Second Sunday of Lent

Second Sunday of Lent Reflection
Tina Carter 
Board of Directors and Formation Team Member

Readings: 
Genesis 22:1–2, 9a, 10–13, 15–18  
Psalms 116:10, 15, 16–17, 18–19  
Romans 8:31b–34 
Mark 9:2–10

Ten years ago, we grew butterflies at the library. We found caterpillar eggs on leaves, put them in the cage in the middle of the floor, and for several weeks watched in great awe as the caterpillars ate, grew, shed their skin, and pooped a lot. Some could not shed their skin and died. Others did not come out of their chrysalises and remained frozen in a translucent state. We made sure that the caterpillars had plenty to eat but each journey was theirs to make. Those of us witnessing the miracle did not fully understand what was happening to them but we had to pay attention to their needs. Even then, of the ten caterpillar eggs we started with, only two became butterflies. The two that completed the transformation became new creatures drawing in fresh breath and were then set free to fly out into the beautiful blue sky.

In the readings on this 2nd Sunday of Lent, we are reminded of Abraham's transformation when God asked him to sacrifice his son of promise, Issac. Abraham trusted God so completely even if he did not understand the task, that he prepared to do it. Abraham’s descendants became as numerous as the stars in the sky. He became the patriarch of three religious faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Paul reminds us in the second reading that “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God was willing to sacrifice his only begotten son for our sake. We even see in the gospel reading that Jesus was continuing his preparations for the great sacrifice. Peter, James, and John had the honor of witnessing Jesus talk to the great prophets Elijah and Moses. God knew that Peter, James, and John did not fully grasp the sacrifice Jesus would make on their behalf and ours, but God implored them to listen. They had to listen with their heads and hearts, pay attention to the signs of the times, and take heed when God said to them on that mountaintop “This is my son…listen to him.”   As Jesus was making this transition in his earthly life, Peter, James, and John were also being transformed in their own lives. In the coming weeks, they will experience what faith, trust, and sacrifice look like and whether they are ready to become new creatures that are drawing in fresh breath from the Holy Spirit who is then set free to speak about the freedom they found in Christ.

Transformations are never easy. They require faith, trust, the ability to listen, learn, work, and most importantly, sacrifice the old way of life. Transformation is a choice. The transitions that we make from one point of our lives to the next prepare us for the next leg of our journey. Some may help you through the process, but the transformation is yours and yours alone. There are those who for whatever reason are unable to complete the transformation and revert to an old way of life. Others start and stop many times but can complete the transformation and breathe in fresh breath from the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:2 reminds us to “not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

The choice is yours.