"The light of God shining through the darkness."

 The Transfiguration of Jesus, and a testament to Jesus’ divine identity and mission.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Then the Lord brought him outside

 In the Lord's Prayer,

'Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets.

But in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Isaiah 55:10-11

As the rain and the snow

 “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

He emphasizes love for enemies,

This sounds like an impossible standard Jesus is placing before us.

Jesus is the only One who has lived a perfect life,

and it is through Him that we meet God’s standard.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

On this day,

At the end of our earthly life, God will judge how much we have loved.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”.

Here is how we become God: by keeping His law of love!

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18

The Lord spoke to

 In today's Gospel, Jesus exhorts his disciples to surpass the righteousness

of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

True righteousness involves being reconciled.

This principle involves treating others with dignity,

valuing the opinions of others and acknowledging their feelings.

Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up).

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Ezekiel 18:21-28

If the sinner turns from his sin,

Temptation forces us to rise up and make a choice either for God or for the temptation.

The blessings that await those who overcome temptation are numerous.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Then the priest

On the day I called, you answered me;

With your right hand you save me;

you increased the strength of my soul.

O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-256

Seized with anguish

 The Season of Lent,  you take away from the midst of you the yoke,

the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

St. John of God, religious

Labor without stopping, do all the good works you can, while you still have the time.

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Isaiah 58:9b-14

If you remove

Jesus is calling us to repent and believe,

David, he confesses to the Lord: “Against you—you alone—

I have sinned and done this evil in your sight”

David is grieving his sin before his Maker.

Like David, we all have sinned.

Repentance is something God gives—

it is only possible because of His grace.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Jonah 3:1-10

The word of the Lord

“A sincere effort to remove from our hearts all evil."

As the "paschal fast" to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus.

Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up).

St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, martyrs

Neither can I call myself anything else than what I am, a Christian.　----- St. Perpetua

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Cry out aloud for all