Lenten Reflection for 2/25
Second Sunday of Lent
Daily Prayer
Dearest Jesus, since God the Father is love, we understand why You embody God’s compassion. Your words are God’s words lifting up the fallen sinner. Your voice is God’s voice of hope calling out to the lost sheep. You spoke the words, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Help us hear Your voice every day. Amen
Scripture Readings
Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Romans 8:31b:34; Mark 9:2-10
(Click for today’s Readings.)
Scripture Quote
Mark 9:7
Then a cloud overshadowed them,
and from the cloud there came a voice,
“This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”
Reflection
The Word of God that we hear on this Second Sunday of Lent speaks to us of the supreme sacrifice both Abraham (in the First Reading) and God (in the Gospel) make for us. Both are willing to sacrifice their “beloved son.”
Abraham is prepared to sacrifice Isaac as a holocaust because God asks him to. But God only wants to know the depth of Abraham’s devotion to him: because Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God intervened, and Isaac was spared. Abraham trusted God and accepted the uncertainty that his Lord proposed to him.
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus is transfigured before His apostles Peter, James and John. Jesus draws them to the glory of the Lord. The apostles hear God’s voice, “This is my beloved Son.” Later Jesus and His apostles follow the road to Jerusalem where first Jesus, and then His apostles follow the test of the cross. God sacrifices His beloved Son for us.
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to share in the glory that is manifested in His Transfiguration. But first we must accept the uncertainty of walking through life surrounded by crosses and insecurities. When Jesus speaks to us about the need to lose, to renounce, to surrender, He is exposing us to those uncertainties that we are going to have to face in our walk on earth. It is a painful path, but hopeful, because our glorification is found in the final goal.
Reflection Questions
Do I trust God as Abraham did? What sacrifices can I make this Lent?
What are some of the uncertainties I have in trying to follow Christ with all the consequences?
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.