Reading from the book of Genesis Gn 12:1-4a
The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the LORD directed him.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Second Reading
Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy 2 Tm 1:8b-10
Beloved:
Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
R. Praise and honor to you, O Lord. Mt 17:5
From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, hear him.
R. Praise and honor to you, O Lord.
Gospel
P: The Lord be with you.
P: A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew Mt 17:1-9
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.”.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
BIDDING PRAYERS:
Sisters and brothers, our covenant with God in Christ brings us the gift of salvation. In the name of God’s Chosen One let us raise our voices in prayer.
Our response is, “Saving God, hear our prayer.”
- On Tabor the face of Jesus changed in prayer. Through our prayers of repentance may our lives be changed to more perfectly image Christ. We pray: “Saving God, hear our prayer.”
- You called Abram to leave the security of his homeland. May we trust your grace to sustain us as we leave behind the ways of sin and death. We pray: “Saving God, hear our prayer.”
- You instructed the apostles to listen to Jesus. May we follow their example and take to heart the gospel’s call to be compassionate and forgiving. We pray: “Saving God, hear our prayer.”
- Jesus ascended Calvary out of love for the world. Help us to endure patiently any opposition we encounter in proclaiming the sanctity of life. We pray: “Saving God, hear our prayer.”
God in heaven, Jesus taught us to pray in his name, for he is your Beloved. Fulfill in us your saving will, and by the Spirit’s gift of prayer sustain us in Christ, our Lord.
