Second Sunday of Lent (B)
First Reading: Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18 Second Reading: Romans 8:31-34 Gospel: Mark 9:2-10
For the Second Sunday of Lent (Year A), the readings focus on faith, trust in God, and divine revelation:
First Reading (Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18): This passage recounts the story of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, a test of faith that Abraham passes because of his unwavering trust in God. God's last-minute intervention to spare Isaac and His promise to bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky for his obedience are central elements of this reading.
Second Reading (Romans 8:31-34): Paul's letter to the Romans emphasizes God's love and support for us. If God is for us, who can be against us? This passage highlights that God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, emphasizing the theme of sacrifice and divine provision. It reassures believers of God's ultimate support and the intercession of Christ on our behalf.
Gospel (Mark 9:2-10): The Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, witnessed by Peter, James, and John, is a moment of divine revelation, showing Jesus in His divine glory. This event confirms Jesus' messianic identity and foreshadows His resurrection. The voice from the cloud, declaring Jesus as the beloved Son, echoes the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, reinforcing themes of obedience, sacrifice, and divine favor.
The readings revolve around faith, obedience, and divine revelation. The readings tell us about the depth of faith required to follow God's will, even when it demands sacrifice. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac, parallels God's willingness to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, for the salvation of humanity. This theme of sacrifice is a profound expression of faith and trust in God's plan.
The Transfiguration in the Gospel reveals Jesus' divine nature and His fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, symbolized by the presence of Moses and Elijah. It serves as a divine affirmation of Jesus' mission and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection, offering hope and encouragement for the journey of faith.
We are invited to reflect on the depth of God's love, the call to obedience and faith, and the promise of divine revelation and glory as we journey through Lent toward the resurrection at Easter.
Reflect on the Readings
Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18 (The Binding of Isaac)
1. How does Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac reflect his faith and trust in God? How can we show similar trust in God during challenging times?
2. The story of Abraham and Isaac is a powerful test of faith. What are some tests of faith you have experienced, and how did you respond?
3. God provides a ram as a substitute for Isaac. How does this act of divine provision speak to the ways God provides for us in our own lives?
Romans 8:31-34 (God's Unfailing Love for Us)
1. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" How does this statement from Paul encourage you in your spiritual journey, especially during Lent?
2. Paul speaks of God not sparing His own Son but giving Him up for us all. How does this ultimate sacrifice shape your understanding of God's love?
3. Reflect on the assurance that Christ Jesus intercedes for us. How does this knowledge affect your prayer life and relationship with God?
Mark 9:2-10 (The Transfiguration of Jesus)
1. The Transfiguration reveals Jesus' divine glory to Peter, James, and John. How does this event deepen our understanding of who Jesus is?
2. Jesus instructs the disciples not to tell anyone about what they saw until after the Resurrection. Why do you think this moment was meant to be understood in light of the Resurrection?
3. The disciples were afraid during the Transfiguration. Can you recall a time when an encounter with God or a spiritual experience left you feeling overwhelmed or afraid? How did you find comfort or understanding?
Questions for Reflection:
1. All three readings speak to the theme of sacrifice. In what ways are you called to make sacrifices during Lent, and how do these sacrifices bring you closer to God?
2. The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent offer profound insights into faith, obedience, and divine revelation. How do these themes challenge or encourage you to fully live out your faith during this season?
3. Lent is a time for deeper reflection and preparation. How do these readings inspire you to prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of Easter?
Prayer:
Lord, deepen our faith as we trust in Your divine plan.
vea,rcj
Getting to Know Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia:
The Rogate (pronounced ro‧ga‧te and not gayt) is the secret for all good works.
Seraphic worshiper of the Eucharist
(From the Father's Soul, pages 259-261):
Going into details, first of all we point out the Father's faith and love for the Blessed Sacrament. The Father was a seraphic worshiper of the Eucharist. When a youth, he was a regular worshiper in the churches having forty hours of adoration, but he preferred the churches of Portosalvo and of Jesus and Mary delle Trombe officiated by holy Religious, from whom he took advice.
Passing by, he seized the opportunity to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the churches, even though for a little while.
In the public adoration, he knelt in a straight angelic edifying attitude, the palms joined or leaning on his forehead. When alone, sometimes he bowed to the ground, or raised his arms, or crossed them on his chest, always praying in deep recollection.
Coming out from the adoration, or thanksgiving after mass, he was bright, transfigured in the face. He said: “Being half an hour before Jesus in the sacrament is really delightful!”
Sometimes the people saw him kneeling four to five hours before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, and on July first, he spent all day long in adoration. In his last years, the Father said to Father Vitale: “I feel weak in the legs, perhaps from my long kneeling during my life.” When the Father was in the house, he visited the Blessed Sacrament very often, spending his leisure time in prayer.
Both at his leaving and coming back, the Father always passed by the chapel for a while, and such a usage was prescribed in the rules for the congregants.
He once arrived worn out to Ritiro. Father D'Agostino told him to sit and rest, but he went to the church where he spent a long while despite his pneumonia. Later, he was forced to go to bed for a long time.
When people were already sleeping, he often spent much time in the chapel, his daily hard labor notwithstanding; but when the needs of the institute and of souls were urgent, he prolonged his prayers and adoration much more.How passionate and ardent are the numerous petitions and invocations he addressed to Jesus in the sacrament! They shine with his faith and vibrating heart!
What can we, say of the Father's fervor when he spoke of the Blessed Sacrament ? Our souls were penetrated by his words, and we were delighted in listening to him.
When Father Caudo was a seminarian, he went to Avignone for the feast on July first and listened to the Father, who preached before giving the blessing with the Eucharist. He deeply felt as though the Father were speaking with our Lord, and such a feeling lasted in him all his life, which ended at ninety years of age.
Two singular evidences:“Oh, how his eloquence lit up before the divine Host exposed on the altar; it was simple in a deep thought, calm in a lively ardor, charming in a harmonious timbre of voice, and very apt to convert people through the crystalline candor of each word!” (Father Cosimo Spina).
His conversation was brief, but when it came round to the subject of the Eucharist, then he became so excited that his words seemed to be fiery as arrows coming out of a furnace burning in his chest. The last time I met him, he seemed to me as a holy priest bearing the sacred species, so engrossed in his recollection was he. The habit of virtue had already made him so impermeable that evil could not contaminate him. He had become so spiritual that it was hard for him to stay in a corporal life. » (Teacher Joseph Giannini).