Reading I
Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.
(1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
reading II
Phil 3:17—4:1 or 3:20—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Gospel
Lk 9:28b-36
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen. |
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Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:
The Loving Programmer showed Abraham the stars, and told him that his descendents would be equally numerous. Abraham believed Him, and God rewarded him for doing so. Then, He said,
"I am The Programmer, who provided the necessary programming to bring you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your own.
Abraham asked how he was to know that he would own it.
The Loving Programmer replied, "Bring me a three year old heifer, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
\Abraham brought them to Him, and split them in two, placing each half opposite the other, but the birds weren't cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down to eat the dead animals, but Abraham stayed with them. As the sun was nearly setting, he fell into a trance. A frightening darkness surrounded him
When it was dark, there was programmed to appear a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch that went between the halves. That's when The Programmer made a covenant with Abram, and told him, "To your descendents I give this land between Egypt and the Euphrates."
The Programmer shows me how to access and be uploaded into The Program. Whom else should be feared more than He Who offers eternal joy?
He, Who programmed all and keeps it running is the most powerful being in all He has programmed. There is no sane reason to fear anyone more than Him.
Hear, O Programmer of All, my call, and provide the programming assistance that I need.
Your presence (as shown by Your re-programming) I seek. Please do not stop looking favorably upon me. Do not be angry, and push me away. You are my (only) source of help, please don't throw me away (from You).
I believe that I shall see the Lord program good things for me on earth. (So I, as should you) wait for The Programmer without fearing lesser forces. Be courageous, and wait for The Programmer.
Join with those who imitate me, fellow believers, and watch those who behave according to those of us who follow the New Operating Instructions.
Many, sad to say, behave as if they are enemies of the Cross on which Jesus Christ (God's Program, in obedient, loving, human form) died.
Destruction comes to those who are His enemies. They only worship the lesser programmed entities that satisfy them temporarily.
We, on the other hand, will be uploaded to the very HQ of The Programmer, from which we await the coming of He Who will upload us, Jesus Christ (The Program, in living, obedient, perfect, human form).
He will change our earthly body to be as His by the same power that enables Him to make all things follow His Operating Instructions.
I love all of you who share my belief, and know how important it is to stand firm in obedience to The New Operating Instructions."
"My fellow believers, we are (because of our belief and obedience) citizens of Heaven, from Which we await He Who will upload us into eternal joy, Jesus Christ (The Programmer's Program in perfect, obedient, loving, form). He will make our bodies like His, perfect and immortal by the same programming power that brings all the sub-programs into His regulation. Therefore, my fellow believers, you for whom I live, do not give in, but believe in and obey The Programmer.
Jesus took the three leading Disciples up the mountain to pray. While He was praying, His face changed, and His clothes became light.
Moses and Elijah were speaking with Him in their resurrected glory. They spoke of how He would be leaving Jerusalem.
Peter, John, and James had been asleep, but they awoke, and saw Christ's glory (The Glory of The Programmer's Living Program in human form), and saw Moses and Elijah standing with Him.
Then, they saw Him as they knew Him to be, The Son of God (The Living Program in human form). Just as Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it's good (the most wonderful thing imaginable!) that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He was so overcome with the staggering nature of what had happened that he was basically babbling. He was still speaking, when The Programmer, Himself, appeared in the form of a cloud and cast a shadow over them. (How was there a shadow late at night? The light from Jesus, glowing like the sun, had some of its wavelengths absorbed by Cloud that was The Father.) and they were frightened when The Cloud came over them. The Programmer's voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is My chosen Son (The Living Program that has taken human form to provide you the joy of eternal life with Me in Heaven); listen to Him." After The Voice had spoken, Jesus was there, alone. They did not speak, and didn't then tell anyone what they'd seen.
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