We are off to a busy start to the season of Lent! The first weekend of Lent, we had our women’s retreat at St Jude. I really enjoyed spending time with the ladies of our parish, speaking about Ignatian spirituality. Then, this past Monday we had our Lenten opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I had to get up early next day, as early Tuesday morning I flew out to South Bend, Indiana to attend a conference this week on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. I will be back in time for the stations of the cross and our fish fry on Friday evening. Then, this weekend, we have our ALPHA retreat. We have had a wonderful start to Lent so far!
This Sunday’s Gospel presents the Transfiguration. Not only was Jesus transfigured in that event, but the disciples were transformed by what they saw as well. God can come to humanity not only in a thunderous voice from heaven or in words etched on a stone tablet and presented to a great prophet, but God also comes to each one of us in the words and actions of Jesus, in words and actions that are present to us each day in different ways. Jesus leads us down from the mountaintop to the people below – to those mourning the death of a loved one, to the lonely and the afraid, to those coping with an addiction, to those hurting and in pain, to those who are shunned and oppressed, to those looking for meaning in an empty life. The voice from heaven said: “This is my beloved Son:…listen to him.” But we don’t just listen to him with our ears and our intellect. We also listen to him with our hearts.
We have also been talking about forgiveness during Lent as well. We may feel that we are too wounded or too hurt to be at a point where we can forgives, but those of us who are badly wounded are often the ones that most need to forgive or to be forgiven. John Paul II wrote: “The liberating encounter with forgiveness can be experienced even by the a wounded heart, thanks to the healing power of God, who is love.”
We are still in the first part of Lent, so we have a ways to go. May God give us the strength to follow our Lenten disciplines and to see where Jesus is calling us to conversion and renewal during this holy season.
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