Glory obtained through death: A Retrospect for the Second Sunday of Lent

As much as I wanted to have these reflections dished out on time, I cannot do so. I told the reason why last week, and this might continue for the next few months. I am also abstaining from going online all the time as part of my Lenten penance. But rest assured that I will do everything in my power to do these, even if they are merely retrospects at the end of each Sunday, so that you may have something to think about for the rest of the week. (Of course, I won't do that for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.)

Moving forward, this is the retrospect for today:

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READINGS AND PROPERS
 

Extraordinary Form (Second Sunday in Lent)

Second Sunday in Lent

Purple

First Class

[STATION AT ST. MARY'S IN DOMINICA]

INTROIT ¤ Ps. 24. 6, 3, 22
	Reminiscere miserationum tuarum, Domine, et misericordiae tuae, quae a saeculo sunt: ne unquam dominentur nobis inimici nostri: libera nos, Deus Israel, ex omnibus augustiis nostris. -- Ad te, Domine, levavi animam meam, Deus meus, in te confido, non erubescam. V.: Gloria Patri . . . -- Reminiscere miserationum . . .	Remember, O Lord, 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 of Israel, from all our tribulations. -- (Ps. 24. 1, 2). To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me be not ashamed. V.: Glory to the Father . . . -- Remember, O Lord . . .
The Gloria is not said.
COLLECT
	Deus, qui conspicis omni nos virtute destitui: interius exteriusque custodi; ut ab omnibus adversitatibus muniamur in corpore, et a pravis cogitationibus mundemur in mente. Per Dominum . . .	O God, who seest that we are wholly destitute of strength, keep us within and without: that we may be defended in body from all adversity: and cleansed in mind from evil thoughts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth . . .
EPISTLE ¤ I Thess. 4. 1-17 Lesson from the First Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians. Lectio Epistolae beati Pauli Apostoli ad Thessalonicenses. [God our Creator and our Lord "hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification, in Christ Jesus our Lord."]
	Fratres: Rogamus vos, et obsecramus in Domino Iesu, et quemadmodum accepistis a nobis quomodo oporteat vos ambulare, et placere Deo, sic et abuletis, ut abundetis magis. Scitis enim quae praecepta dederim vobis per Dominum Iesum. Haec est enim voluntas Dei, sanctificatio vestra: ut abstineatis vos a fornicatione, ut sciat unusquisque vestrum vas suum possidere in sanctificatione, et honore: non in passione desiderii, sicut et gentes, quae ignorant Deum: et ne quis supergrediatur, neque circumveniat in negotio fratrem suum: quoniam vindex est Dominus de his omnibus, sicut praediximus vobis, et testificati sumus. Non enim vocavit nos Deus in immunditiam, sed in sanctificationem: in Christo Iesu Domino nostro.	Brethren, We pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus that, as you have received from 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 vesel 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 all testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification: in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 24. 17, 18
	Tribulationes cordis mei dilatatae sunt: de necessitatibus meis eripe me, Domine. V.: Vide humilitatem meam, et laborem meum: et dimitte omnia peccata mea.	The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord. V.: See my abjection and my labor; and forgive me all my sins.
TRACT ¤ Ps. 105. 1-4
	Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus: quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius. V.: Quis loquetur potentias Domini: auditas faciet omnes laudes eius? V.: Beati qui custodiunt iudicium, et faciunt iustitiam in omni tempore. V.: Memento nostri, Domine: in bene placito populi tui: visita nos in salutari tuo.	Give glory to the Lord, for He is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. V.: Who shall declare the powers of the Lord: who shall set forth all His praises? V.: Blessed are they that keep judgment and do justice at all times. V.: Remember us, O Lord, in the favor of Thy people: visit us with Thy salvation.
GOSPEL ¤ Matth. 17. 1-9. † Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. † Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum. [Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Thabor: manifestation of the divinity of Jesus.]
	In illo tempore: Assumpsit Iesus Petrum, et Iacobem, et Ioannem fratrem eius, et duxit illos in montem excelsum seorsum: et transfiguratus est ante eos. Et resplenduit facies eius sicut sol: vestimenta autem eius facta sunt alba sicut nix. Et ecce apparuerunt illis Moyses et Elias cum eo loquentes. Respondens autem Petrus, dixit ad Iesum: Domine, bonum est nos hic esse: si vis, faciamus hic tria tabernacula, tibi unum, Moysi unum, et Eliae unum. Adhuc eo loquente, ecce nubes lucida obumbravit eos. Et ecce vox de nube, dicens: Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacui: ipsum audite. Et audientes discipuli, ceciderunt in faciem suam, et timuerunt valde. Et accessit Iesus, et tetigit eos, dixitque eis: Surgite, et nolite timere. Levantes autem oculos suos, neminem viderunt, nisi solum Iesum. Et descendentibus illis de monte, praecepit eis Iesus, dicens: Nemini dixeritis visionem, donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat.	At that time Jesus took 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. Then 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 overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 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.
OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 118. 47, 48
	Meditabor in mandatis tuis, quae dilexi valde: et levabo manus meas ad mandata tua, quae dilexi.	I will meditate on Thy commandments, which I have loved exceedingly: and I will lift up my hands to Thy commandments which I have loved.
SECRET
	Sacrificiis praesentibus, Domine quaesumus, intende placatus: ut et devotioni nostrae proficiant, et saluti. Per Dominum . . .	Look favorably upon these present Sacrifices, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that they may profit us both unto devotion and salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth . . .
PREFACE Preface for Lent
	Vere dignum et iustum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Qui corporali ieiunio vitia comprimis, mentem elevas, virtutem largiris et praemia: per Christum Dominum nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam laudant Angeli, adorant Dominationes, tremunt Potestates. Coeli, coelorumque Virtutes, ac beata Seraphim, socia exsultatione concelebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces, ut admitti iubeas deprecamur, supplici confessione dicentes:	It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who by this bodily fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
COMMUNION ¤ Ps. 5. 2-4
	Intellige clamorem meum: intende voci orationis meae, Rex meus, et Deus meus: quoniam ad te orabo, Domine.	Understand my cry: hearken to the voice of my prayer, O my King and my God: for to Thee will I pray, O Lord.
POSTCOMMUNION
	Supplices te rogamus, omnipotens Deus: ut, quos tuis reficis sacramentis, tibi etiam placitis moribus dignanter deservire concedas. Per Dominum . . .	We humbly beseech Thee, almighty God, that we whom Thou dost refresh by Thy Sacraments may worthily serve Thee by lives well pleasing to thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth . . .

Ordinary Form (Second Sunday of Lent)

Prophecy: Gen. 12:1-4a

The Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and IN THEE shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him.

(Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran.)

Responsorial:

Ps. 33:4-5, 18-19, 20+22
R: Lord, let Thy mercy be on us as we place our trust in Thee

The word of the Lord is right,

and all his works are done with faithfulness.

He loveth mercy and judgment;

the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him:

and on them that hope in his mercy.

To deliver their souls from death;

and feed them in famine.

Our soul waiteth for the Lord:

for he is our helper and protector.

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

as we have hoped in thee.

Epistle: II Tim. 1:8b-10

Beloved: Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God. Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world: But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel.

Gospel: Mt. 17:1-9

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 overshadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 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.

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RETROSPECT

Just like last Sunday, the Gospel of both Forms of the Roman Rite of the Mass tackle the same Gospel: The Transfiguration of our Lord, the Fourth Mystery of Light which Bl. John Paul II, in his authority as Supreme Pontiff, promulgated in his encyclical "Rosarium Virginis Mariae".

As what I heard from a sermon today at Mass, the priest preached that "what Jesus denied Satan to see, His Apostles have seen." Maybe the connection that we can reckon (or at least I do) from the readings we have read in the two weeks that passed is that Jesus manifested Himself, in a brief glimpse at least, to all of creation: as the ultimate Terror of demons and as the Light of the world.

But for it to happen, Jesus have to suffer and die. Because it is in His stripes that we would be healed. (cf. Is. 53:5). It is a glory only to be obtained through death.

So what is Moses and Elias doing in that scene? Why are they talking to the God they have not seen in their own lifetime?

In Scripture, St. Jude (Thaddeus, if I'm not mistaken) wrote that St. Michael guarded the body of Moses from Satan (see Jude 1:9). This can be a plausible theory that the Leader and Judge of the pilgrim Israelites was assumed to heaven, just like Enoch in the Book of Genesis, and as our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, in a glorious manner. As for Elias, we know the story of his disappearance from earth: he was assumed to heaven in a chariot of fire. Now taking a place of honour in His Father's House, Jesus acknowledged them both as His ancestors and His servants.

Then interrupted Peter, the reluctant Prince of the Apostles: "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" I remember during my High School retreat in one of the two retreat houses overlooking Mount Batulao (the Salesian one, that is. The other is Caleruega, the Dominican retreat house, which I have also visited due to my College retreat), I have seen the same words posted on the walls. And I can also relate to the first Supreme Pontiff why in the world he have said it in the presence of the greatest holy people in the Jewish hagiography. Jesus's presence was so glorious that Peter, James, and John cannot believe that their Lord have to die so that they can see Him like that when He will rise again. As for me, a retreat to the mountains make me say the same words, not because I have nothing to say, but because I can meet the Lord more closely; I might even realize at that time, though subliminally, that the Lord retreated to the mountains every single time the people would like to declare Him their King. At least I have realized this as I reflect on the Gospel as I am typing this.

Now, as Peter reluctantly said the words above, the Father's voice was heard, and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a cloud, appeared. It looks like Peter has received an answer from the Holy Trinity, who has shown Himself again. (The first time might be at the time of Abraham, appearing as a triad of pilgrims, the same Lord who told Abraham to leave the abode of his father and venture to the Promised Land, as read today in the First Reading of the New Rite; the second is at the Nativity of the Son of God at Bethlehem--the Father as the Source of light, the Holy Spirit might be the light that shone on the Infant Lord; the third is at the baptism at the Jordan, where the Father spoke and the Holy Spirit came down on the Son, as the heavens opened, in the form of a dove.) This time, the Father not only introduced His Son to the Apostles, He have also given them a command: "Listen to Him!"

Today, the same command is also directed to us.

We not only listen to God's written word, in which we hear from our priests as they preach it in the pulpit, but we are also invited to receive the Word made Flesh in the Holy Eucharist. Let us, then, challenge ourselves to reflect on these words as the priest, in persona Christi, changes the substances of bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who not only illumined Himself on Mount Tabor, but also on every altar where the Holy Mass is offered every single day. Let us challenge ourselves to recall the command the Father told about His Son on the mountain every time we see our Lord elevated in the Consecration: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: Listen to Him!"

And so we ask: Am I choosing bravery of soul by combating evil through avoiding occasions of sin and by worthy reception of the Lord in Holy Communion? Am I willing to obey the command of the Father to listen to His beloved Son and living my life in the Holy Spirit?

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PRAYING THE COLLECT

O God, who seest that we are wholly destitute of strength, keep us within and without: that we may be defended in body from all adversity: and cleansed in mind from evil thoughts.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end. Amen.