Last Sunday, we journeyed into the wilderness, where we were challenged to pursue transformation, reparation, and a renewal of life. This Second Sunday of Lent, we are invited to ascend the mountain-top—moving from the wilderness experience to the mountain-top experience, and from facing temptation to witnessing the Transfiguration. This is a movement from struggle to revelation.
Lent invites us to go deeper, to take a moment of silence, to reflect more profoundly, and to respond to the call of God more faithfully.
In our first reading, we recount how God called Abraham, making a promise and saying: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” Abraham responded with faith and trust. This mirrors our own response to God’s call: leaving behind the familiar and trusting in His promise. Lent challenges us—just as God challenged Abraham—to step out in faith, leave our comfort zones, shed old habits, and fully entrust our lives to God, believing He is leading us toward something new.
In the Gospel, Jesus leads His disciples Peter, James, and John to the mountain-top to witness His Transfiguration. His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become dazzling white. With Moses and Elijah by His side, a voice from the cloud declares: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”At that moment, Jesus reveals His divine glory. Though His disciples are overwhelmed, Jesus reassures them: “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
This season of Lent invites us to heed God’s call and encourages us to seek His presence, which leads to moments of true transformation. This is a journey of both letting go of what is sinful and holding onto our faith and trust in God. We no longer fear what lies ahead as long as we allow God to lead us. Both Abraham and the disciples listened to God’s voice and followed, even when the path was uncertain. We are invited to do the same. Discerning what needs to change in our lives leads us to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God through Jesus.
As we continue our Lenten journey, let us also join in prayer for our brothers and sisters in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) who have already been baptized and are preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. As they look forward to full communion with the Catholic Church, may they feel the warmth of God’s loving mercy and forgiveness. May this season of Lent be a time when the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation fills the hearts of these candidates, renewing their minds and transforming them according to the ways of God. Together, let us proclaim our responsorial Psalm: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”