Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, March 13, 2022

By Ann O’Connor, Notre Dame Associate

GOSPEL READING – LUKE 9:28b-36

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS

In the Gospel reading, the Transfiguration of Jesus supports the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and the voice saying “listen to him” denotes that Jesus is the messenger of God.

In today’s gospel reading about the Transfiguration, Luke mentions that “Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him” (Luke 9:32). Many times, Jesus acts as a wake-up call to us when we need it most. The Transfiguration was a special event in which God allowed Peter, John, and James to experience His divine glory in a profound way, and it strengthened their faith.

Every day, God makes his presence known to us in several different ways. Some of these signs are more profound than others. It may be a simple act of kindness, the beauty that we see in nature, or an answered prayer. Often, we experience God’s grace when we are least expecting it.

When God reveals himself to us in our daily lives, we are called to act as disciples and live out his message. We are called to open our hearts to those who need it most, to lend a helping hand, and to be good neighbors. For me, that may mean volunteering with the Coalition on Human Trafficking, visiting my mother-in-law in the nursing home or working on social justice issues with the Notre Dame Community. When Jesus is seemingly not present in our lives, we are called to open our eyes and seek him out.

It is important to step back and find God in our busy lives, and sometimes that requires taking a break to slow down to give ourselves the opportunity to be revealed to Him. As we all know, life gets very hectic and if we don’t stop and “listen”, we could miss the signs.