Liturgy Alive: Models of Celebrations

March 7, 2004 - 2nd Sunday of Lent (C)

A. A Transfiguring Light
B. With Jesus on the Mountain

Readings:
Gen 15:5-12, 17-18; Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14; Phil 3:17- 4:1;
Lk 9:28-36 (Listen to MP3 - Transfiguration)

Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Sunday's Into Silence • Diario Biblico • Daily Gospel • Preaching the Word

Greeting (See Second Reading)

The Lord Jesus Christ will transform
our perishable human bodies
and make them glorious like his own.
May his light and peace be with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. A Transfiguring Light

Once in a while, perhaps in a rare moment when we are very much discouraged, we deeply encounter the Lord in prayer, or we meet a kind and understanding person who lights up our face with the warmth of understanding and kind love. Such moments can keep us going for a long time. Would that the eucharist, and our encounter with the Lord here, could be such a moment that keeps us going and disposes us to light up the lives of others.

B. With Jesus on the Mountain

At one time or another we have all seen the face of a person light up by good news, or a moment of real happiness. One day Jesus' face too lit up, became radiant and was totally transformed by the realization that his work and suffering would not be in vain. May we also know moments when our faces light up with deep happiness and when we bring this radiance to the faces and hearts of others. In this eucharist we ask the Lord to work this transfiguration in us and to let us bring it to others.

Penitential Act

We are supposed to be children of light,
yet we often prefer the darkness of sin.
Let us humbly seek the Lord to forgive us.
                (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, light of the Father,
light up our faces and hearts
with your forgiving love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, glory of the Most High,
light up our faces and hearts
with your strength and your friendship:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, light of the world,
light up the faces and hearts of all people
with the message of your Good News:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and forgive us all our sins.
Brighten our life with your presence
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray
for Christ's encouraging light on our way
                (PAUSE)
Great and holy God,
on his journey to his suffering and death
you gave to your Son Jesus
a glimpse of the glory that was awaiting him
when he would rise from the dead.
In the drabness and sufferings of our life
and in our frustrated efforts to transform this earth,
let shine on us and all our brothers and sisters
a ray of hope that lifts us up
and sustains us on the way to you
and on the often difficult road
toward your justice and love in this world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: A Flaming Torch and a Covenant
            At a time when Abraham's faith is sorely tested, God gives him hope; he binds himself to Abraham by a covenant and by the flaming torch God shows that he is present.

First Reading: Gen 15:5-12, 17-18

Yahweh brought him outside and said to him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that."

Abram believed Yahweh who, because of this, held him to be an upright man. And he said, "I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession."

Then Abram asked, "My Lord, how am I to know that it shall be mine?" Yahweh replied, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon." Abram brought all these animals, cut them in two, and laid each half facing its other half, but he did not cut the birds in half. The birds of prey came down upon them, but Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep came over Abram, and a dreadful darkness took hold of him.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the victims. On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this country from the river 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.

Second Reading Introduction: Transfiguration of the Christian in Christ
            The saving grace of Christ will transfigure our humanity in the image of the risen humanity of the Lord.

Second Reading: Phil 3:17-4:1 or 3:20-4:1

Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears: they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things.

For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glory, through thr power which is his to submit everything to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.

Gospel Introduction: A Flash of the Lord's Glory
            Before Jesus set out on his way to his suffering and death, a glimpse of his resurrection and glory shone in him, to strengthen him in his own loyalty and to encourage his disciples.

Gospel Reading: Lk 9:28-36 (Listen to MP3 - Transfiguration)

About eight days after Jesus had said all this, he took Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became dazzling white. Two men were talking with Jesus: Moses and Elijah. They had just appeared in heavenly glory and were telling him about his departure that had to take place in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had fallen asleep, but they awoke suddenly and saw Jesus' Glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said to him, "Master, how good it is for us to be here for we can make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." For Peter didn't know what to say. And no sooner had he spoken than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then these words came from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Chosen one, listen to him." And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone.

The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.

Commentary

FOR the gospels, usually so quick-paced, that is a strangely static scene on the mountain: Jesus, flanked by Moses and Elijah. It is more a tableau than an event. Tableaux always looked artificial, with their emblematic figures and poses: various virtues and abstractions personified. The two figures in this case, Moses and Elijah, were emblems of the Law and the Prophets; and their reported speech doesn't do much to put life into it.

Then suddenly the Presence! "A cloud appeared and covered them." From the cloud the Father's voice, "This is my Son, the Chosen one, listen to him." This scene is like two other events in the life of Jesus: his baptism and his resurrection. The Father speaks the same words as at the baptism in the Jordan; and the "dazzling white clothing" are a sign of the glory of the Risen Lord. The beginning and the end of the story are brought together in one luminous moment.

In all three gospels this Transfiguration scene comes just after Jesus predicted his passion for the first time. Death, and even the thought of death, freezes the action and brings the whole of one's life into a point. But that point is not a fading into extinction; it is a moment of Transfiguration. In this lies the meaning of our own suffering too.

General Intercessions

Let Jesus lead us high up on the mountain where he wants to pray with us, and let us say: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

- That our Lord may give to his Church a bright vision of how it can unite all peoples and cultures, be enriched by them and manifest its one faith in a variety of languages and forms of expression, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.
- That our Lord may give to the leaders of nations a bright vision of the future and dispose them to transform this world by bringing it justice and peace, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

- That our Lord may give a bright vision to those gifted with talents and possessions as to how they can share their goods and their love so as to transform poverty and misery into happiness, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

- That our Lord may give to young people a bright vision of service and dedication, that their faith may teach them to transform this world by their hope and youth, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

- That our Lord may give to those who suffer the vision of how to unite their pains and cares to those of our Lord bearing his cross, so that they may rise above their hardships, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

- That our Lord may give to our Christian communities a vision of how they can be united, respect one another, learn to accept everyone and forgive mistakes and offenses, let us pray: R/ Lord, brighten our life.

Lord Jesus Christ, hear our prayers, show your face to us and accompany us in sorrows and joys on our way to your and our Father, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
bread and wine are the gifts
which we bring before you.
As Jesus' appearance as a man like us
was transformed by the light of glory,
change this daily food and drink
into your beloved Son.
Help us to listen to his word
and nourish us with his body,
that we may be converted
to the mentality of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Christ our Lord is with us here in this eucharist, in everyday life, even in our pains, questions and sorrows. We thank the Father for giving us Jesus.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer

Jesus taught us how to pray
to our Father in heaven.
With God's beloved Son we pray: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Reassure us in our trials
and help us to go without fear
the way of the victorious cross,
until you take us up in your eternal light
on the day of the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,
of whom the Father said:
This is my beloved Son;
listen to him.
Happy are we to receive
his glorious body. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
in this eucharist your Son Jesus has inspired us
with a bright view of how our struggles,
our efforts to change ourselves and our world,
lead to the joy of victory
over death and pain and evil.
Let the bread of your Son provide us
with the strength to join our Lord in his passion,
that we may also share in his glory
and bear witness that our faith is good news
of joy and light and life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

We heard today how a glimpse of his glory to come
lit up the face of Jesus and gave him the courage
to face his suffering and death.
Let his encouraging word in the gospel
also lift up our hearts to in moments of trial
and may we light up the face
of people who suffer.
Let the Lord give us this hope and love
and may almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in the peace
and the light of Christ. R/ Amen.

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