Entrance Antiphon
Of you my heart has spoken, Seek his face.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face from me.
First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4. A reading from the book of Genesis
The call of Abraham, the father of God’s people.
The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.
‘I will bless those who bless you:
I will curse those who slight you.
All the tribes of the earth
shall bless themselves by you.’
So Abram went as the Lord told him.
Responsorial Psalm: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
- The word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love. (R.)
- The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine. (R.)
- Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you. (R.)
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8-10. A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy
God has saved us, and called us to be holy.
With me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.
Gospel Acclamation: Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: this is my beloved Son, hear him. Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
His face shone like the sun.
Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. There in their presence he was transfigured; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’ When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. But Jesus came up and touched them. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order. ‘Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’
REFLECTION
by Nick Brodie (Leo’s Lens)
Pope Leo says that ‘we should set aside moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, quieting noise and distractions, we recollect ourselves before God in simplicity of heart.’
‘This’, he adds, ‘is a dimension of the Christian life that we particularly need to recover today, both as a value for individuals and communities, and as a prophetic sign for our times.’
Such silence and reflectiveness, the Pope suggests, helps us prioritise our ‘relationship with God’. But such disposition should also, he adds, ‘help us to be more open, more welcoming to others.’
This active dimension of Christian contemplation is something the Pope wants us to remember. Even in our recreational moments, he suggests, we can find ‘an opportunity to care for others, to get to know each other and to offer advice and a listening ear.’
Caring and listening, he reminds us, ‘are expressions of love, and that is something we all need.’ We should therefore all love ‘with courage’. As the Pope points out, such active love is transformative, because ‘through solidarity, in the sharing of faith and life, we will help to promote a culture of peace.’
Each of us, therefore, should respond to the Lord’s call to start ‘helping those around us to overcome divisions and hostility and to build communion.’