Office of Readings
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Go to the Psalmody
Go to the Hymn
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 24
Psalm 67
Psalm 100
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
When this antiphon is used, this strophe begins with the words: as your fathers.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
God, + come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN
Alternate Hymns
For forty days the circuit runs,
this holy season of renown;
by myst’ry and by number taught
let us observe our lenten fast.
Christ, King and Maker of all time,
has consecrated in due course
this fast proclaimed and practiced first
by prophets and the Law of old.
So let us use with more restraint
our speech, our sleep, our idle mirth,
and frugal in our food and drink,
stand guard with heightened vigilance.
Let us avoid all wicked sin
that undermines the heedless heart
and grant no room for ruthless pow’r
to our deceitful, wily foe.
Grant us, O blessed Trinity,
O Undivided Unity,
to see this service of our fast
bring forth your fruit within our hearts. Amen.
Tune: ERHALT UNS HERR, 8 8 8 8
Music: later form of melody from Joseph Klug’s Geistliche Lieder
or Mode I, melody 28; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Ex more docti mystico, attributed to Saint Gregory the Great, ca. 540-604, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Lord, our God, in splendor and majesty you are clothed, wrapped in light as in a robe.
Psalm 104
Hymn to God the Creator
To be in Christ means being a completely new creature. Everything of the old is gone, now everything is made anew (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I
Bless the Lord, my soul! *
Lord God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and glory, *
wrapped in light as in a robe!
You stretch out the heavens like a tent. *
Above the rains you build your dwelling.
You make the clouds your chariot, *
you walk on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers *
and flashing fire your servants.
You founded the earth on its base, *
to stand firm from age to age.
You wrapped it with the ocean like a cloak: *
the waters stood higher than the mountains.
At your threat they took to flight; *
at the voice of your thunder they fled.
They rose over the mountains and flowed down *
to the place which you had appointed.
You set limits they might not pass *
lest they return to cover the earth.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys: *
they flow in between the hills.
They give drink to all the beasts of the field; *
the wild asses quench their thirst.
On their banks dwell the birds of heaven; *
from the branches they sing their song.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Lord, our God, in splendor and majesty you are clothed, wrapped in light as in a robe.
Ant. 2 The Lord has brought forth bread from the earth, and wine to give warmth to men’s hearts.
II
From your dwelling you water the hills; *
earth drinks its fill of your gift.
You make the grass grow for the cattle *
and the plants to serve man’s needs,
that he may bring forth bread from the earth *
and wine to cheer man’s heart;
oil, to make him glad *
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
The trees of the Lord drink their fill, *
the cedars he planted on Lebanon;
there the birds build their nests; *
on the tree-top the stork has her home.
The goats find a home on the mountains *
and rabbits hide in the rocks.
You made the moon to mark the months; *
the sun knows the time for its setting.
When you spread the darkness it is night *
and all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
The young lions roar for their prey *
and ask their food from God.
At the rising of the sun they steal away *
and go to rest in their dens.
Man goes forth to his work, *
to labor till evening falls.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The Lord has brought forth bread from the earth, and wine to give warmth to men’s hearts.
Ant. 3 The Lord looked upon all he had made and saw that it was very good.
III
How many are your works, O Lord! †
In wisdom you have made them all. *
The earth is full of your riches.
There is the sea, vast and wide, †
with its moving swarms past counting, *
living things great and small.
The ships are moving there *
and the monsters you made to play with.
All of these look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up: *
you open your hand, they have their fill.
You hide your face, they are dismayed; †
you take back your spirit, they die, *
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, they are created; *
and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord last for ever! *
May the Lord rejoice in his works!
He looks on the earth and it trembles; *
the mountains send forth smoke at his touch.
I will sing to the Lord all my life, *
make music to my God while I live.
May my thoughts be pleasing to him. *
I find my joy in the Lord.
Let sinners vanish from the earth *
and the wicked exist no more.
Bless the Lord, my soul.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Father, as you made springs in valleys to form streams between mountains, so you made living streams of grace flow from the apostles that their teaching may bring salvation to all the nations. May we have a practical knowledge of their doctrine, be obedient to their commands, obtain remission of sins through their prayers, and finally receive the reward of eternal happiness.
Ant. The Lord looked upon all he had made and saw that it was very good.
The voice of the Father was heard from the cloud.
— This is my beloved Son; listen to him.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of Exodus
13:17—14:9
The crossing of the Red Sea
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the Philistines’ land, though this was the nearest; for he thought, should the people see that they would have to fight, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. Instead, he rerouted them toward the Red Sea by way of the desert road. In battle array the Israelites marched out of Egypt. Moses also took Joseph’s bones along, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear solemnly that, when God should come to them, they would carry his bones away with them.
Setting out from Succoth, they camped at Etham near the edge of the desert.
The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn about and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, just opposite, by the sea. Pharaoh will then say, ‘The Israelites are wandering about aimlessly in the land. The desert has closed in on them.’ Thus will I make Pharaoh so obstinate that he will pursue them. Thus will I receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”
This the Israelites did. When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them. “What have we done” they exclaimed. “Why, we have released Israel from our service!” So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers—six hundred first-class chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all. So obstinate had the Lord made Pharaoh that he pursued the Israelites even while they were marching away in triumph. The Egyptians, then, pursued them; Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers, caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 114:1, 2; Exodus 13:21
When Israel came out of Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a foreign land,
— Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his domain.
The Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud
to show them the way.
— Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his domain.
SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope
(Sermo 51, 3-4. 8: PL 54, 310-311. 313)
The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ
The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendor that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendor of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfill exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.
RESPONSORY
Hebrews 12:22, 24, 25; Psalm 95:8
You have come to Jesus, mediator of the new covenant.
Do not refuse to hear him.
— If those who refused to listen to him warning them on earth did not escape punishment,
much less shall we escape
if we will not listen to one who warns from heaven.
Today if you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
— If those who refused to listen to him warning them on earth did not escape punishment,
much less shall we escape
if we will not listen to one who warns from heaven.
Those who wish to extend the celebration of the vigil of Sunday, according to tradition, first celebrate the Office of Readings. After both readings and before the Concluding Prayer, they may add canticles and a gospel reading. Afterward the Concluding Prayer is said, and the hour is concluded as in the Ordinary.
Optional Vigil
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God our Father,
help us to hear your Son.
Enlighten us with your word,
that we may find the way to your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, who have commanded us
to listen to your beloved Son,
be pleased, we pray,
to nourish us inwardly by your word,
that, with spiritual sight made pure,
we may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
******
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Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Continue with the Hymn
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Continue with the Hymn
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.
Or: Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.
Continue with the Hymn
Forty days and forty nights
You were fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted and yet undefiled.
Shall not we your sorrow share
And from worldly joys abstain,
Fasting with unceasing prayer,
Strong with you to suffer pain?
Then if Satan on us press,
Flesh or spirit to assail,
Victor in the wilderness,
Grant we may not faint nor fail!
So shall we have peace divine:
Holier gladness ours shall be;
Round us, too, shall angels shine,
Such as served you faithfully.
Keep, O keep us, Savior dear,
Ever constant by your side;
That with you we may appear
At the ’ternal Eastertide.
Tune: Heinlein 77.77
Music: Attributed to Martin Herbst, 1654-1681
Text: George H. Smyttan, 1822-1870, alt.
Continue with the Psalmody
Or:
O God of pity, turn to us your children;
Incline your ear in your great loving kindness.
And, as your people’s song is now ascending,
We beg you hear us.
Look down in mercy from your throne in glory;
Pour on our world the radiance of your presence;
Drive from our weary hearts the shades of darkness;
Lighten our footsteps.
O Christ, true light and goodness, life of all things,
Joy of the whole world, infinite in kindness,
Who by the crimson flowing of your lifeblood
To life restore us.
All praise to God the Father everlasting,
All praise for ever to the sole-begotten,
With whom the Holy Spirit, with them equal,
Reigns through the ages.
Tune: HERZRLIBSTER JESU, 11.11.11.5
Music: Johann Cruger, 1640; adapted by J. S. Bach, 1685-1750
Text: Aures ad nostras, Ante-Tridentine Breviary
Translation: Alan B McDougal, b. 1895, alt.
Continue with the Psalmody
OPTIONAL VIGIL
CANTICLES
Ant. Turn us back to you, O Lord, and we will come back; renew our lives, that we may live as in times past.
Canticle I: Jeremiah 14:17-21
The lament of the people in war and famine
The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15).
Let my eyes stream with tears *
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms †
the virgin daughter of my people, *
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field, *
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city, *
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest *
forage in a land they know not.
Have you cast Judah off completely? *
Is Zion loathsome to you?
Why have you struck us a blow *
that cannot be healed?
We wait for peace, to no avail; *
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, †
the guilt of our fathers; *
that we have sinned against you.
For your name’s sake spurn us not, †
disgrace not the throne of your glory; *
remember your covenant with us, and break it not.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Canticle II: Ezekiel 36:24-28
The Lord will renew his people
They will be his own people and God himself will be with them, their own God (Revelation 21:3).
I will take you away from among the nations, †
gather you from all the foreign lands, *
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you †
to cleanse you from all your impurities, *
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart *
and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts *
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you †
and make you live by my statutes, *
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; †
you shall be my people, *
and I will be your God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Canticle III: Lamentations 5:1-7, 15-17, 19-21
A prayer in time of distress
At every moment we carry in our bodies the death of Jesus so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be manifested (2 Corinthians 4:10).
Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us, *
look, and see our disgrace:
Our inherited lands have been turned over to strangers, *
our homes to foreigners.
We have become orphans, fatherless; *
widowed are our mothers.
The water we drink we must buy, *
for our own wood we must pay.
On our necks is the yoke of those who drive us; *
we are worn out, but allowed no rest.
To Egypt we submitted, *
and to Assyria, to fill our need of bread.
Our fathers, who sinned, are no more; *
but we bear their guilt.
The joy of our hearts has ceased, *
our dance has turned into mourning;
The garlands have fallen from our heads: *
woe to us, for we have sinned!
Over this our hearts are sick, *
at this our eyes grow dim:
You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; *
your throne stands from age to age.
Why, then, should you forget us, *
abandon us so long a time?
Lead us back to you, O Lord, that we may be restored: *
give us anew such days as we had of old.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Turn us back to you, O Lord, and we will come back; renew our lives, that we may live as in times past.
THE HOLY GOSPEL
The following Gospel may be used or one of the Gospel Readings from this Sunday which is not read at Mass this year. Those readings follow.
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
8:27-38
The Son of Man must suffer many things ... and rise again
Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.” Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Year A
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
17:1-9
Jesus’ face shone like the sun
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Year C
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
9:28b-36
While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
A homily on the Gospel may be given.
Concluding Prayer
