Reflection

Second Sunday of Lent

Gospel

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,

"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!

Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.         Mark 9: 2-10

Reflection

The drama in the gospel for this Sunday takes place on a mountain, as indeed does the very dramatic events in the first reading from the Book of Genesis.

In this gospel reading, Jesus takes some of his friends and followers away from the activity, noise and business of the marketplace. As he had done on his own before, he takes them to the mountain so that they can experience something wonderful and powerful. 

While they are there something out of the ordinary happens; before their very eyes, Jesus is transfigured. He is changed. And then they hear these words from God; ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him.’ 

What are we to make of this event? What does it mean for us today? The call, invitation and challenge of Lent is that we are to be transformed and changed. God calls to each of us and says, ‘Come back to me with all your heart.’ During this sacred season we are called to look honestly and humbly at our daily lives; at how we treat others, how we speak to them and how we behave. We are invited to ask ourselves, is there anything in my own daily life that needs to change and improve? How are we meant to be transformed during Lent before we celebrate the new life of Easter?

While on the mountain, Peter exclaims, ‘It is wonderful for us to be here.’ When we have the opportunity to gather with others to celebrate the Eucharist, could we make that our prayer and say, indeed, it is wonderful for us to be here. During the mass, we offer and present the ordinary bread and wine to God. God accepts, blesses, transforms and then offers them back to us as the Body and Blood of his Son.

However, not only during Lent are meant to be changed and transformed into the people God wants us to be. With faith and courage can we also offer our own ordinary daily lives to God with the bread and wine? God will accept, bless and transform us too, if we are open to allowing God to act powerfully in our lives. Just as those with Jesus left the mountain changed by what they heard and saw, we too in our own way are meant to be renewed by what we have experienced with each other. This week, let’s pray that we too will be transfigured by God’s love, compassion and forgiveness as we continue our journey through Lent with Jesus and each other.

Julie Leonard Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader