Opening Prayer Series: Collect of 2nd Sunday of Lent

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Lent Year B reads as follows:

Let us pray,

O God who have commanded us to listen to Your Beloved Son,

be pleased, we pray,

 to nourish us inwardly by your word,

 that, with spiritual sight made pure, 

we may rejoice to behold your glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, 

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

One God, for ever and ever.

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged.

1. What stops me listening to Jesus?
2. What is different in my life when I listen to Jesus regularly?
3. How does the word of Jesus nourish me inwardly?
4. How will the word of Jesus nourish me inwardly this coming week?
5. What might it be like to get a glimpse of Heaven for me? How does that glimpse affect my life right now?
6. How is my Lent progressing? What changes do I need to make this coming week to be faithful to the commitment I have made during this Lent? 

Today's Gospel has two aspects to consider as disciples. First we must take up our cross daily and follow Christ, and secondly we receive the glory after the cross has been conquered. We are disciples- and no disciple is greater than His master.  Jesus suffered and died on the cross and on the third day rose from the dead.  However, He gave His disciples hope of future glory in the Transfiguration event.  We too are given hope each time we conquer our cross through the grace of God.  We are given glimpses of future glory in our lives if we become more attuned to them. We need to keep focused on our ultimate goal of Heaven, but be open to transfiguring moments in our lives. These moments give us both light and buoyancy. These moments become a lighthouse for our dark and gray days,beaming light and clarity on the crosses in our lives.

The Gospel of the Transfiguration during Lent gives us a timely reminder of our homeland  and gives us our true goal on earth- hope for future glory with God in Heaven.  This is what we aim for always, and especially during Lent, when the Church invites us to become refocused on our goal. 

I remember when I visited Mount Tabor being initially disappointed with the mountain- it was more like a hill or valley rather than the mountain I had pictured in my mind over the years.  However, I could concur with St Peter 'it is good to be here'' . There was something special being there.

Of course coming down the mountain means that we have to get on with the ordinary things of our lives, but having been there, we were indeed transfigured in some way and hopefully in a better position to hear  God '' You are Son,/daughter the beloved, my favour rests of you."