2nd Sunday of Lent

THEME: ‘’Attentive Listening” The liturgy of the word for the second Sunday of Lent explores responses to God’s will and commands that challenge conventional beliefs and thought patterns. Embracing God’s enigmatic ways and decrees necessitates careful listening and contemplation, as demonstrated in today’s readings. REFLECTION: The Gospel reading contains Mark’s narrative of the Transfiguration, which took place on a mountaintop, just as the would be sacrifice of Isaac. In biblical stories, mountains are significant for encountering God; they are places of revelation. Accordingly, the Transfiguration story intends to reveal Jesus’ identity, paired with the command to the disciples, “listen to him”. The word “transfiguration” implies the change of form, which Jesus did briefly to demonstrate his true identity to the three disciples present: Peter, James, and John. The story’s core message lies in the threefold affirmation of Jesus’ identity, his mission, and his role as the “voice of God.” First, God’s voice resounds on this mountain, declaring to the disciples that Jesus is his (God’s) beloved Son. This is the explicit and public disclosure and declaration of Jesus’ absolute union with God and his identity, to which they will testify before others in their subsequent mission to the world. Second, Jesus’ mission as the suffering Messiah is affirmed on this mountain. The event occurs at the midpoint of Mark’s Gospel, just as Jesus begins to make his way to Jerusalem and towards his death. Coming down from the mountain, Jesus instructed the disciples not to disclose what they had seen and learned about him until after the resurrection. This means that he fully understood that his mission as the Messiah and the Son of God involved his self-sacrificial death, which the resurrection would follow. Finally, God declares to the disciples that they ought to “listen to him”, that is, to Jesus, God’s son. This command must be interpreted against the presence of Moses, the Lawgiver, and Elijah, the prophet. They represent two modes of God’s communication in the Old Testament; the people of Israel listened to them. Now, the disciples and their followers will listen to Jesus, the new and direct mode of God’s communication, superior to the Law and the prophets. In summary, today’s readings highlight the need for an attentive listening to grasp God’s message and understand his will. Abraham was asked to make an unthinkable sacrifice. He listened and obeyed, thus affirming his faith. Jesus listened to God’s will and heard the cry of humanity. Responding and accepting the mission of salvation, which involved the sacrifice of his life, he manifested the depth of God’s love. The Transfiguration story manifests Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah, with a command to listen to him as the most explicit expression of God’s will for the world. #catholic #gospelreflection #catholicsonline #scripturereadings #gospel #fypシ #youtubeshorts