Prayfor2

Lord it is good that we are here.

We reflect today on the Gospel of Mark for second Sunday of Lent, which features the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus.

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Eli'jah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah." He did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."

The more we encounter scripture, the more lines we may have overlooked emerge like wood grain after a coat of stain. Awestruck by the majesty of Jesus being physically transfigured, Peter says “Lord, it is good that we are here.”

Can you picture some of your favorite times with friends, maybe enjoying a glass of wine, laughing together, and mentally stepping back and relishing the moment?

It is very much how we should encounter Mass – together as the body of Christ, transcending space and time to be made present again at the last supper, at the foot of the cross at Calvary and at the empty tomb. Lord, it is good that we are here!

We are family. God adopts us as family through a covenantal promise, and covenant is the theme of the daily readings for the first Sunday in Lent.

God sets the stage, speaking to Noah after the flood in Genesis 9.

“"Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."

David, the writer of the psalms, picks up on our response in the prayer of Psalm 25, saying, ‘Your ways oh Lord are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.”

He prays to God for guidance in holding up our end of the bargain, “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.”

God, in His grace, always initiates the relationship with us, as He did with the covenant with Noah. God is the hound of heaven, ever at our heels, but He doesn’t force Himself upon us. Love must be freely given and freely received, or else it is coercion. We are free to accept or reject his invitation.

Father of grace and mercy – you shine your light into our hearts with the covenantal promise of adoption into your family. Help us to know and accept your ways; teach us your paths. May we cherish that we are family. Amen

Lent focuses us on three primary elements – prayer, fasting and almsgiving, or charity. In the readings for the first week of Lent, there is a focus on fasting, and in particular, our spirit of fasting. Listen to God speaking in Friday’s reading from Isaiah 58

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.”

Why do we fast? I’ll never forget an evangelical friend of mine going through RCIA and being introduced to the idea of fasting. He quickly realized, “I am really good to myself.”

In our culture, we rarely think to deny ourselves anything. And yet it’s probably more important now with so much available to us. Jesus asks us to take on his sacrificial nature and fasting helps us exercise and develop that faculty.

Let’s pray – Father of grace and mercy, help the spirit of our fasting by uniting our hearts to the sacred heart of Jesus and His sacrificial love. Amen.

Ash Wednesday begins our 40 day season of Lent. We reflect on various themes through the daily Mass readings, one of the greatest yet most underappreciated gifts of the Church

Today let’s reflect on the word, “repent,” which means, “to turn away from.” We hear it as we receive the ashes, “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

Repentance acknowledges in humility that we don’t have it all figured out, and that we occasionally fall short of who we were designed to be. But rather than sweep it under the rug, we are challenged to take responsibility and work to correct it.

Unfortunately, it can be one of those fire and brimstone words that cause many of us recoil. But I want to challenge you to hear it in a much more loving tone – that of a parent gently imploring a wayward child back on to the path.

Listen to how our loving Father communicates this yearning in today’s first reading from Joel.

"Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.”

Take a moment now to pause and listen for your beating heart.

Know that nothing short of love itself enlivens your very being and wants nothing but the best for you. And this loving parent is inviting you to turn around, own your sins, and be welcomed back into His loving embrace.