Second Sunday of Lent: Going up the Mountain

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

On the Second Sunday of Lent, we observe Jesus, with Peter, James and John, going up the mountain (Mt 17:1) where Jesus was transfigured before them. He glowed as the sun, and his garments became white as light, and we hear the Father say:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

"Listen to him," is the command from the Father, directly to us, to obey. This is a direct request from God to all mankind to obey Him. So what is this Sunday all about? It is about saying, "YES Lord, I will do your will!"

Naturally, the Apostles were afraid. Wouldn't you be, if you stood on a mountain, and your friend was transfigured and a voice sounded from the heavens? I would be afraid, too. But Jesus tells them not to be afraid. Similarly, St. (Pope) John Paul II, from the very beginning of his Pontificate, told us all, "Be not afraid." There is no need for us to be afraid of Our Lord, of God; God gives us His love, expressed in healings, of body and soul. God does not withhold His love for any reason. But we, ordinary people, we continue doing things our way, when our way is not always God's way. We, alone, are responsible for the negative experiences we have because we do not trust in God when we should, and we do not listen to the Father.

How does the Father communicate with us? The most obvious answer is by the Word of God, the Scriptures. Holy Scripture is alive, which means that whenever you read from it, the interpretation, the meaning of what you are reading comes clear to us through our prayer life and our attention to the Word. That means that the meaning of what we are reading will become much clearer to us as time goes on. That is the beauty of Holy Scripture.

The Father communicates to us, Franciscans, in other ways. Through the Holy Spirit, the love or communion between the Father and Jesus, influences us to obey the Rule of Saint Francis, that wonderful guideline of Faith and Charity, written by St. Francis of Assisi, because St. Francis was open to the murmurings of the Holy Spirit, when he put pen to paper. If you diligently follow the Rule every day of your life, it will get you to Heaven. So, St. Francis has given up a wonderful gift, and just as we owe our allegiance and obedience to the Father, we are asked to obey St. Francis, who is God's representative on earth.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” May your answer always be: "YES Lord, I will do your will!"

May this Lenten Journey inspire you, and May God bless you, and keep you!

Fred S. Schaeffer, OFS
Feb. 27, 2021