Reading 1 Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing-
all this because you obeyed my command."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19
R. (116:9) I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
I believed, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Reading 2 Rom 8:31b-34
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us, who will condemn?
Christ Jesus it is who died-or, rather, was raised-
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
Gospel Mk 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Meditation: Romans 8:31-34
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
With these ten words, Paul begins to summarize the points he has been making so far in his Letter to the Romans. In fact, all of chapter 8 can be seen as a summary—a rousing, inspiring conclusion to the explanation of the gospel message Paul wrote about in chapters 1 through 7. So let’s take a look at some of these summary points.
First, Paul says that we are no less than beloved, adopted children of God. Just as Jesus taught us to call God “Our Father,” so Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is constantly at work to convince us that we belong to God. He is always trying to show us that God is “for us” just as much as a father is “for” his own children (Romans 8:15-16,31).
Second, Paul talks about how the Holy Spirit “comes to the aid of our weakness” (Romans 8:26). Life will have its times of struggle, temptation, and suffering. But Paul wants us to be assured that even in our lowest moments, God is still for us. He is still with us, offering us his strength, his guidance, and his consolation.
Finally, Paul tells us that God loves us so much that he sent his only Son to save us (Romans 8:32). This is the clearest proof that God is for us. It is the clearest evidence of how deeply God values us and how dearly he wants us to be by his side. He gave us none other than Jesus himself to be our Redeemer, our Savior, and our closest Friend.
Now, it’s not always easy to trust in these words—especially when things aren’t going very well. But that doesn’t really matter. For even if we don’t believe that God is for us, it is still true. He is faithful. He is always standing by our side, ready to give us his strength and comfort.
Yes, your heavenly Father is on your side. He is for you. So rejoice today in this awesome truth!
“Father, you are my hope, my joy, and my strength! I will believe in you today!”
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18; Psalm 116:10,15-19; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10)
1. In last Sunday’s Mass readings, God formed a covenant with Noah. In this Sunday’s readings, he makes one with Abraham: “I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars …all this because you have obeyed my command.” In what areas of your life is God asking you to obey him more (and resist him less)?
2. In the responsorial Psalm, we pray: “I believed even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’” This was the same faith Abraham displayed in the first reading. In your times of “afflictions,” what keeps you from turning confidently to the Lord and believing he can loose your bonds? Share some examples of when you did turn confidently to the Lord, and how he set you free.
3. In the second reading from Romans, how would you describe what St. Paul believes is the Christian’s first and final answer in times of difficulty, despair, suffering, and fear. How do you apply Paul’s answer to your own life? How can you apply Paul’s answer to areas where you struggle to believe it and act on it?
4. In the story of the Transfiguration in the Gospel reading, Jesus shows forth his divine glory, foreshadowing his Resurrection. In response to the “terrified” reply of Peter, the reassuring voice of the Father is heard saying: “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” How can we take these words of the Father, which are also meant for us, more seriously during Lent?
5. The meditation states that in Romans, “all of chapter 8 can be seen as a summary—a rousing, inspiring conclusion to the explanation of the gospel message Paul wrote about in chapters 1 through 7.” The meditation also summarizes three of these points. How would you summarize the Gospel message described in chapter 8 of Romans?
6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord for the grace to allow the reality of the Gospel message that “God is for us” to affect more deeply how you live out your Christian lives as Catholics. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
Wonderful!
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