RE: 02.28.13~"A,"

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March 3, 2013 - Year A Scrutinies

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Third Sunday of Lent – Year A Scrutinies
Lectionary: 28

Reading 1 Ex 17:3-7

In those days, in their thirst for water,
the people grumbled against Moses,
saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?
Was it just to have us die here of thirst
with our children and our livestock?”
So Moses cried out to the LORD,
“What shall I do with this people?
a little more and they will stone me!”
The LORD answered Moses,
“Go over there in front of the people,
along with some of the elders of Israel,
holding in your hand, as you go,
the staff with which you struck the river.
I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb.
Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it
for the people to drink.”
This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel.
The place was called Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled there
and tested the LORD, saying,
“Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

reading 2 Rom 5:1-2, 5-8

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel Jn 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her,
“Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him,
“I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her,
“You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’
For you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one speaking with you.”

At that moment his disciples returned,
and were amazed that he was talking with a woman,
but still no one said, “What are you looking for?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people,
“Come see a man who told me everything I have done.
Could he possibly be the Christ?”
They went out of the town and came to him.
Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
So the disciples said to one another,
“Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work.
Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be here’?
I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.
The reaper is already receiving payment
and gathering crops for eternal life,
so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.
For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for;
others have done the work,
and you are sharing the fruits of their work.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified,
“He told me everything I have done.”
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

or Jn 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
“Give me a drink.”
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him,
“How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?”
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
“If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep;
where then can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself
with his children and his flocks?”
Jesus answered and said to her,
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him,
“Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty
or have to keep coming here to draw water.

“I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain;
but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her,
“Believe me, woman, the hour is coming
when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you do not understand;
we worship what we understand,
because salvation is from the Jews.
But the hour is coming, and is now here,
when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;
and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in Spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him,
“I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ;
when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
Jesus said to her,
“I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him.
When the Samaritans came to him,
they invited him to stay with them;
and he stayed there two days.
Many more began to believe in him because of his word,
and they said to the woman,
“We no longer believe because of your word;
for we have heard for ourselves,
and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity o

Catholic Matters

SUNDAY READINGS - Second Sunday of Lent FIRST READING: Genesis 15: 5-12; 17-18. The Lord took Abram outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates." EXPLANATION: God made a Covenant or pact with Abram (name later changed to Abraham) in which he promised to make Abram the father of a great race to which he would give the land of Canaan as their territory. The faith of Abram is praised because he believed God's promise, i.e. that he would have descendants even though his wife Sarah was barren.
nunber the stars: God promises Abram that his descendants would be as the stars in the sky : a poetic way of saying very numerous.
to him as righteousness: Abram's acceptance of God's word was a meritorious act of faith for which God rewarded him.
give you this land: God now promises Abram the land of Canaan in which he was already living.
how am I to know: Abram had accepted a promise more difficult of fulfillment, namely to have children with a barren wife. Now he asks for confirmation because the ancient ritual for handing over property demanded a covenant.
Bring me a heifer. . .pigeon: God grants Abram's request and makes a covenant with him, thus sealing the handing over of the land.
cut them in two: The animals offered in sacrifice to seal a pact were split in two and placed apart. The contracting parties walked between the split animals thus signifying that the same fate would befall them, namely they would be divided in two halves, if they did not keep their part of the pact.
a smoking fire pot . . . flaming torch: When darkness had fallen God walked between the divided animals under the symbol of a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke, as he often appeared later to Abram's descendants. As it was a unilateral pact or covenant on the part of God, Abram did not walk between the sacrifices.
on that day: This was the covenant by which God promised the land of Canaan from one extremity to the other to Abram's descendants. It was only centuries later that the Israelites took possession of this land (see Joshua). APPLICATION: The lesson we are to learn from these verses of the book of Genesis is that we should imitate the faith of Abram and trust in God's word. He promised Abram what seemed the impossible, namely that he would have a numerous progeny even though his wife was barren. Abram trusted God's word and God then goes on to confirm it by promising to give a large territory to those descendants yet to come. This promise is ratified with a solemn pact, as was then the custom, God pledging his word with his life, as it were. Now Abram had a very limited knowledge of God. He had a vague idea that he was God of the whole world for he could dispose of any part of it as he wished, and also that he was interested in the welfare of all men, for he was using Abram as the means through which he would bless all nations (see Gen. 12: 1-3). He knew little more than that. Yet he believed God's promise and continued to believe it even when its fulfillment was postponed for years. How much greater should be our faith in God's word, our trust in his promises? We have seen the fulfillment of his promise to Abram---we have seen the blessing that was sent to all nations. We have that blessing in the New Covenant that Christ made with us. He has not only made us his Chosen People, he has also raised us up, through his Incarnation, to the supernatural status of sons of God. It is not the land of Canaan that is promised to us but the mansions of heaven to be our home for all eternity. But to profit by all this we have our part to play. We must not only accept the faith, and the truths which Christ has revealed to us, but we must live by these truths, and put our faith into daily practice. It is only by doing this that we can receive the promises that he has made to us. There is no sane man alive who does not want eternal happiness. There is no Christian who does not want to rise with Christ because he knows that this is the way to reach it. But not every Christian is willing to follow Christ first to Calvary. Am I following Christ to Calvary in my daily living? It is through the daily carrying of the Christian cross that an eternal crown is earned. What I do in life will determine what kind of resurrection is in store for me.

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SECOND READING: Philippians 3:17; 4: 1. Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. EXPLANATION: On the Philippian church to which St. Paul is writing this letter see the 2nd Sunday of Advent. In the preceding verses St. Paul has been telling his converts that he has given up all earthly things for the sake of the Christian faith and promise. He admits he is far from perfect but he continues to press forward on the road to heaven.
you . . . example in us: He asks them to follow his example. He knows he is not a saint yet, but he is one in the making. As their Apostle, he was, by his very vocation, their model and exemplar.
many . . . enemies of the cross of Christ: There is real need that they should have a true Christian model to lead them, for there are, to the Apostle's grief, others trying to lead them away from Christ. These enemies of the cross of Christ were probably not only the Judaizers who taught that the precepts of the Old Law were still obligatory on Christians, but also other recent converts who did not live up to their new faith.
in destruction: These people who are given to their own comforts, their bodily pleasures, their earthly treasures will end in ruin.
our commonwealth . . . heaven: Our true fatherland in heaven. This earth is an exile, not our home.
and from it . . . it a Savior: Christ is in heaven and he will come on earth once more to bring all his true followers to their real home.
the Lord Jesus Christ: "Lord" applied to Christ in St. Paul means God.
will change our lowly body: Our resurrected bodies will be different from the earthly bodies we now have. "Spiritual bodies" St. Paul calls them in 1 Cor. 15: 45. But we shall still be ourselves.
to be like his glorious body: Our risen bodies will be glorified bodies like to the risen body of Christ, no longer subject to change or weakness, no longer subject to death or corruption.
stand firm: Persevere in the true faith and hope that be has preached to them. He calls the faithful followers of Christ his joy and his crown, and his beloved and longed-for brothers. APPLICATION: The season of Lent, the six weeks that precede Easter, is a period which long tradition has set apart as a time to prepare for the crowning event of our salvation, the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. Christ came on earth to reveal to men by his teaching, and especially by his life, God's infinite love for the human race. God has shown that love down through the centuries, to the Chosen People especially, but also to others. He showed it by the words sent through the prophets, and by his deeds. But it was in Christ that he gave men the full revelation of his divine love for us. God's plan for man in creation was to raise him up to an intimate union with the divinity. The masterpiece of creation was to become an adopted son of God, a member of the divine family. This was done in the Incarnation. The Son of God became a man, one of us, so that we, through and in him, could become sons of God. Christ, representing us, gave perfect human respect and obedience to God the Father in every action of his life. This perfect homage and obedience led him to his death on the cross : he gave him human life in fulfillment of it. And, because he did, God raised him up again from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heaven. Christ, one of us, has the principal place in heaven next to God the Father---as God, he is equal to the Father. Ever since this plan of God's love for us was carried out, ever since the day of Christ's Resurrection, our home, our permanent abode, is heaven. Our time on earth is only a period of exile. It is a period in which, if we try to imitate Christ, giving true reverence and obedience to God our Father, we can secure for ourselves a place in the eternal home which he has planned for us, and which Christ has won for us. The true Christian should be aware of what God's love has planned for us, and of what humiliations and sufferings this loving plan caused our Savior. How could a person with such an awareness ever forget his supernatural vocation and purpose in life? There are too many who do just this, too many who attach themselves to the fleeting, passing things of this world, and neglect the everlasting possessions which are theirs for the taking. Let us not be among their number. Let us pay heed today to St. Paul's advice to the Philippians and strive to imitate him who was the true lover and follower of Christ. While using thankfully the gifts that God has given us in this life to help us on our journey let us never forget our journey's end, our heritage in heaven, of which Christ our brother has made us co-heirs.

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GOSPEL: Luke 9:28-36. Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, 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"---not knowing what he said. As he said this, a cloud came and over-shadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. EXPLANATION: Luke here describes an incident in Christ's life of which only Peter, James and John were witnesses. It took place on a mountain (Mount Thabor near Nazareth according to tradition). Some days previously Peter had confessed that Christ was the "Messiah of God." Christ had then foretold his passion and death at the hands of his enemies, to be followed by his resurrection. He had encouraged his disciples not to fear sufferings but to carry their cross and so reach their glory as he was about to do. However the disciples could not persuade themselves that he who had shown such wonderful powers could allow himself to be put to death by his enemies. This scene on the mountain therefore, which is called the Transfiguration, was intended by Christ to be an encouragement to his disciples to remain steadfast in the terrible test of faith which his passion and death was soon to be for them.
the appearance . . . altered: He was giving his disciples a glimpse of what his glorified humanity would become after his ascension. "His face shone as the sun," Matthew says. His garments also became a brilliant white.
Moses and Elijah: These two men, in bodily form and "in glory" also, that is, not exactly as they were when on earth but yet recognizable, appeared talking with Christ. Moses represented the Old Law, and Elias the prophets of the old covenant.
spoke of his departure . . . Jerusalem: This was the purpose of the manifestation : to convince the disciples of the necessity of the Passion. They evidently heard the conversation.
Peter and those . . . with him . . . heavy with sleep: Neither Matthew nor Mark mentions this fact. Luke is perhaps signifying that they were not fully conscious of what the conversation meant. They were still prejudiced against the thought that Christ could die.
kept awake . . . saw his glory: The external scene was clear to them : Christ, Moses and Elias radiant in glory.
Peter said to Jesus: This scene was so enthralling that Peter, in his simplicity, wished to prolong it. He suggested that tents should be set up so that they could remain there indefinitely. He was as yet worldly-minded and did not realize that the place for glory was in the future life.
cloud . . . overshadowed them: As was frequently the case in the Old Testament, a cloud was a sign of the presence of God.
were afraid: Afraid because they knew God was here near them.
This is my Son: The voice of God the Father proclaims Christ to be his Son (his "chosen servant," that is, the "Messiah" announced in Is. 42: 1-4. according to many manuscripts) a fact the disciples had not yet understood or accepted. That he was the Messiah chosen and sent by God they already had confessed (9: 21) and could grasp.
listen to him: Moses and Elias the representatives of the Old Law had now left. Jesus is alone and in his normal appearance, but God tells them he is to be listened to and obeyed. In other words, he takes the place of the teachers of old and has God's authority behind him.
kept silence . . . had seen: The scene was something they did not then understand, but later, after the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, they understood and told their followers all about it. APPLICATION: It was out of the abundance of his divine love that God gave a glimpse of the future glory of Christ in his risen humanity to the three disciples on that memorable occasion. And with Christ he showed two others of his faithful servants also in glory. He understood the human weakness of the disciples, and foresaw the shock to their faith which the sad scenes of the passion and crucifixion of their beloved Master would be some weeks later. So, to strengthen and forearm them for that sad trial, he gave them a glimpse of the future glory which was to be theirs, too, if they persevered. It is for this same reason that this all-important event in the life of Christ and of his Apostles has been preserved for us in the Gospels and is put before us today. Like the Apostles, we, too, believe firmly in God. We, too, are convinced that Christ was sent by God to bring us to heaven. We now have much more convincing proof that Christ was not only the Messiah, an envoy of God, but the very Son of God---something the Apostles did not then understand. But we are still very much like them in our human weakness, and in our half-hearted acceptance of God's purpose for and promises to us. The Apostles had to face the awful test to their faith and trust in God, which the passion and crucifixion of Christ was for them. We now accept with gratitude and realize that Christ "had to suffer and thus enter into his glory." We even understand that the very purpose of Christ's passion was that, in spite of our mortality and weakness, we also might enter into eternal glory through his suffering, on condition that we remain true to our faith. In our moments of cool, calm reasoning we can see clearly how good God has been to us, how wonderful his love which has arranged for us an eternity of happiness, the perfect fulfillment of every rational human desire. We can also see how little God asks of us during our few short years here, in return for the everlasting happy home he has prepared for us. But unfortunately we have many moments in life in which cool, calm reasoning does not prevail. We have moments when our vices and not our virtues take charge, moments when we are prepared to sell our eternal heritage in exchange for a mess of earthly pottage. Some of us may already have bartered our heavenly home for some temporal gain or pleasure---but while there is life there is hope. We can still put things right with God. "Lord, it is good for us to be here," it is wonderful to be adopted sons of God on the road back to our Father. It is wonderful to be assured that in death this body of ours with its pains and aches, its attraction to earthly things and worse still its propensity to sin, will give place to a glorified body. This glorified body will be free from all pain and corruption and will possess all the human spiritual gifts of intelligence and will to so much greater a degree as will enable us to appreciate and enjoy the eternal happiness in store for us.-c116 Click to return to our Home page

02.21.13~Readings for Sunday, February 24th-2013

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings

February 24, 2013

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Second Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 27

Reading 1 Gn 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.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 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.

Reading 2 Phil 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.

or PHIL 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.

Gospel Lk 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.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the

02.14.13~Readings for Sunday, February 17, 2013

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings

February 17, 2013

« February 16 | February 18 »

First Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 24

Reading 1 Dt 26:4-10

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Reading 2 Rom 10:8-13

Brothers and sisters:
What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Gospel Lk 4:1-13

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written:
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.

02.07.13~Catholic Matters

SUNDAY READINGS - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time FIRST READING: Isaiah 6: 1-8. In the year the King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. And one called to another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sins forgiven." And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." EXPLANATION: We have here a brief but graphic description of Isaiah's encounter with the Holy God of Israel, an encounter which explains his whole life and teaching. He saw God in a vision seated on a lofty throne in the Temple of Jerusalem. He heard God, as it were, looking for one who would speak in his name to his chosen but unfaithful people, and there and then he volunteered, he accepted the vocation of Prophet or mouthpiece of God. For about forty years (742-700) he tried to wean the people of Judah from their sinful ways. The ever-recurring themes of his preaching were the infinite holiness of God as contrasted with the utter selfish sinfulness of men, and the almost incredible mercy of God who would yet restore the kingdom of David, notwithstanding the ingratitude and the unworthiness of the vast majority of his Chosen People.
I saw the Lord: He saw Yahweh the God of Israel and of the whole universe. In a vision God appeared in some visible form: God, being pure spirit, is invisible to human eyes. He was seated on a "lofty throne" to signify his dignity.
above . . . seraphim: These six-winged beings with partly human shape represented God's courtiers. Greater than any earthly monarch, he had to be surrounded by royal attendants. The Golden Cherubs, with their extended wings placed on the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25: 18), were somewhat similar to these seraphim and may have put the image in the mind of Isaiah.
Holy, holy, holy: These angelic spirits chanted the holiness of God. The triple repetition represents the highest in holiness. The preface of our Mass ends with these words of the seraphim.
filled with smoke: The cloud of smoke signified God's presence, as on Mount Sinai (see Ex. 40: 34).
Woe is me . . . unclean lips: That no man could see God and live was the common belief among the Israelites. But Isaiah realizes he is not only man but worse still a sinful man, living amongst a sinful people. How could the All-Holy have any contact with such people---they all deserved death.
Your guilt is taken away: One of the angelic spirits placed a live coal taken from the fire of the altar of sacrifice, on his lips. This was to symbolize a thorough cleansing, and the angel said that the fire did what it symbolized, it purified.
Here I am, send me: Isaiah is not only purified from his sins but he is filled with the love of God and zeal for his cause, so he immediately volunteers to be God's spokesman. He accepts the difficult task of Prophet to his own stubborn people. APPLICATION: This incident---the call of Isaiah to the office of Prophet---happened over 2,600 years ago and yet it has a lesson, a practical lesson, for each one of us today. Every one of us, every human being on earth has his own mission to perform. Each one of us has a personal vocation, a special purpose in life, which God expects (but will not force him) to perform. And this personal task is in addition to the basic, the principal purpose God has for each one of us, namely, that we should work our way to heaven. I said it is in addition to our principal purpose, but in fact it is rather the means through which we shall attain to our principal purpose. In other words if we carry out faithfully our particular vocation we shall earn heaven. Catholics too often understand by vocation a call to serve God in the priesthood or the religious life. This is a vocation, but, so are the various other calls which God gives to men and women in lay life. The call to the married life is a divine vocation, and in many, if not most cases, a more difficult vocation than that of the priest or the religious. The call to the single life when a man or woman, through no personal fault, does not find a life-partner, is also a vocation, and one in which God is frequently served loyally, in spite of difficulties and great personal problems and heart-aches. We are all then in God's army and each one of us has his or her task to perform. Our eternal fate, our eternal destiny, will depend on how well we carry out the task given us. Today, inspired by the example of Isaiah, who willingly accepted his vocation and carried it out loyally till his death, let each one of us have a look at how we are carrying out our God-given vocations. Am I, as a priest, doing all I should to lead the people put in my charge, to their eternal home? Am I, as a religious, an example to inspire my neighbors to work for God? Is my day's work in the classroom, in the hospital ward, or in the care of the aged or the handicapped, a living proof that the love of God is still active amongst our people? Am I, a parent, a model for my children; am I directing them towards their eternal destiny by my instructions and, more effectively still, by the example of truly Christian life? Am I. a bachelor or spinster, using the free time God has given me through not being a parent, to help my neighbor in his temporal and spiritual needs? I feel sure the best of us can hardly give ourselves full marks when answering these questions now, but we can tear up this answer-book and begin to write a better and a cleaner one. We can begin today to face our vocation, our task in life, with renewed fervor, with a new courage, and confidence. Let us say with Isaiah, and say it from our hearts: "here I am Lord, send me," and the good God who accepted Isaiah will accept us too. He will give us the grace and strength to carry on our task loyally, like Isaiah, until our death.

---

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11. I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the Gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast---unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the Apostles, unfit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. EXPLANATION: St. Paul is here recalling to the minds of his Corinthian converts the main points of the Christian faith which he had already preached to them. Christ had died for our sins. He had risen from the dead and appeared to many witnesses, of whom Paul himself was one---the most unworthy of them all. Christ had made him an Apostle. In this vocation he had done great work, but it was not he who did it, but the grace of God that was in him. They must hold fast then to this faith which alone will bring them salvation.
I preached to you the Gospel: The Corinthian converts were for the most part pagans before he came to them. The Gospel---the good news---that he had brought them was the news of salvation, eternal life in the world to come.
If you hold . . . believed in vain: If they practised what he taught them and lived by the Christian faith they would gain the eternal award. If they did not live the faith, accepting it was to no purpose.
Christ died for our sins: Our sins were wiped out, we were made friends of God, and adopted sons, by Christ's death on the cross.
accordance with . . . Scriptures: That the promised Messiah would suffer and die for our sins was foretold in the prophecies concerning the Suffering Servant (see Is. 53: 4-12). So was his resurrection also (see Is. 53: 10-12; Ps. 17; Hos. 6: 1-3; John 2: 1-2).
appeared to Cephas: This seems a schematic arrangement of Christ's appearances after the Resurrection; there is no need therefore to try to reconcile it with those recorded in the Gospels. St. Paul places Peter at the head of the list because of his office.
most of whom are still alive: If the Corinthians sought confirmation of the fact of the Resurrection, eye-witnesses were still alive when he wrote this letter (57 A.D.), including most of the Apostles.
last of all . . . to me: Chronologically he was the last---he saw Christ after the Ascension---but in Paul's estimation of himself he was last in every sense. Paul is referring here to the vision of Christ that be had on the road to Damascus (Acts 9: 1-9) while he was still a zealous persecutor of the infant Church.
grace of God: Nothing less than the free gift of God's love and grace could explain his conversion and his appointment to the office of an Apostle.
I worked harder: He cooperated with that great grace of God and has done more than his share for the spread of the Gospel, yet he attributes all his success to God's grace.
whether . . . I or they: It is the same identical Christian faith that he and the other Apostles have taught---the same faith that the Corinthians have accepted. APPLICATION: If St. Paul, the great Apostle, found it necessary to recall to the minds of his Corinthian converts the basic doctrines of the faith that he had preached to them some five years earlier, it is very fitting that we too should meditate on the same basic doctrines today. We have many of the difficulties and problems that made living a truly Christian life a hard struggle for the first Christians of Corinth. They were a relatively small group, living in the midst of pagan neighbors whose purpose in life was to get what they could out of this world. These pagans had no thought for the future and only ridicule for anyone who was foolish enough, according to their philosophy, to forego the pleasures and the comforts of this life for the sake of something they expected after death. It was far from easy to carry the Christian cross through a throng of jeering pleasure-seekers. It was hard to mortify the senses and the flesh when the neighbor's motto in life was "eat, sleep and be merry for tomorrow we die." But what of us Christians today? Is our lot that much easier; have we no pagans or paganism to contend with? Leaving out for the moment the countries that have not yet learned of Christianity---how Christian is the so-called western world? More than half of the people of Europe are living under a regime that not alone denies Christianity but proclaims that there is no God, and no future for man but the grave. And how Christian are the peoples of the other half of Europe, and Europe's western allies, who, for political and commercial reasons, condemn the eastern atheists? In theory they do not deny the existence of God, but what part does God play in their national legislation and their international deliberations? To come down from the legislators to the masses: what part does the law of the Gospel play in the lives of the majority of them? The Christian of today is tempted on all sides to forget his Christian calling. He is tempted to forget the future life and urged to live in the present, to enjoy the pleasures of the moment, to join in the mad rush for worldly wealth and power. But as Christians, we have a philosophy of life which shows up the folly and the emptiness of these temptations. Granted that this world could give us (which, of course, it cannot) all the pleasures, all the wealth, all the power we desire, death will still come to cut us off from all these cherished things. And what then? We know that our true home is in heaven, that true happiness consists in loving God and neighbor, that true wealth is supernatural grace and virtue, which will last for all eternity. The Incarnation, death and Resurrection of our Savior, of which St. Paul reminds us today, are for us an absolute guarantee that God wants us in heaven and that we shall be with him in heaven if we live the few short years given us in the world, as true Christians, lovers of God and of Christ.

---

GOSPEL: Luke 5: 1-11. While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word, of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered: "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. EXPLANATION: The call of the first four Apostles, Peter, Andrew, James and John, is described in Mt. 4: 18-22 and Mk. 1: 16-20 also. St. Luke adds the extra details of Christ's preaching to the crowds from Peter's boat moored by the shore, and of the miraculous catch of fish. Peter is especially mentioned as having recognized the sanctity of Christ in this miracle, and it is Peter's vocation that Luke stresses. But the other three follow Christ also.
put out . . . let your nets: Having preached from Peter's boat to the crowds sitting on the lake-shore, Christ tells Peter to row out into the deep part of the lake to fish.
we toiled all night . . . nothing: The night time was the most suitable time for net-fishing. Peter, who lived by his fishing, knew that if the fish did not rise at night there was little chance they would rise in daylight but he showed amazing trust in the power of Christ, for he says:
At your . . . I will let down the nets: He would try the impossible because he trusted in Christ.
nets were breaking: His confidence was rewarded. The net was filled to breaking point. They called the other boat, and the net held enough fish to fill both boats until they were almost sinking.
I am a sinful man: Peter recognized the sanctity of Christ in this miracle---Jesus must be a close friend of God. He also knew his own unworthiness and sinfulness and felt he should not be near such a holy man.
James and John: The two sons of Zebedee are mentioned, as partners of Peter. The fourth man not mentioned by name is clearly Andrew, Peter's brother. The two boats, with two brothers in each, evidently worked as a team.
you will be catching men: Christ now tells Peter what his future vocation is to be---not catching fish but catching men for the new kingdom of Christ.
left everything . . . followed him: Luke stresses Peter's call but evidently Christ had indicated to all four that he wished them to join him, for immediately they came ashore they left boats and nets and followed Christ. APPLICATION: How the wisdom of God differs from the wisdom of men! If a businessman of today (or even of the year 28 A.D.) were choosing a chairman and assistants for the world-wide enterprise he was about to set up, is it likely that he would choose them from among the unknown, unlettered fishermen of Galilee? Yet Christ, who was about to set up not only a world-wide institute but an everlasting one, chose these simple fishermen and made them his assistants and his successors in the work that he had taken in hand. And it wasn't that he was restricted in his choice. There were many highly educated priests and scribes in Jerusalem whom he could have won over, men who could preach and instruct so much more eloquently than Peter or Andrew. There were Roman officers in Palestine who were highly educated, and who would be much more eagerly listened to in the Gentile world. There were Greek philosophers whose very name would add prestige to the Gospel message had they been Apostles. Yet it was to none of these that Christ entrusted the arduous task of spreading the good news of the Gospel, it was to none of these that he gave the keys of his kingdom. Christ was not influenced in his judgement by external, accidental qualifications. He judged the heart and the will. He knew the true worth of men. Furthermore, the society that he was about to set up was not a worldly business concern but a free transport system to heaven. The truths he was committing to its keeping were not based on earthly wisdom which would require eloquence and prestige to bolster them up. They were the eternal, divine truths which needed no human propaganda, no help from mere men. Thus, in the selection of his Apostles, Christ has given us an extra proof, if one were needed, of his own divine wisdom and of the divine origin of the Christian religion which we profess. Our religion is not man-made, God is its author. While thanking God today for our Christian religion, with its clearly drawn map of salvation, let us show our appreciation by doing our own little part, as humble apostles, weak but willing helpers of Christ. This we can do without eloquence, or personal prestige. We do so by living as true Christians in our homes, in our places of work, and in our recreations, by carrying our cross daily and patiently, ever ready to give a hand when the neighbor's cross seems too heavy for him. This will be Christian eloquence, this will be a true apostleship of Christ, because actions speak louder than words.-c092 Click to return to our Home page

RE: 02.07.13~Readings for Sunday Feb 10

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings

February 10, 2013

« February 9 | February 11 »

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 75

Reading 1 Is 6:1-2a, 3-8

In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.

They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

R. (1c) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
“Great is the glory of the LORD.”
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Reading 2 1 Cor 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, Christ appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the apostles,
not fit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

or

Brothers and sisters,
I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one abnormally born,
he appeared to me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

Gospel Lk 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioc