Saturday February 23, 2019
Introduction
The Lectionary takes today an excerpt from the Letter to the Hebrews that praises the faith of the holy persons from the first pages of the Old Testament.
After he has announced his coming suffering and answered Peterís protest, Jesus is transfigured before the eyes of those intimate friends among the apostles who will also watch his agony in the garden. This is how he strengthens their faith. Then he speaks again with them about his approaching passion. Let us ask the Lord in this eucharist to give us courage in difficult moments.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
when your Son was transfigured
you gave eyes of faith to the apostles
to see beyond appearances
and to recognize Jesus as your beloved Son.
This vision gave them courage for the hour of trial.
When our faith and trust
seem to desert us in dark moments,
let your Son take us up to the mountain
and give us a glimpse of his light,
that with fresh courage and generosity
we may see where he wants us to go.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Reading 1: Heb 11:1-7
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,
so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cainís.
Through this, he was attested to be righteous,
God bearing witness to his gifts,
and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,
and he was found no more because God had taken him.
Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him,
for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen,
with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household.
Through this, he condemned the world
and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Alleluia: See Mk 9:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mk 9:2-13
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;
then from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples 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.
Then they asked him,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He told them, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him."
Intercessions:
- For trust that God is near to us in our deepest loneliness and in all trials, we pray:
- For courage and constancy, that we may keep doing what is right and good even if it demands pain and effort, we pray:
- For open hearts and hands for all those who suffer, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
all we see before us is
a piece of bread and a cup of wine.
Yet we believe that soon they will be changed
into your Son among us.
Let him come alive in us
and guide us by his Holy Spirit,
that with him we may hear your call
and go through the hardships and joys of life
with faces lit up by hope
and by the certainty that you have prepared for us
a glory and happiness that will last forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, in this eucharist
we have seen a glimpse of your Son's glory
in the love shown us at his table
and in his encouraging words.
Let our lives reflect his light and life,
that each of us may be to his sisters and brothers
a firm support and a helping hand
and a road sign on the way to you,
our God for ever and ever.
Blessing
May the Lord give us in difficult moments a glimpse of his deep love and nearness, and may we too brighten the face of people in their troubles with a word and a smile of sympathy and warmth. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
A glimpse of glory summarizes the transfiguration scene. Jesus will not be present to his followers in a glorified state until his resurrection from the dead. As much as Peter desires to prolong this treasured moment, it was not meant to be. Jesus appears with Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets, respectively. Jesus represents the fulfillment of Old Testament hopes.
The voice of the Father gives fuller identification. This is God's Son, not by adoption but by nature. Drawing on the servant imagery in Isaiah, the Father sees his Son as the obedient servant, who through his death and resurrection will bring the Fatherís will to completion. The final injunction is strong in its brevity. We are to listen to him.
Hebrews tells us that faith is the confident assurance of what we hope for, the conviction regarding things unseen. All of which tells us that faith is not simply wishful thinking. The Old Testament figures of Abel and Enoch are cited as examples of that faith that was pleasing to God.
Think of the ways in which our faith comes to life. As we gather at the altar for the Eucharist, no one sees the body and blood of Christ, only the elements of bread and wine. There is the conviction of things not seen. When we accompany an infant to the baptismal font, it is not merely a question of ritual. It is a moment of Spirit infusion, of a new life in God.
If life without faith is futile and empty, a life with faith finds meaning in the most insignificant things. Our faith will carry us through many storms in life. Faith is never a burden, always a joy.
Points to Ponder
"Listen to him"; its meaning
Jesus: Son and servant
Jesus: the fulfillment of Godís plan.
