Sunday Inbox Inspirations
2nd Sunday of Lent
Cycle A
March 5, 2023
Three Recommendations
Today I want to make three recommendations.
But before I get into them, I want to explain why I am doing this. And that takes us to today’s gospel.
Transfiguration/Transformation
We hear that Jesus “is transfigured before” three of his apostles.
Instead of the word “transfigured,” we might say transformed. Jesus is seen in a way that he was never seen before.
For the first time, these three apostles see him for who he really is. The passage says that “Moses and Elijah appeared, [talking with Jesus].”
Moses was the great lawgiver. God had given to him the Ten Commandments.
And Elijah was the last of the great prophets. They believed that he would return before the Messiah came.
So, the presence of Moses and Elijah here means that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets – of everything in their Scriptures. That had to be an overwhelming idea for these three apostles.
And then, as if that isn’t enough, there is a voice from the heavens: “This is my beloved Son.”The Almighty One, God himself, confirms that Jesus is special, even unique, his Son, the Son of God.
So, these apostles are now seeing Jesus for who he really is – a person like them, but also a person who is God’s Son; human, and yet in some way also divine. That’s what this transformation of Jesus means.
Transformation of Us
This gospel also calls us to be transformed.
In fact, this is what Lent is all about. This is the positive way to look at Lent – our allowing ourselves to be transformed by God, by Jesus.
This is why Lent calls us to look closely at ourselves and identify our dark sides, our areas of sinfulness. And this takes me back to where I began.
I have three recommendations to assist us in our becoming aware of our imperfections and in asking God’s forgiveness and help. And all of this is for our transformation in Christ.
1st Recommendation: Daily
My first recommendation is that every day, we pray what we usually call an Act of Contrition.
We make this prayer after reflecting on our day or the day before and identifying any time that we did not follow the way of Christ. In this prayer, we ask for forgiveness and for God’s grace to grow and do better.
Many of us learned an Act of Contrition a long time ago and we know it by heart. Some of us prefer to pray this in our own words, and that’s fine too.
In today’s bulletin, and on the website, I have placed two other options for this prayer that come from the Church’s official ritual. My recommendation is that we do this daily, every day, as part of our prayer life.
2nd Recommendation: Weekly
My second recommendation is weekly – that every Sunday, right at the beginning of Mass, in the brief penitential prayer, we bring to God just one thing.
Bring to God the number one thing for which we need forgiveness. The number one habit or area of our lives where we need to grow.
I often suggest that we bring the same thing week after week, probably for months. We do this because you and I change slowly.
Our transformation, unlike Jesus’ on the mountain, is not instant. It takes time.
So, we bring this week after week and hear the words of God’s forgiveness through the priest. And in that, we allow the grace of God to work with us and help us to grow.
3rd Recommendation: Seasonal
My third recommendation is seasonal – that we think about the place of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially during this Season of Lent.
I am using the term Sacrament of Reconciliation and not confession. Many of our theologians see this a more appropriate title for this sacrament.
We name it by what it is intended to do, its purpose, and not by one of its parts. It is about reconciliation with God, with myself, and with others, and my confession is just part of that.
The Church teaches that we have to come to this sacrament only if we are guilty of something serious. Traditionally, we have spoken of mortal sin.
So, something like being unfaithful to our vocation and basic commitment in life. The Church teaches that we are to bring serious things like this to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The Church also encourages us to use the Sacrament for lesser sins. Reconciliation can help us in our overall personal growth.
Now, the choice to do this or the frequency for this is up to us. I am simply encouraging that in this Season of Lent, we put this Sacrament on our radar screen and see if it has a place for us.
Conclusion
So, three recommendations: one daily, one weekly, and one seasonal – and all of them to assist in our being transformed, in our growing more and more in the likeness of Jesus.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
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