Second Sunday of Lent (B)

Official Translation

Second Sunday of Lent

Reading 1 - Genesis 22.1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

God tested Abraham
and said to him, “Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
God said,
“Take your son, your only son,
whom you love, Isaac himself,
and go into the land of Moriah.
Offer him there as a burnt offering
on one of the mountains
which I will point out to you.”

When they came to the place
which God had pointed out to him,
Abraham built the altar there,
and laid the wood in order,
Then Abraham stretched out his hand,
and took the knife to kill his son.
The Lord’s angel called to him from heaven
and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy,
nor do anything to him.
For now I know that you fear God,
since you have not withheld
your son, your only son, from me.”

Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and saw
that behind him was a ram
caught in the thicket by his horns.
Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered it up for a burnt offering
instead of his son.

The Lord’s angel called to Abraham
a second time from heaven,
and said, “I have sworn by myself, says the Lord,
because you have done this thing,
and have not withheld your son, your only son,
that I will bless you greatly,
and I will multiply your seed greatly
like the stars of the heavens,
and like the sand which is on the seashore.
Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
All the nations of the earth
will be blessed by your seed,
because you have obeyed my voice.”

Responsorial – Psalm 116.10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 Resp. 9

R. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

I believed though I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.

R. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

O Lord, truly I am your servant.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid.
You have freed me from my chains.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and will call on the name of the Lord.

R. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

I will pay my vows to the Lord,
yes, in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the Lord’s house,
in your midst Jerusalem.

R. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Reading 2 – Romans 8.31b-34

Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all,
how could he not also
freely give us everything with him?

Who could bring a charge
against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who justifies,
who will condemn?
It is Christ who died,
or rather,
who was raised from the dead,
who is at the right hand of God,
who even makes intercession for us.

Gospel – Mark 9.2-10

Jesus took with him
Peter, James, and John,
and brought them up onto
a high mountain
privately by themselves,
and he was transfigured in front of them.

His clothing became glistening,
exceedingly white, like snow,
such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
Elijah and Moses appeared to them,
and they were talking with Jesus.
Peter answered Jesus,
“Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
Let us make three tents:
one for you,
one for Moses,
and one for Elijah.”
For he did not know what to say,
for they were very afraid.

A cloud came, overshadowing them,
and a voice came out of the cloud,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly looking around,
they saw no one with them anymore,
except Jesus only.

As they were coming
down from the mountain,
he commanded them
that they should tell no one
what things they had seen,
until after the Son of Human
had risen from the dead.
They kept this saying to themselves,
wondering what rising from the dead meant.