Second Sunday of Lent 2020

My brothers and sisters, I have good news! Today we heard about the Transfiguration of Jesus. This is a glimpse of Jesus coming into his kingdom (Matthew 16:28), and the anticipated vindication of the crucifixion. <1>

From the promise he made to Abraham that he would be father of a host of nations, to raising up Moses in honor of this promise, to the promise of an everlasting kingdom to David’s son, in today’s Gospel Jesus is revealed as the One through whom God fulfills His divine plan. <2>

It is literally such an awe-inspiring moment that Peter doesn’t want to leave. That’s why he offers to build tents for them. Can you blame him?

Have you ever had such an amazing spiritual experience, maybe at mass, or on retreat or a pilgrimage, and you never wanted it to end? Maybe you wished you could live in a bubble of time forever basking in the experience of God’s presence you encountered.

But most of us are called to be in the world, not of it, and certainly not hiding from it. So, like Peter who had to go down off the mountain and follow Jesus to the cross, so too we must return to the world in service to the Good News. <3>

Jesus calls us to these experiences – to mass every Sunday, to daily mass if possible, to adoration, to retreats and on pilgrimages, and especially now through our Lenten observances of praying, fasting and almsgiving. Why? He calls us to these mountaintop experiences to strengthen us. Indeed, like Peter, James and John who heard the voice of God proclaim, “This my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him,” (Matthew 17:5), God speaks to us too, if only we would listen. Every time we go to mass and we hear, “Behold the Lamb of God”, or when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, or when we hear, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,” we are strengthened so that we can come down off the mountain and go out into the world.

Just like experiencing the Transfiguration wasn’t some private revelation, but rather a powerful witness to be shared, so too are we reminded by the Transfiguration that we are called as disciples to go out into the world. Our mission is twofold: to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone we encounter, especially those nones (those who claim “none” as their religious affiliation on surveys) – we are called to those wandering lost in the world who seem so anxious, so unsettled, and so lonely. But we don’t do this alone. We do this through our communities. So, the other part of our mission is be an active member of our communities. We need to intentionally support our leaders to form our Christian communities because those are the places that anchor us in the turbulent sea of this modern world.

Homework! Nourished by the Word of God and by the Eucharist, I ask you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

Jesus led Peter, James, and John high up a mountain by themselves. How often do I take time to be with the Lord like in prayer, mass, adoration, retreat or pilgrimage? What distracts me from time with the Lord?
They came down from the mountain. How do I share the graces I receive from my mountaintop experiences like prayer, mass, adoration, retreat or pilgrimage? How do I help build up my spiritual community?

I think doing our homework this week will help all of us as disciples think about what God wants us to do with the blessings we receive on the mountaintop with our communities and with the people we encounter each and every day. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Notes:
<1> Montague, George T., Companion God: A Cross-Cultural Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, New York: Paulist Press, 1989, page 189.
<2> Hahn, Scott. Email, “Listen to Him: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Second Sunday of Lent,” 2 March 2020.
<3> “Mass Reading & Meditation for March 8, 2020,” Word Among Us, https://wau.org/meditations/ (accessed 2 March 2020).

References:

Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2010.
Montague, George T. First and Second Timothy, Titus. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008.
The Bible: A Study Bible freshly translated by Nicholas King. Buxhall, Suffolk UK: Kevin Mayhew, 2013.

Catechism References: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

Son of God, 444
Transfiguration, 554-56, 568
Predestination, 600, 2012
God’s promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ, 706
Jesus conquered death, 1019
The call to holiness, 2012-2114, 2028, 2813

Second Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 25
Mass Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030820.cfm

First Reading
Genesis 12:1-4A
The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him.

Responsorial
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22.
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Second Reading
2 Timothy 1:8B-10
Beloved:
Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.

Verse Before the Gospel
Matthew 17:5
From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, hear him.

Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

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