1st Reading: Book of Genesis 22,1-2.9.10-13.15-18.
Some time after these events, God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Ready!” 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. Next he tied up his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’S messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Yes, Lord,” 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.’
Psalms 116,10.15.16-17.18-19.
I kept faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted!”
Too costly in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful.
LORD, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maidservant; you have loosed my bonds.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
2nd Reading: Letter to the Romans 8,31-34.
What then shall we say to this? 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? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9,2-10.
After six days 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; then 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.
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: ” Peter the head of the Apostels says this without much more thoughts. He is a person who speaks with out repeted thought. More over he speaks from his heart. We are not concentrating on Peter today, but the words that he said.
- It is good, that we are here – it is a normal human thought. Actualy we live our lives to have it good. To have peace and serenity. We need joy and enjoyment. Peter is not wrong as a human being. But that was not the mission of Jesus. Jesus came to the world, not to live a peaceful and pompous life. As son of God, it was “possible” in the Heaven. His life had another “super” mission.
- Let us make three tents: – To live somewhere man need a home. So Peter’s idea to make 3 huts for Jesus and other Prophets were not bad. But can Jesus live in a hut, away from his “people”, away from his mission? Today we, the Church and the theologians and the faithful, yes we all made so many “huts” for Jesus, for our “God-Concept”. “Jesus” may be struggling to coming out of these “huts”. We have “hidden” Jesus to an Extend, with our human “walls”. We have blocked so many people from experiencing God, as he is. Or not so?
- Jesus denied that time the “offer” of Peter. He went back to his people; to accomplish his Mission. He took the Risks and accepted the sufferings and Cross and death on it to achieve his final Goal, that is Resurrection. The Victory over all the Weakness. Taking Risks for the special mission is the teaching of Jesus to us. God is proclaimed only by taking risks. Like St John the Baptist. Abraham’s experience that we hear today says the same. He was ready to take the risk, to offer his only Son. He believed in God and was ready for any thing. This attitude of Abraham found acceptance by God.
- Jesus and Abraham Experience God’s Special concern in the “hight” of the Mountains. To be there is a call to take the risks of life.
- Come let us go with Abraham, the disciples to be with Jesus; to take the risks. Not for personal motives, but for God. That will give us a day of “resurrection”. Let us deny the “Godless Huts”. This Lent time is a call for that.
Some time after these events, God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Ready!” 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. Next he tied up his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’S messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Yes, Lord,” 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.’
Psalms 116,10.15.16-17.18-19.
I kept faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted!”
Too costly in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful.
LORD, I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maidservant; you have loosed my bonds.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
2nd Reading: Letter to the Romans 8,31-34.
What then shall we say to this? 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? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9,2-10.
After six days 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; then 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.
Sermon thoughts:
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: ” Peter the head of the Apostels says this without much more thoughts. He is a person who speaks with out repeted thought. More over he speaks from his heart. We are not concentrating on Peter today, but the words that he said.
- It is good, that we are here – it is a normal human thought. Actualy we live our lives to have it good. To have peace and serenity. We need joy and enjoyment. Peter is not wrong as a human being. But that was not the mission of Jesus. Jesus came to the world, not to live a peaceful and pompous life. As son of God, it was “possible” in the Heaven. His life had another “super” mission.
- Let us make three tents: – To live somewhere man need a home. So Peter’s idea to make 3 huts for Jesus and other Prophets were not bad. But can Jesus live in a hut, away from his “people”, away from his mission? Today we, the Church and the theologians and the faithful, yes we all made so many “huts” for Jesus, for our “God-Concept”. “Jesus” may be struggling to coming out of these “huts”. We have “hidden” Jesus to an Extend, with our human “walls”. We have blocked so many people from experiencing God, as he is. Or not so?
- Jesus denied that time the “offer” of Peter. He went back to his people; to accomplish his Mission. He took the Risks and accepted the sufferings and Cross and death on it to achieve his final Goal, that is Resurrection. The Victory over all the Weakness. Taking Risks for the special mission is the teaching of Jesus to us. God is proclaimed only by taking risks. Like St John the Baptist. Abraham’s experience that we hear today says the same. He was ready to take the risk, to offer his only Son. He believed in God and was ready for any thing. This attitude of Abraham found acceptance by God.
- Jesus and Abraham Experience God’s Special concern in the “hight” of the Mountains. To be there is a call to take the risks of life.
- Come let us go with Abraham, the disciples to be with Jesus; to take the risks. Not for personal motives, but for God. That will give us a day of “resurrection”. Let us deny the “Godless Huts”. This Lent time is a call for that.
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