Mass & Directions

Sunday March 17th : 2nd Sunday of Lent

St. Francis Parish | March 19, 2019, 6:04 pm | Reflections

This week we hear from Luke’s Gospel 9:28-36, in the telling of the Transfiguration of Jesus.  “While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah.”  Peter, John and James “had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.” (LK 9:28-32)  Imagine their reaction to seeing their teacher in “his glory”.  What affirmation would that have been that Jesus truly was the Messiah.  If the image of Jesus with Moses and Elijah wasn’t enough, “a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son; listen to him.'” (LK 9:34-35)  One would think that they would never fall into any doubt about the instruction Jesus would give them in their remaining days together.  However, following the Lord’s Supper and until Jesus returns on Easter, the apostles ran away in fear, even denying Jesus altogether. (LK 22:57-60)
How do these Scriptures relate to our lives?  We profess our faith at Mass each Sunday.  We follow each prayer with a proclamation of our belief; “Amen”!  Despite our constant reiteration of our belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, do we proclaim this belief in our actions?  Do we listen to the teachings that Jesus gives us in His Word and apply these to our lives or, like Peter, do we succumb to our own fears and weakness, denying Jesus.  Not allowing him to be a part of our lives in all the times we aren’t “practicing” our faith.  You see brothers and sisters, to be true disciples, we are called to “live” a life of Christ.  Our Faith must be our Life.  It is not something that we choose to merely “practice” occasionally.  It must become part of our daily lives, each moment, through a constant connection with God.  Just as the apostles failed Jesus over and over despite literally walking with him, we cannot allow ourselves to go through a moment without first asking Jesus to be with us.
Let us not only “listen to him”, let his teachings overcome our being.
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