Second Sunday of Lent
Last week as Lent began we were reminded of how very human Jesus was while on earth for He was tempted just as we often are. Today’s Gospel provides a glimpse of what Christ left behind when He assumed human form, and how awesome this presentation is.
In our first reading, we hear God sending Abram from his home to a new land; one which Abram will be shown. Centuries later, Jesus is sent to walk on earth where “All the communities of the earth shall find blessings in you” (Gen.12:4a).
Perhaps we wonder why Christ would willingly leave His place in heaven to dwell among us, and our Responsorial Psalm contains the answer with such words as mercy, kindness, hope, deliverance… It is for our sake, for our salvation that we are told of Christ’s temptation and His transfiguration. We too will be transfigured when/if we endure our temptations.
In St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, we are provided a succinct lesson regarding life. It is through Christ that death is destroyed and new life is made manifest. A transfiguration as described in today’s Gospel awaits all who take seriously the admonition to “listen to Him.”
We have witnessed many mini transformations in our daily lives: the smile of a cashier when we say Thank You, the joy in a child’s face , the surprise on a stranger when we acknowledge each. Faces, fortunes, lives can be transformed when we live the gist of today’s responsorial psalm…mercy, hope, forgiveness…
After His transfiguration, Jesus touched his friends and told them “do not be afraid.” Each of us receives the same message today: “Listen, Do, and Fear not.”
Sister Miriam Catherine Nevins, OP