By Fr. Andrew Kelly
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT – MARCH 16
Ideally, the Sunday worship of the believing community is as mystical and awesome as Sunday’s Gospel transfiguration story (Matthew 17:1-9). Through Jesus’ word, body and blood, the community is swept up into the embrace of the luminous radiant risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
Hopefully, the community is as stirred and overwhelmed as were Peter, James and John. It is understandable why the community along with Peter, James and John would want to hold onto this mountain experience of divine revelation.
But the voice in the overshadowing cloud offers only one option: “…listen to him!” This means listening to Jesus off the mountain, in the ordinary pleasant and unpleasant experiences of everyday life. It means listening to Jesus as the community hangs with Jesus on the cross.
“But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.” If this image is emblazoned in the community’s mind, heart and soul, listening to Jesus becomes a real possibility in the community’s life.
All the way from the transfiguring mountain to the mangled crucified Jesus, the community is never abandoned: “…they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.”
(Father Andrew Kelly is a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport.)
Scripture Readings for March 16-23
Sunday
Gn 12:1-4a
2 Tim 1:8b-10
Mt 17:1-9
Monday
Dn 9:4b-10
Lk 6:36-38
Tuesday
Is 1:10, 16-20
Mt 23:1-12
Wednesday
2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a
Thursday
Jer 17:5-10
Lk 16:19-31
Friday
Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Mt 21:33-43, 45-46
Saturday
Mi 7:14-15, 18-20
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Sunday
Ex 17:3-7
Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
Jn 4:5-42 or Jn 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
