REFLECTION FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT ( YEAR C)
WEEK BEGINNING 16 MARCH 2025
Liturgy of the Word: 1st Reading; Responsorial Psalm; 2nd Reading.
Sacred Scripture is a Living Word for it is essentially a Person – the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, the Word of God. He would become flesh for the Salvation and Redemption of humankind, being given the name of JESUS within 8 days of birth, and the title CHRIST – ‘Anointed One’ – in due course thereafter.
Often (e.g. in the Entrance Antiphons), Sacred Scripture will use a word with which we are very familiar in everyday earthly English but using it in a far higher and deeper sense i.e. in a Heavenly sense.
The 1st Reading at Sunday Mass is invariably from the Old Testament (‘Testament’ meaning ‘Covenant’). The Old Testament consists of 4 major sections: the Pentateuch; the Histories; the Wisdom Literature; the Prophets – a total of 46 Books in all. (The Pentateuch is the first 5 Books of the Bible. Its primary theme is the Law of God).
The Responsorial Psalm is one, or usually part of one Psalm, taken from the overall total of 150. The Psalms never fail to surprise us with their variety – hymns of praise; prayers making entreaty or showing penitence; thanksgivings; psalms which praise both Wisdom and Law; prophetic oracles; royal psalms.
So many of them are beautiful prayers.
Do not be surprised if you ever find a Psalm or part of a Psalm that seems to be speaking to you, and you alone!
The 2nd Reading at Mass comes from the New Testament Letters – most regularly from Paul, simply because his output was so prodigious, in his concern for the Church communities.
In total, the New Testament consists of 27 titles (13 of these being from St. Paul’s hand).
It is so important that we actively engage with the Readings at Mass.
All the Old Testament Books anticipate the coming to earth of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Word of God.
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