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Reflection on the Second Sunday of Lent

Posted on February 25, 2024, by Elisa Rodriguez SL

“This my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” 

The readings for today all speak of death and life. God orders Abraham to offer his son as sacrifice. Paul teaches the Christian community in Rome how God did not spare his son but handed him over for us all. Jesus speaks of his passion and death with the three disciples. 

What was Jesus trying to bring to the attention of his three disciples? 

What is Jesus trying to bring to our attention on this Second Week of Lent? 

The disciples must have been happy, scared, confused and maybe just very comfortable where they were at the moment. I think that Jesus was preparing them for the battles they would encounter against the kingdom of love and mercy. Perhaps they had not paid attention to how Jesus prepared himself for those difficult battles. Jesus appears with two well-known leaders and prophets Moses and Elijah. Why these two? Moses had a special relationship with God. He trusted that God would keep the promises God made regarding the freeing of the Hebrews from the bondage of Egypt and the return of faith in the covenant they had with God. Moses trusted God. Moses had a very personal relationship with God. I wondered why Elijah was there, so I did a little research in the Book of Kings. Elijah was the “bad news prophet.” He delivered God’s displeasure to tribes that allowed idolatry, and usually the tribes suffered some kind of tribulation. Most of the time their plans did not get to fruition. Elijah trusted God. He was faithful in spite of all his suffering and rejections. Elijah even got a special ride to heaven.

The Transfiguration taught the disciples that Jesus’ death showed them his glory and the Passion leads to the Resurrection. They must learn to trust God. All the pain and sorrow they will encounter in the establishing and bringing to fruition God’s plan for humanity will eventually bring them to their own glory. 

My second question is, “What is Jesus trying to bring to our attention on this Second Sunday of Lent?” 

I believe that as we continue our Lenten journey an appropriate answer is to work on our personal relationship with God. Each and every member of this Community has a relationship with our own unique communication with God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit. However, do we really and truly trust God in our daily lives, with our health, our Community, with our country and with our world. I know that I personally have many suggestions for God of what I don’t agree with. Sometimes God has to give me a very wise and beautiful reminder that God knows best. As our Loretto Community prepares for new leadership, let us ask for that great gift of trust in our hearts. We have so many people in our lives that have given us reasons to learn to trust God. We can thank them for being there for us through the years. They have been beacons of light and love for future generations. Let us now be those beacons to trust that God has marvelous women and men for our future.

Elisa Rodriguez SL

Elisa Rodriguez SL

A longtime educator, Elisa served for many years in Texas, in particular in San Antonio, where she worked for the San Antonio Archdiocese as director of the Office of Hispanic Affairs and Archdiocese co-director, and in El Paso, where she taught school and served as co-vicar for women religious for the El Paso Diocese, director of spirituality programming for Loretto’s El Convento and as administrator and chaplain at Nazareth Hall Nursing Center. She also served for many years as a member of Loretto’s Executive Committee. Elisa now resides at Loretto Motherhouse in Nerinx, Ky., serving the Community there.