2nd Sunday of Lent (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: We are saved by our faith in Jesus, God’s chosen Son.
Theme: Our faith in Jesus, God’s chosen Son, brings us to listen to Him to transform our life.
Promise: “He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body.” (Phil 3:21a)
Reflection:
The transfiguration of Jesus at Mt. Tabor gave His disciples a foretaste of the glory of His resurrection, a glimpse of heaven on earth. Beyond the suffering and death of Jesus, resurrection is the triumph of light over darkness, hope over despair, holiness over sinfulness. As we enter the Lenten season, for us Christians, the transfiguration event reminds us to obey God’s command to listen to His chosen Son (cf. Lk 9:35), and be always guided by His word. Some of us had our own “transfiguration” experience in our LSS and encounters when we felt God’s strong presence that led us to start our own transformation journey. Have our attitude and action become reflective of a true disciple of the Lord? Have we sustained our commitment to remain as worthy children of God? Have our priorities become God-centered? Would God be pleased with us, just as He declared how pleased He is with His Son, who was humble and obedient unto death, even the death of the cross?
Like Jesus, we need to learn to carry our own crosses and pass the “narrow gate” to be worthy to be called His true followers. We must realize that the way to the Heavenly Father is to join our own sufferings with that of Jesus, and fix our eyes on the transfigured Christ, to be inspired by His glory, in our walk to holiness. We are threading the right path if we only follow, obey and stand firm in the Lord, faithfully obeying His word. As we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, the word of God should convict and change us to become spiritually mature and alive. Our life should manifest a difference from being sinful and barren to being fruitful, allowing us to be grateful for all good things that God has given and the spiritual transformation we have undergone and are still going through.
Lent is a good time to listen to God who speaks in the depths of our heart, as we surrender ourselves to His ways and thoughts. Listening to God is a deliberate action to focus our mind, heart and will to His voice in quietness and solitude, shut off from the noise and chaos of the world. God’s voice can also be felt in the gathering of His people where the gifts of the Spirit are active, in worship where we feel God’s presence in prayers and songs, in Holy Mass when we celebrate the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist, in the community where we experience the care and counsel of our brothers and sisters. Through prayer we come closer to God as prayer is our lifeline to Him. It is during our deep prayer time, meditation and reflection that God speaks to us and we respond to Him.
Listening to what God is telling us should be our way of life. It is to be able to know, understand and do whatever He tells us. He is giving us a command to listen to His Son, whose life, character and heart we must imitate. We are called to be witnesses to God’s presence in our life, how we have been changed by His transforming and healing love. We are called to love our neighbors, to bring justice and compassion to the poor, to save the last, the least and the lost in the name of Jesus Christ.
As Jesus allowed His disciples to see Him in His glorious state, we are also invited and given the opportunity to see the Father’s glory. After all, as St. Paul tells the Philippians, “our citizenship is in heaven…” (Phil 3:20). But we must choose the righteous path and closely follow the commands of the Lord, doing God’s will in humility, obedience and perseverance. Our names will be written in heaven, and if we allow our life to be transformed by God’s grace, we will attain the glorious promise of the Lord, “He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body,” (Phil 3:21a).
Prayer:
O Lord, I yearn to hear Your voice as I open my heart to You. You know all the things that prevent me from focusing on You, worldly voices that disturb me, lies and deception that sways me from Your truth. Forgive me for the times that I have been lukewarm and negligent in listening to You. Lord, I want to love You with a burning desire to hear You speak to me. Help me rebuke the many distractions in life so that nothing will ever compete with Your gentle voice. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What are the things you prioritize which compete in your attention for God? What are the areas in your life right now which distract you from growing in holiness?
- Over the past months, how would you describe your prayer life and reflection on the word of God in the Holy Bible? What is your resolution during Lent to improve your prayer life?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
March 13, 2022 (Sun) – Gn 15:5-12, 17, 18/ Ps 27:1-9, 13, 14/ Phil 3:17-4:1/ Lk 9:28-36
March 14, 2022 (Mon) – Dn 9:4-10/ Ps 79:8, 9, 11, 13/ Lk 6:36-38
March 15, 2022 (Tue) – Is 1:10, 16-20/ Ps 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23/ Mt 23:1-12
March 16, 2022 (Wed) – Jer 18:18-20/ Ps 31:5-6, 14-16/ Mt 20:17-28
March 17, 2022 (Thu) – Jer 17:5-10/ Ps 1:1-4, 6/ Lk 16:19-31
March 18, 2022 (Fri) – Gn 37:3-4, 12, 13, 17-28/ Ps 105:16-21/ Mt 21:33-43, 45-46
March 19, 2022 (Sat) – 2 Sm 7:4, 5, 12-1416/ Ps 89:2, 3, 4, 5, 27, 29/ Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22/ Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
