† II sunday of Lent

The second sunday of Lent, traditionally known as "Reminiscere" sunday due to the first word of its introit, has a singular historical origin in the ancient Roman rite. In the early centuries of the Church, this day was considered a "dominica vacans" (vacant sunday), as it did not have its own stational Mass. This occurred because the vigil of the saturday of Ember days of Lent, during which holy orders were conferred, extended throughout the entire dawn, ending only on sunday morning, which made the celebration of a new Mass redundant. As time passed, when the liturgy of ordinations was anticipated to saturday morning, the need was felt to fill this gap in the missal. The Mass we have today was then compiled, inheriting the character of penitential supplication proper to the Lenten season and the Ember days, but introducing a profound dimension of hope. The Church, aware of human weakness in the face of the rigorous fast and the physical and spiritual trials recently initiated on Ash Wednesday, established this commemoration to console the faithful, showing them the reward of perseverance, so that the effort of penance may be illuminated by the promise of future glory.

🎶 Introit (Ps 24, 6, 3 and 22 | ib., 1-2) (Audio)

Reminíscere miseratiónum tuarum, Dómine, et misericórdiæ tuæ, quæ a sǽculo sunt: ne umquam dominéntur nobis inimíci nostri: líbera nos, Deus Israël, ex ómnibus angústiis nostris. Ps. Ad te, Dómine, levávi ánimam meam: Deus meus, in te confído, non erubéscam. 

Remember, O Lord, Your kindness and Your mercy, which are from of old, so that our enemies may not triumph over us. Deliver us, O God of Israel, from all our distress. Ps. To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul; my God, in You I trust: let me not be put to shame. Glory be to the Father.

📜 Epistle (1 Thess 4, 1-7)

Fratres: Rogámus vos et obsecrámus in Dómino Jesu: ut, quemádmodum accepístis a nobis, quómodo opórteat vos ambuláre et placére Deo, sic et ambulétis, ut abundétis magis. Scitis enim, quæ præcépta déderim vobis per Dóminum Jesum. Hæc est enim volúntas Dei, sanctificátio vestra: ut abstineátis vos a fornicatióne, ut sciat unusquísque vestrum vas suum possidére in sanctifícatióne et honóre; non in passióne desidérii, sicut et gentes, quæ ignórant Deum: et ne quis supergrediátur neque circumvéniat in negótio fratrem suum: quóniam vindex est Dóminus de his ómnibus, sicut prædíximus vobis et testificáti sumus. Non enim vocávit nos Deus in immundítiam, sed in sanctificatiónem: in Christo Jesu, Dómino nostro. 

Brothers: we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that just as you received from us how you ought to live to please God, so you should walk to abound even more. For you know what precepts I gave you in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God: your sanctification; that you abstain from impurity; that each one of you know how to guard his body in holiness and honor; not in desires of sensuality, like the gentiles who do not know God. And let no one oppress or deceive his brother in any matter; because the Lord will avenge all these things, as we previously told you and testified. For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

📖 Gospel (Mt 17, 1-9)

In illo témpore: Assúmpsit Jesus Petrum, et Jacóbum, et Joánnem fratrem eius, et duxit illos in montem excélsum seórsum: et transfigurátus est ante eos. Et resplénduit fácies ejus sicut sol: vestiménta autem ejus facta sunt alba sicut nix. Et ecce, apparuérunt illis Móyses et Elías cum eo loquéntes. Respóndens autem Petrus, dixit ad Jesum: Dómine, bonum est nos hic esse: si vis, faciámus hic tria tabernácula, tibi unum, Móysi unum et Elíæ unum. Adhuc eo loquénte, ecce, nubes lúcida obumbrávit eos. Et ecce vox de nube, dicens: Hic est Fílius meus diléctus, in quo mihi bene complácui: ipsum audíte. Et audiéntes discípuli, cecidérunt in fáciem suam, et timuérunt valde. Et accéssit Jesus, et tétigit eos, dixítque eis: Súrgite, et nolíte timére. Levántes autem óculos suos, néminem vidérunt nisi solum Jesum. Et descendéntibus illis de monte, præcépit eis Jesus, dicens: Némini dixéritis visiónem, donec Fílius hóminis a mórtuis resúrgat. 

At that time, Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John, his brother, and led them aside up a very high mountain. And He was transfigured before them His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as snow. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Him. Then Peter, taking the word, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, we will make three tabernacles here, one for You, another for Moses and the third for Elijah. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and from the cloud a voice sounded that said: This is my beloved Son. In Him I have placed all my complacency; listen to Him. Hearing this, the disciples fell with their faces to the ground and were greatly afraid. Jesus came near, however, and, touching them, said to them: Arise and do not fear. And lifting their eyes, they saw no one, but Jesus only. And while He descended with them from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying: Tell the vision to no one, until the Son of man rises from the dead.

✨ The light of Tabor and the purification of the vessel of election

The cry of the introit, which supplicates God for deliverance from distress and triumph over enemies, finds its divine answer at the top of the mount of the Transfiguration. The manifestation of the glory of Christ is not only a revelation of His eternal nature, but the heavenly antidote against the despair and fear that accompany the renunciations of penance. For someone to walk firmly along a rough path full of mortifying obstacles, it is necessary that he first has a glimpse of the glorious destiny that awaits him, so as to strengthen the soul against the scandal of the cross and of suffering (saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, III, q. 45, a. 1). Thus, the voice of the Father echoing from the luminous cloud invites us to endure the hostilities of the present world, and the assaults of our spiritual enemies, with the unshakable confidence that our own weakness will one day be transfigured into the image of the brightness of the Son.

However, the deliverance from distress requested in the introit requires an active and severe correspondence on our part, which translates into the moral purification detailed by the Apostle. The will of God is our sanctification, which means tearing the soul and the body from the dominion of disordered passions, evils that configure themselves as the true intimate enemies to enslave us. The human body, redeemed by the blood of Christ, must not be given over to the desires of the flesh, but must be possessed as a sacred vessel, kept in absolute honor and holiness (saint John Chrysostom, Homily 5 on the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians). Lenten mortification becomes the indispensable tool to not offend the Lord, purifying the inner dwelling so that it may be worthy to reflect, already in this life, a ray of eternal holiness.

The spiritual elevation proposed by the liturgy unites, indissolubly, the purity demanded in the valley of everyday life with the glory revealed on the summit of Tabor. The continuous effort to remove impurity and live according to the dignity of a consecrated vessel is the arduous combat against the enemies spoken of in the introit. Without this moral rectitude and mortification of the senses, the soul remains obscured and incapable of bearing the divine light. But, when personal sacrifice is united with obedience to the voice of the Father, the fear of punishment dissipates by the consoling touch of Jesus, causing the distresses of the present time to turn into the secure steps that lead us to the definitive and resplendent dwelling in heaven.