READINGS: LENT SATURDAY II

Invitatory Psalm & BACK

Psalm 106 and BACK

ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, — ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα.

Even Years: Exodus 20:1-17 וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר׃ אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים׃ לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ׃ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה־לְךָ פֶסֶל וְכָל־תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ׃ לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבֹת עַל־בָּנִים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים לְשֹׂנְאָי׃ וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי׃ ס לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא׃ זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ׃ שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ׃ וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ־וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ׃ כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת־יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עַל־כֵּן בֵּרַךְ יְהוָה אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ׃ כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ׃ לֹא תִּרְצָח׃ לֹא תִּנְאָף׃ לֹא תִּגְנֹב׃ לֹא־תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר׃ לֹא תַחְמֹד בֵּית רֵעֶךָ לֹא־תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ׃

1 Then God spoke all these words. He said, 2 'I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you lived as slaves. 3 'You shall have no other gods to rival me. 4 You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God and I punish a parent's fault in the children, the grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren among those who hate me; 6 but I act with faithful love towards thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the alien living with you. 11 For in six days Yahweh made the heavens, earth and sea and all that these contain, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred. 12 Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you. 13 You shall not kill. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not give false evidence against your neighbour. 17 You shall not set your heart on your neighbour's house. You shall not set your heart on your neighbour's spouse, or servant, man or woman, or ox, or donkey, or any of your neighbour's possessions.'

Odd Years: Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-12 48 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר׃ 49 עֲלֵה אֶל־הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר־נְבוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וּרְאֵה אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחֻזָּה׃ 50 וּמֻת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל־עַמֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר־מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ בְּהֹר הָהָר וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו׃ 51 עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמֵי־מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ מִדְבַּר־צִן עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 52 כִּי מִנֶּגֶד תִּרְאֶה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 34: 1 וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה מֵעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב אֶל־הַר נְבוֹ רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וַיַּרְאֵהוּ יְהוָה אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הַגִּלְעָד עַד־דָּן׃ 2 וְאֵת כָּל־נַפְתָּלִי וְאֶת־אֶרֶץ אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וְאֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה עַד הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן׃ 3 וְאֶת־הַנֶּגֶב וְאֶת־הַכִּכָּר בִּקְעַת יְרֵחוֹ עִיר הַתְּמָרִים עַד־צֹעַר׃ 4 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָיו זֹאת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה הֶרְאִיתִיךָ בְעֵינֶיךָ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹר׃ 5 וַיָּמָת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב עַל־פִּי יְהוָה׃ 6 וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ בַגַּיְ בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב מוּל בֵּית פְּעוֹר וְלֹא־יָדַע אִישׁ אֶת־קְבֻרָתוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ 7 וּמֹשֶׁה בֶּן־מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה בְּמֹתוֹ לֹא־כָהֲתָה עֵינוֹ וְלֹא־נָס לֵחֹה׃ 8 וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם וַיִּתְּמוּ יְמֵי בְכִי אֵבֶל מֹשֶׁה׃ 9 וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן מָלֵא רוּחַ חָכְמָה כִּי־סָמַךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יָדָיו עָלָיו וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ 10 וְלֹא־קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר יְדָעוֹ יְהוָה פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים׃ 11 לְכָל־הָאֹתוֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִים אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל־עֲבָדָיו וּלְכָל־אַרְצוֹ׃ 12 וּלְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה לְעֵינֵי כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

48 Yahweh spoke to Moses that same day and said to him, 49 'Climb this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, in the country of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the Canaan which I am giving to the Israelites as their domain. 50 Die on the mountain you have climbed, and be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 Because, with the other Israelites, you broke faith with me at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the desert of Zin, because you did not make my holiness clear to the Israelites; 52 you may only see the country from outside; you cannot enter it—the country which I am giving to the Israelites.' 1 Then, leaving the Plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah opposite Jericho, and Yahweh showed him the whole country: Gilead as far as Dan, 2 the whole of Naphtali, the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, the whole country of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the Negeb, and the region of the Valley of Jericho, city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Yahweh said to him, 'This is the country which I promised on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I shall give it to your descendants. I have allowed you to see it for yourself, but you will not cross into it.' 5 There in the country of Moab, Moses, servant of Yahweh, died as Yahweh decreed; 6 he buried him in the valley, in the country of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor; but to this day no one has ever found his grave. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses on the Plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end. 9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him, and him the Israelites obeyed, carrying out the order which Yahweh had given to Moses. 10 Since then, there has never been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man whom Yahweh knew face to face. 11 What signs and wonders Yahweh caused him to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants and his whole country! 12 How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the eyes of all Israel!

Even Years: Ambrose of Milan, Treatise on fleeing the world, 6:36, 7:44, 9:52 Ubi cor hominis, ibi et thesaurus eius est; non enim solet bonum datum deprecantibus Dominus denegare. Where a man's heart is, there will be his treasure be also, for God does not refuse a good gift to those who ask. Ergo, quia bonus Dominus est et maxime sustinentibus se bonus est, ipsi adhaereamus, cum ipso simus tota anima nostra, toto corde, tota virtute, ut simus in lumine eius et videamus eius gloriam et delectationis supernae fruamur gratia; ad illud igitur bonum erigamus animos et in illo simus atque in ipso vivamus, ipsi adhaereamus, quod est supra omnem mentem et omnem considerationem et pace utitur perpetua ac tranquillitate; pax autem supra omnem mentem est et supra omnem sensum. So because God is good and especially good to those who serve him, we must cling to him and be with him with all our soul and with all our heart and with all our strength. This we must do if we are to be in his light, and see his glory, and enjoy the grace of heavenly joy. To this happiness we must lift our minds, we must be in God, and live in him and cling to him, for he is beyond all human thought and understanding and he dwells in endless peace and tranquillity. This peace passes all understanding, passes all perception. Hoc est bonum, quod penetrat omnia, et omnes in ipso vivimus atque ex ipso pendemus, ipsum autem nihil supra se habet, sed est divinum; nemo enim bonus nisi unus Deus, quod ergo bonum divinum et quod divinum bonum, et ideo dicitur: Aperiente te manum, implebuntur omnia bonitate; per bonitatem enim Dei, nobis universa tribuuntur merito bona, quibus nihil admixtum est mali. This is the good which permeates everything. All of us live in it, depend on it. It has nothing above itself, but is divine. No one is good but God alone, because the good is divine and the divine is good. So the psalmist says, When you open your hand all creatures are filled with goodness. Through God's goodness all the truly good things are given to us, and among them is no mixture of evil. Haec bona promittit Scriptura fidelibus dicens: Quae bona sunt terrae manducabitis. These are the good things that scripture promises to the faithful in the words, You shall eat the good of the land. Mortui sumus cum Christo; mortem Christi in corpore nostro circumferimus, ut et vita Christi in nobis manifestetur. Non ergo iam nostram illam vitam, sed Christi vitam vivimus, vitam innocentiae, vitam castimoniae, vitam simplicitatis omniumque virtutum. Cum Christo resurreximus, in ipso vivamus, in ipso ascendamus, ut serpens calcaneum nostrum quod vulneret in terris reperire non possit. We are dead with Christ; in our bodies we carry the death of Christ, so that the life of Christ also may be manifested in us. We do not live any longer our own life, but the life of Christ, the life of innocence, chastity, simplicity, and of every virtue. We have risen with Christ; we must live in Christ; we must ascend in Christ, so that the serpent can no longer find our heel on earth to wound. Fugiamus hinc. Potes animo fugere, etsi retineris corpore, potes et hic esse et adesse ad Dominum, si illi adhaereat anima tua, si post ipsum cogitationibus tuis ambules, si fide, non specie, vias eius sequaris, si ad ipsum confugias; est enim refugium et virtus, cui dicit David: Ad te confugi et non sum deceptus. We must flee from here. You can flee in your mind, even though you are still held back in the body. You can be both here and you can be present with the Lord if in your soul you cling to him, if in all your thoughts you walk after him, if in faith and not in outward appearance merely you follow his ways, if you fly to him; he is our refuge and our strength. It was to God that David said, In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; I have not been put to shame. Ergo quia Deus refugium, Deus autem in caelo et supra caelos, utique hinc illo fugiendum est, ubi pax, ubi requies ab operibus, ubi epulemur sabbatum magnum, sicut dixit Moyses: Et erunt sabbata terrae vobis escae. Epulatorium enim et plenum iucunditatis et tranquillitatis est requiescere in Deo et eius delectationem videre. Because God is our refuge and God is in heaven and above the heavens, we must flee from here and come to that place where there is peace and rest from our labours, where we may enjoy the great sabbath feast, as Moses said, The sabbath of the land shall provide for you. To rest in the Lord and to gaze upon his loveliness is truly a feast and full of delight and peacefulness. Fugiamus sicut cervi ad fontes aquarum; quod sitiebat David, sitiat et nostra anima; quis est ille fons? Audi dicentem: Quoniam apud te est fons vitae; huic fonti dicat anima mea: Quando veniam et parebo ante faciem tuam? Fons enim Deus est. We must flee like deer running to the fountains of water. The thirst which David felt, let our soul too feel. Who is that fountain? David said, For with you is the fountain of life. My soul must say to the fountain, When shall I come and behold your face? For the fountain is God.

Odd Years: Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 18,22 Coram morte aenigma condicionis humanae maximum evadit. Non tantum cruciatur homo dolore et corporis dissolutione progrediente, sed etiam, immo magis, perpetuae extinctionis timore. Recte autem instinctu cordis sui iudicat, cum totalem ruinam et definitivum exitum suae personae abhorret et respuit. Semen aeternitatis quod in se gerit, ad solam materiam cum irreductibile sit, contra mortem insurgit. Omnia technicae artis molimina, licet perutilia, anxietatem hominis sedare non valent: prorogata enim biologica longaevitas illi ulterioris vitae desiderio satisfacere nequit, quod cordi eius ineluctabiliter inest. It is in the face of death that the riddle a human existence grows most acute. Not only is man tormented by pain and by the advancing deterioration of his body, but even more so by a dread of perpetual extinction. He rightly follows the intuition of his heart when he abhors and repudiates the utter ruin and total disappearance of his own person. He rebels against death because he bears in himself an eternal seed which cannot be reduced to sheer matter. All the endeavors of technology, though useful in the extreme, cannot calm his anxiety; for prolongation of biological life is unable to satisfy that desire for higher life which is inescapably lodged in his breast. Dum coram morte omnis imaginatio deficit, Ecclesia tamen, Revelatione divina edocta, hominem ad beatum finem, ultra terrestris miseriae limites, a Deo creatum esse affirmat. Mors insuper corporalis, a qua homo si non peccasset subtractus fuisset, fides christiana docet fore ut vincatur, cum homo in salutem, culpa sua perditam, ab omnipotente et miserante Salvatore restituetur. Deus enim hominem vocavit et vocat ut Ei in perpetua incorruptibilis vitae divinae communione tota sua natura adhaereat. Quam victoriam Christus, hominem a morte per mortem suam liberando, ad vitam resurgens adeptus est. Cuicumque igitur recogitanti homini, fides, cum solidis argumentis oblata, in eius anxietate de sorte futura responsum offert; simulque facultatem praebet cum dilectis fratribus iam morte praereptis in Christo communicandi, spem conferens eos veram vitam apud Deum adeptos esse. Although the mystery of death utterly beggars the imagination, the Church has been taught by divine revelation and firmly teaches that man has been created by God for a blissful purpose beyond the reach of earthly misery. In addition, that bodily death from which man would have been immune had he not sinned will be vanquished, according to the Christian faith, when man who was ruined by his own doing is restored to wholeness by an almighty and merciful Saviour. For God has called man and still calls him so that with his entire being he might be joined to Him in an endless sharing of a divine life beyond all corruption. Christ won this victory when He rose to life, for by His death He freed man from death. Hence to every thoughtful man a solidly established faith provides the answer to his anxiety about what the future holds for him. At the same time faith gives him the power to be united in Christ with his loved ones who have already been snatched away by death; faith arouses the hope that they have found true life with God. Christianum certe urgent necessitas et officium contra malum per multas tribulationes certandi necnon mortem patiendi; sed mysterio paschali consociatus, Christi morti configuratus, ad resurrectionem spe roboratus occurret. 22... Pressing upon the Christian to be sure, are the need and the duty to battle against evil through manifold tribulations and even to suffer death. But, linked with the paschal mystery and patterned on the dying Christ, he will hasten forward to resurrection in the strength which comes from hope. Quod non tantum pro christifidelibus valet, sed et pro omnibus hominibus bonae voluntatis in quorum corde gratia invisibili modo operatur. Cum enim pro omnibus mortuus sit Christus cumque vocatio hominis ultima revera una sit, scilicet divina, tenere debemus Spiritum Sanctum cunctis possibilitatem offerre ut, modo Deo cognito, huic paschali mysterio consocientur. All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way.(31) For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery. Tale et tantum est hominis mysterium, quod per Revelationem christianam credentibus illucescit. Per Christum et in Christo, igitur, illuminatur aenigma doloris et mortis, quod extra Eius Evangelium nos obruit. Christus resurrexit, morte sua mortem destruens, vitamque nobis largitus est ut, filii in Filio, clamemus in Spiritu: Abba, Pater! Such is the mystery of man, and it is a great one, as seen by believers in the light of Christian revelation. Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from His Gospel, they overwhelm us. Christ has risen, destroying death by His death; He has lavished life upon us so that, as sons in the Son, we can cry out in the Spirit: Abba, Father.

Prayer