Second Sunday of Lent

Catechism Links [1]
 
CCC 554-556. 568: the Transfiguration
CCC 59, 145-146, 2570-2572: The obedience of Abraham
CCC 1000: Faith opens the way to comprehending the mystery of the Resurrection
CCC 645, 999-1001: The resurrection of the body
 

“Transfiguration”
by Marco Benefial, c. 1730

Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading I: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
 
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
 
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
 
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
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Commentary on Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
 
We hear, in this reading, of the ritual formalization of the covenant between God and Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham). In this covenant God promises Abram that he will be the father of a great nation.  God promises him this posterity and the land to support it.  Within the context of this selection is a prophecy (v. 13-16) of some of the trials to come.  But God makes this promise, sealed with a sacrifice indicating a pledge on both sides.
 
A three year old animal was ritually mature, and the animal being cut in half is preserved in ritual as a sign of that covenant. We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass when the priest breaks the large host in half and pronounces the words: “This is the Lamb of God.” While it is not explicit in this text, Abram probably walked between the halves of the sacrifice to symbolize what happened to them would also happen to him if he failed in his part of the agreement (see Jeremiah 34:18).
 
CCC: Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.
 
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
 
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
 
Similar in tenor to Psalm 23, we hear in this passage both a profession of faith (“The Lord is my light and my salvation”) and a plea for help (“Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call”).  Taken in total it is a consolation for all who have faith.
 
Psalm 27 begins in the form of a soliloquy asserting God’s role as refuge and savior. This passage continues with a prayer as the psalmist yearns to see God’s face to obtain his indulgence. “Commenting on this psalm, St. Augustine writes; ‘In the most hidden place, where only you may hear it, my heart says to you: Lord, I seek your face: and I will continue in this search, without ever taking rest, so that I may love you freely, for I will never find anything more precious than [your face]’ (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 26.8)." [5]
 
CCC: Ps 27:8 2730
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Reading II
Longer Form: Philippians 3:17—4:1
 
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
 
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.
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Commentary on Phil 3:17—4:1
 
In the first part of the reading St. Paul exhorts the community to imitate him and those who act in accord with his teaching.  He first calls on the Christians at Philippi to imitate the evangelist himself. 
 
"Paul knows that his witness will leave a more lasting impression than his words.  He appeals to readers to follow his example as he models his own life after Christ (1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 11:1)." [6]
 
"’There is no better teaching than the teacher's own example,’ St John Chrysostom exclaims, commenting on this passage; ‘by taking this course the teacher is sure of getting his disciple to follow him. Speak wisely, instruct as eloquently as you can ..., but your example will make a greater impression, will be more decisive.... When your actions are in line with your words, nobody will be able to find fault with you’ ("Hom. on Phil, ad loc.")." [7]
 
He then (Philippians 3:17-20) identifies those who “conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.” They do so by focusing their efforts on themselves (their stomach, their glory, earthly things). In contrast, the selection concludes, the Christian should focus on spiritual gifts and the promise of the resurrection.
 
The second part of the reading is the promise to the faithful members of the community. The promise is that, in the end, they will be conformed to Christ in spirit and body.
 
CCC: Phil 3:16-17 1156, 2633; Phil 3:18-21 2204; Phil 3:20 2217; Phil 3:21 2286; Phil 4:1 1807
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Or
Shorter Form: Philippians 3:20—4:1
 
Brothers and sisters:
Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
 
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
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Commentary on Phil 3:20---4:1
 
The shorter form of the reading omits the contrasting secular values of the enemies of Christ but retains the promise to the faithful members of the community. The promise is that, in the end, they will be conformed to Christ in spirit and body.
 
CCC: Phil 3:18-21 2204; Phil 3:20 2217; Phil 3:21 2286; Phil 4:1 1807
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Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36
 
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
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Commentary on Lk 9:28b-36
 
In this passage, St. Luke relates the account of the Transfiguration. Jesus goes up a mountain, to a high place with Peter, James, and John. ["Open-air cultic sites.  The term 'high place' is the usual translation of these worship sites.  Although these sites were often located on hills, they were not all so placed (cf. 1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 16:4, 17:9-10; Jeremiah 7:31, 32:35). They could be sited on mountain-tops (Deuteronomy 32:13; Isaiah 58:14; Amos 4:13; Micah 1:3) or even by the sea (Job 9:8).  The high places were dedicated to God or to Canaanite deities, and in the period before the establishment of the Temple at Jerusalem, such worship centers could be considered legitimate (Exodus 20;24; Judges 6:26; 2 Kings 14:4; 1 Chronicles 21:15).  The first mention of them is in 1 Samuel 9:13, likely a reference to Ramah." [8]]  His appearance changed and the disciples observe him conversing about “his exodus” with Moses and Elijah (Jesus’ exodus would be the Passion toward which he was moving).
 
The disciples' response to this vision was first to “make three tents,” alluding to the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, placing the Lord at the same level of importance as Moses and Elijah. Before any response was made, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and God’s voice came from the cloud announcing: “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” (Reminiscent of the words heard at his baptism in the Jordan: Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; and Luke 3:22.)  Jesus is elevated above Moses and Elijah to a place with God himself.
 
It is clear from this story, and the other transfiguration accounts, that what had happened was kept secret until after Jesus' death and resurrection. It was at that time that the true significance of the event was understood by the Christian community, and the experience placed in its proper position chronologically.
 
CCC: Lk 9:28 2600; Lk 9:30-35 2583; Lk 9:31 554, 1151; Lk 9:33 556; Lk 9:34-35 659, 697; Lk 9:35 516, 554
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Reflection:
 
We have arrived at the second week of our Lenten journey toward renewal.  Personally, I have been pretty good with my promise of abstinence from sweets, my personal Achilles heel.  But I have fallen short of my promise to add an extra hour to my prayer time.  The small satisfaction is at least I have not fallen into the condition St. Paul refers to in his Letter to the Philippians when talking about people who have fallen from faith as their god being their stomach. 
 
These little sacrifices we commit to in our Lenten discipline are important.  If we have given up something important to us, they are a constant reminder that we are, by reason of our creed – our statement of belief – people of the New Covenant.
 
We hear those words “New Covenant” in the Eucharistic Prayer when our priest says over the chalice: “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal covenant.” [9]
 
That concept of covenant is expressed beautifully in the first reading we heard today from the book of Genesis.  To set the stage for what takes place, we find Abram (his name has not yet been changed to Abraham) in a depressed state.  God had promised Abram that he would make him a “great nation,” implying he would have many descendants (Genesis 13:2-3). Yet here he is after doing great service (saving Lot and following God’s commands), but still childless.  In his distress over this situation, which in the day meant he would have no one to continue his line, no one to look after the family inheritance, no one to tend him in his old age, and no one to bury him when the time came, he is ready to name Eliezer (Damascus Eliezer – the manager or cup bearer of his household [10]) as his heir.
 
We take up Abram’s story in our reading as God is reiterating his promise that Abram will have descendants as numerous as the stars! And at this point Abram had faith in God’s promise and consequently God pronounced this an act of “righteousness.” 
 
This may sound like a simple statement but in biblical language it is huge.  It means that God saw this as an act of steadfast faith which is followed with following God’s will and commands.  In essence, Abram becomes the model for all the faithful who follow him and translates into the New Testament where we find St. Paul and St. James (Galatians 3:7 and James 2:21-22) [11], saying faith in God requires actions in accordance with his will.
 
The symbolism of the covenant ritual that follows cements this solemn relationship, a relationship that is more than a simple promise.  It is a lifelong commitment to mutual love which is at the root of sacramental marriage in the modern Church.
 
The idea of that covenantal relationship between God and Christians is further expounded by St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians where he uses his own love and dedication to faith and following the commandments of Christ as an example.  As Abram was a model for the Hebrew people so St. Paul uses his own covenant with God as an example for the early Christians.  He compares his dedication to those who have fallen away, allowing their hedonistic urges to drive them away from their covenant with Christ.
 
At last, in the Gospel, we see the new covenant expressed in the Transfiguration of Jesus who can be seen by the disciples mediating the law represented by Moses, and the prophets represented by Elijah.  According to the witnesses, they are speaking about the Lord’s own sacrifice, sealing the new covenant with his blood.  He becomes the new promise, that is more than a promise to us of our salvation.  Just as when God pronounced Abram “righteous” he assured him of acquittal at the final judgment, so our Lord promises us salvation and eternal life in exchange for our faith in him.
 
Our Lenten journey is intended to remind us of our participation in the New Covenant.  Like Abram we can become lax as we think that the Lord’s promise has not been kept.  But we are reminded that his great love and mercy are always there for us and the promise still hangs before us if we are faithful to him. Our Lenten discipline is but a shadow of our promise to follow our faith with acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 
 
For me, I really need to follow up on that extra prayer time.  And since today is Sunday, I can splurge a little on the sweets.  But come tomorrow we are all back in the trenches, doing our best to live the New Covenant.
 
Pax
 

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[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Transfiguration” by Marco Benefial, c. 1730.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL).  This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Psalms”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 109..
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 361
[7] The Navarre Bible: “Letters of St. Paul,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 448.
[8] Catholic Bible Dictionary, © 2009 by Scott W. Hahn p. 361.
[9] The Roman Missal, International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL) © 2010, p. 499.
[10] The Word Biblical Commentary, Genesis 1-15, Volume 1, © 1987 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., p. 328.
[11] Ibid. p. 335.