Cycle B - Year II:  

25 February 2024: Second Sunday of Lent 

(Liturgical color: Violet)

Readings:

First Reading:        Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18

Second Reading:   Romans 8:31-34

Gospel:  Please read  Mark 9:2-10 

A glimpse of the glorified Christ!

The liturgy gives a break from gloom in our penitential journey towards Calvary to give us a glimpse, and hope, of what awaits us in the end. Today we will read and meditate on the Fourth Luminous Mystery of the Holy Rosary, the Transfiguration of Jesus. This is one of the most dramatic scenes in all of Scripture.

Holy Mother Church places the transfiguration event before us while our journey of Lent is still young, perhaps to assure us of the final goal, which is the glorified Christ. Our Lord came into the world precisely to win such glory -- for Himself and for all of us. By His incarnation He took our Human nature. By His passion and death He purified it. And by His resurrection and ascension into heaven He glorified it.

The evangelist Mark wrote about an amazing experience o the chosen apostles.. "... 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... Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus." (Mk 9:2-4)

On the mountain, the apostles saw into the real Jesus a few hours and this experience they would forget. So that when later they would see the disfigured face and the dying body on the cross, Peter and James and John would remember this day, and would remember it for the rest of their lives. They saw Jesus as the Son of God, and saw a glimpse in Him of our humanity at its best. The glory of Jesus is the glory of love -- His love unto death, and the love in Him of Father and Spirit

The chosen apostles saw Him as they had never seen Him before. They were told that He is the One to come. They knew now they would listen to Him, that His words were to be the rock of life. The apostles' faith was confirmed on the mount of Transfiguration.

The Gospel invites us to see the world through the lens of God's promise. The transfiguration points to the cross, but also to the glory of the resurrection. It opens up to the possibility that death does not have the the last word. It reminds us that God's reign is both now and not yet, and we are settled to be communities of hope.

Today's Gospel story tells us something about commitment and perseverance. It's when they grew tired that the disciples experienced the Transfiguration.

But we must avoid Peter's impulsiveness and hastiness in wanting to "glory" in the Lord's transfiguration immediately. Because we must first accompany our Lord in His Lenten Journey. There is no shortcut to our heavenly goal, that is to say, we could not have the Gospel without sacrifice, holiness without prayer, virtue without effort, Communion without Confession, and Easter without Lent. We cannot escape taking our share in carrying Jesus' cross. So we must take upon ourselves  our share of the Lord's suffering and death so that we also will share in His eternal glory.

Let us earnestly pray this Lenten Season to ask God to deepen our faith in His love and His loving plan for us, especially when they do not make sense to us. Let us seek the grace to embrace our crosses and allow them to increase our virtue and to be a channel of God's strength. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!