Second Sunday of Lent, Called “Reminiscere”
AT the Introit to-day the Church asks of God the grace to fall "- no more into sin: “Remember, O God, Thy bowels of compassion, and Thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world, lest at any time our enemies rule over us; deliver us, O God, from all our tribulations. To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. In Thee, O God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed .”(Ps. xxiv.). Glory be to the Father, etc.
Prayer.
O God, Who beholdest us destitute of every virtue, preserve us both inwardly and outwardly, that we may be defended from all adversities in body, and purified from all evil thoughts in mind. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc. Amen.
EPISTLE, i. Thess. iv. 1-7.
Brethren : We pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you ought to walk, and to please God, so also you would walk, that you may abound the more. For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification : that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor : not in the passion of lust, like the gentiles that know not God : and that no man overreach, nor circumvent his brother in business: because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you before, and have testified : for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Explanation.
St. Paul exhorts all Christians to live chastely and honestly, and continually to aspire to higher perfection. Such is the will of God, Who has called us to holiness, and will punish severely all impurity and injustice.
Prayer.
Grant, O Lord, that, according to my vocation, I may never be addicted to earthly and fleshly lusts like the heathen, who know Thee not, but may live in modesty, chastity, and holiness, and adorn my name as a Christian with good works. Amen.
GOSPEL. Matt. xvii. 1-9.
At that time : Jesus taketh unto Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart : and He was transfigured before them. And His face did shine as the sun : and His garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with Him. And Peter, answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here : if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshaded them. And lo a voice out of the cloud saying : This is My beloved Son, in Whom I arn well pleased : hear ye Him. And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face : and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them : and said to them :Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one, but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying : Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.
Why was Jesus transfigured before His disciples on Mount Thabor?
1. To give them a manifest proof of His divinity. 2. To prevent all doubt on their part when they should see Him onMount Calvary. 3. To encourage all the faithful to patience under agony and suffering. 4. To show us how our glorified bodies shall rise from the dead (i. Cor. xv. 52).
Why did Moses and Elias appear with Our Lord?
To testify that Jesus was the Saviour of the world spoken of by the law and the prophets.
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Next: Monday in the Second Week of Lent
