mountains. All the beasts of the field will drink from them and the wild asses will quench their thirst. Above them will nest the birds of the sky, from among the branches their voices will sound. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 103 (104)

Hymn to God the Creator

Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord, my God, how great you are!
You are robed in majesty and splendour;
you are wrapped in light as in a cloak.

You stretch out the sky like an awning,
you build your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot,
you walk upon the wings of the wind.
You make the breezes your messengers,
you make burning fire your minister.

You set the earth upon its foundation:
from age to age it will stand firm.
Deep oceans covered it like a garment,
and the waters stood high above the mountains;
but you rebuked them and they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they fled in terror.
They rise to the mountains or sink to the valleys,
to the places you have decreed for them.
You have given them a boundary they must not cross;
they will never come back to cover the earth.

You make springs arise to feed the streams,
that flow in the midst of the mountains.
All the beasts of the field will drink from them
and the wild asses will quench their thirst.
Above them will nest the birds of the sky,
from among the branches their voices will sound.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 103 (104)
From your palace you water the mountains, and thus you give plenty to the earth. You bring forth grass for the cattle, and plants for the service of man. You bring forth bread from the land, and wine to make man’s heart rejoice. Oil, to make the face shine; and bread to make man’s heart strong. The trees of the Lord have all that they need, and the cedars of Lebanon, that he planted. Small birds will nest there, and storks at the tops of the trees. For wild goats there are the high mountains; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. He made the moon so that time could be measured; the sun knows the hour of its setting. You send shadows, and night falls: then all the beasts of the woods come out, lion cubs roaring for their prey, asking God for their food. When the sun rises they come back together to lie in their lairs; man goes out to his labour, and works until evening. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 103 (104)

From your palace you water the mountains,
and thus you give plenty to the earth.
You bring forth grass for the cattle,
and plants for the service of man.
You bring forth bread from the land,
and wine to make man’s heart rejoice.
Oil, to make the face shine;
and bread to make man’s heart strong.

The trees of the Lord have all that they need,
and the cedars of Lebanon, that he planted.
Small birds will nest there,
and storks at the tops of the trees.
For wild goats there are the high mountains;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

He made the moon so that time could be measured;
the sun knows the hour of its setting.
You send shadows, and night falls:
then all the beasts of the woods come out,
lion cubs roaring for their prey,
asking God for their food.
When the sun rises they come back together
to lie in their lairs;
man goes out to his labour,
and works until evening.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 103 (104)
How many are your works, O Lord! You have made all things in your wisdom, and the earth is full of your creatures. The sea is broad and immense: sea-creatures swim there, both small and large, too many to count. Ships sail across it; Leviathan lives there, the monster; you made him to play with. All of them look to you to give them their food when they need it. You give it to them, and they gather; you open your hand, they are filled with good things. But turn away, and they are dismayed; take away their breath, and they die, once more they will turn into dust. You will send forth your breath, they will come to life; you will renew the face of the earth. Glory be to the Lord, for ever; let the Lord rejoice in his works. He turns his gaze to the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I exist, I will sing songs to God. May my praises be pleasing to him; truly I will delight in the Lord. Let sinners perish from the earth, let the wicked vanish from existence. Bless the Lord, my soul! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 103 (104)

How many are your works, O Lord!
You have made all things in your wisdom,
and the earth is full of your creatures.
The sea is broad and immense:
sea-creatures swim there, both small and large,
too many to count.
Ships sail across it;
Leviathan lives there, the monster;
you made him to play with.

All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
You give it to them, and they gather;
you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
But turn away, and they are dismayed;
take away their breath, and they die,
once more they will turn into dust.
You will send forth your breath, they will come to life;
you will renew the face of the earth.

Glory be to the Lord, for ever;
let the Lord rejoice in his works.
He turns his gaze to the earth, and it trembles;
he touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
as long as I exist, I will sing songs to God.
May my praises be pleasing to him;
truly I will delight in the Lord.

Let sinners perish from the earth,
let the wicked vanish from existence.
Bless the Lord, my soul!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Reading	Exodus 13:17 - 14:9 ©
When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not let them take the road to the land of the Philistines, although that was the nearest way. God thought that the prospect of fighting would make the people lose heart and turn back to Egypt. Instead, God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. The sons of Israel went out from Egypt fully armed. Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had put the sons of Israel on solemn oath. ‘It is sure that God will visit you,’ he had said ‘and when that day comes you must take my bones from here with you.’ From Succoth they moved on, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went before them, by day in the form of a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in the form of a pillar of fire to give them light: thus they could continue their march by day and by night. The pillar of cloud never failed to go before the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire during the night. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and pitch camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-zephon. You are to pitch your camp opposite this place, beside the sea. Pharaoh will think, “Look how these sons of Israel wander to and fro in the countryside; the wilderness has closed in on them”. Then I shall make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn and he will set out in pursuit of them. But I shall win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will learn that I am the Lord.’ And the Israelites did this. When Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was told that the people had made their escape, he and his courtiers changed their minds about the people. ‘What have we done,’ they said ‘allowing Israel to leave our service?’ So Pharaoh had his chariot harnessed and gathered his troops about him, taking six hundred of the best chariots and all the other chariots in Egypt, each manned by a picked team. The Lord made Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn, and he gave chase to the sons of Israel as they made their triumphant escape. So the Egyptians gave chase and came up with them where they lay encamped beside the sea – all the horses, the chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, his army – near Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon.

Reading

Exodus 13:17 - 14:9 ©

When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not let them take the road to the land of the Philistines, although that was the nearest way. God thought that the prospect of fighting would make the people lose heart and turn back to Egypt. Instead, God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. The sons of Israel went out from Egypt fully armed. Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had put the sons of Israel on solemn oath. ‘It is sure that God will visit you,’ he had said ‘and when that day comes you must take my bones from here with you.’
From Succoth they moved on, and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
The Lord went before them, by day in the form of a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in the form of a pillar of fire to give them light: thus they could continue their march by day and by night. The pillar of cloud never failed to go before the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire during the night.
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and pitch camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-zephon. You are to pitch your camp opposite this place, beside the sea. Pharaoh will think, “Look how these sons of Israel wander to and fro in the countryside; the wilderness has closed in on them”. Then I shall make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn and he will set out in pursuit of them. But I shall win glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will learn that I am the Lord.’ And the Israelites did this.
When Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was told that the people had made their escape, he and his courtiers changed their minds about the people. ‘What have we done,’ they said ‘allowing Israel to leave our service?’ So Pharaoh had his chariot harnessed and gathered his troops about him, taking six hundred of the best chariots and all the other chariots in Egypt, each manned by a picked team. The Lord made Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn, and he gave chase to the sons of Israel as they made their triumphant escape. So the Egyptians gave chase and came up with them where they lay encamped beside the sea – all the horses, the chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, his army – near Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon.

Reading	From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope
The Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ
The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow. The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed. With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head. The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other? The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace. In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed. No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised. When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

Reading

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope

The Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

You're welcome! Thanks for coming on board to read them!

Catholic Culture

Collect:
God our Father, help us to hear your Son. Enlighten us with your word, that we may find a way to your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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March 12, 2006

Second Sunday of Lent

Between Moses and Elias Jesus shows forth His divine glory, thus foreshadowing His resurrection. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. Today's Mass places before us the transfigured Lord and the model toward Whom we must tend, and our own transfiguration as the goal we must attain. We attain this goal by a profound realization of our sinfulness and need of a Redeemer; by preserving purity of body and soul; by combatting our passions and carnal instincts and observing the commandments and most importantly by participating in the Mass. — Excerpted from Cathedral Daily Missal

The Station at Rome is in the church of St. Mary in Dominica, on Monte Celio. Tradition tells us that in this basilica was the diaconicum of which St. Lawrence had charge, and from which he distributed to the poor the alms of the Church.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18. Abraham had promply obeyed the true God and come to Canaan. Now God tests him by asking him to offer his son, Isaac, in sacrifice. Abraham obeyed promply once more, but God intervened as Abraham got ready to slay his son. He renewed His promise of a great race, through which the whole world would receive the blessing of God — divine adoption throught the Incarnation.

The second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8:31-34. St. Paul is emphasizing the indwelling of the Spirit in Christians and their freedom from sin, eternal death and the Jewish law. The liberating act of Christ had made them children of God, destined for glory.

The Gospel is from St. Mark 9:2-10. This vision of Christ glorified, given to these Apostles on Mount Thabor (the traditional site of Transfiguration) was surely a very special privilege, and it was one they did not forget. "We saw his glory," St. John says in his gospel, written over sixty years later. In his epistles John also refers to this privilege (1 Jn. 1:1-4). St. Peter, writing from Rome to the churches in Asia Minor about thirty years later, mentions this outstanding experience: "For we were not following fictitious tales 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 from God the Father honor and glory, when from out the majestic glory a voice came down to him saying: `this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.' And this voice we ourselves heard borne from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain" (2 Pt. 1:16-18).

Yes, the three Apostles were privileged and we too are sharers in their privilege. The Transfiguration of Christ is but one among many of the incontrovertible proofs of the divine Sonship of Christ which we have iu the gospel narratives and in the twenty centuries-long history of the Church which he founded. Were he not divine, that Church would long since have crumbled and fallen under the many vicious assaults from outside which it has undergone, as well as from the many human weaknesses which have beset it from within. But Christ is God and the Church has his divine protection and assistance. Therefore, it will go on to the end of time to continue his work of elevating and redeeming mankind.

This enlightening glimpse of Christ's future glory—a glory in which they would share—was given to these Apostles to strengthen and encourage them in the terrible test of their faith which the passion and death of Jesus would be for them very soon. It is for a similar reason that the Church orders this story of the Transfiguration to be read to us during this season of Lent. We are or should be mortifying our selves during this season. This mortification can earn for us a glorious and unending future life. To encourage us to continue it, we are reminded that the One we are following, the One whose voice we listen to, is none other than the Son of God. There are the voices of many false prophets shouting around us, telling us to enjoy ourselves in this life, to "eat, sleep, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die," but there is the rub—tomorrow we shall die, but where shall we go then?

Let us thank our divine Lord today, for giving this consoling and encouraging vision of his glory to his Apostles and through them to us. It was for them, and it is for us, a guarantee and a foretaste of the joys and the glory that will be ours for eternity, if we but persevere in our struggles against the world, the flesh and the devil. This struggle is not easy for our weak nature, but our loving Savior is ever beside us to "raise us up and tell us not to fear" if we but rely on him. When we are tempted to give way to our human weaknesses, or to give way under the weight of the crosses that sometimes are about to crush us, let us think of Mount Thabor, and the glorified Jesus, who a few weeks later faced his own real passion and cross cheerfully for our sakes. This thought will help us to carry our crosses as the thought of the future glory which will be ours should make us thank God that we have been created and thank his beloved Son for setting us on the road to that future glory.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Work of God

Year B

- Second Sunday of Lent

The transfiguration - This is my Son, my beloved.

Mark 9:2-10

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,
3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"
8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I invited my three closest apostles to come with me to the mountain to pray. It was there that I was transfigured.

The divinity in me became stronger than my humanity and they were able to have a real vision of things never seen before and to hear the voice of my Father telling them and all creation to listen to me.

My human appearance could not hide the divinity within, my light was shining brightly and they received an interior consolation far greater than anything that can be imagined. They were in the presence of their God, they did not know what to say, they simply enjoyed the moment.

I am the Lord your God, clothed in majesty and glory. I descended to the world and assumed the humble appearance of a man. Being the Supreme Word that created the heavens and the earth, everything seen and unseen, I came to teach with authority the knowledge for salvation.

Salvation can only be found in me, the way, the truth and the life. My Father has testified about Himself through creation. I spoke and everything was made. The Holy Spirit has been always sustaining the created universe for the glory of the Holy Trinity. God is with you.

During the transfiguration, the voice of my Father was heard inviting all creation to listen to me.

Listen to me and you will also be transfigured by my light. The concealed divinity that my apostles saw, is the gift that I give to everyone who listens to my word, it is the seed that will transform your wretched bodies into divine beings, children of the Most High.

Listen to me and desire my word constantly. Desire my light, desire to be filled with my divinity, let my light begin transfiguring you, so that you may rejoice being holy in my will.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary