Second Sunday in Lent
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mt 11:28-29).
The Lord invites us to find peace and joy in Him this Sabbath as we set aside time to worship and rest.
“Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God.”
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat”, which literally means “to stop.” Keeping holy the Sabbath is not just a commandment, but an invitation. An invitation from the Lord to stop our work, stop our worrying, stop our striving. An opportunity to fid rest and to be renewed. A chance to refocus on the things that truly matter - the Lord, family, community. In our culture, Sunday has become a day to “catch up” on everything that didn’t get done during the week, and any time left over is often seen as an opportunity just to “get ahead” for next week. But we Christians have a chance now to remember what it means to keep the Sabbath. During this pandemic the Lord is calling us back to Himself, offering us a chance to reclaim the gift of the Sabbath, reminding us again what it means to “keep it holy.”
A basic principle for observing the Sabbath is only to do things that can be considered “rest” or “worship”. Here are a few ideas to consider to begin more to enter into the Sabbath. Maybe pick just one thing to focus on this Sunday, then next Sunday keep that practice in addition to a second one. And then the next Sunday add a third, to slowly over time begin to enter into this great gift of the Sabbath more and more.
Keep the Lord at the center - read the Mass readings ahead of time, participate in Mass, make more time for prayer, spend some extra time in silence focusing on the Lord
Try not to work - resist the urge to check your email, or catch up on a few things, and leave it for Monday
Plan ahead - take care of what needs to be done before Sunday, so plan the rest of your week to make sure you get the laundry done, have gone grocery shopping, etc.so you don’t have to do any of it on Sunday
Spend the day “screen free” - try to stay off social media, internet news, and your phone as much as possible. If you can’t make it the whole day try to go for at least a few hours
Be intentional with others - if you live with others (ie. family, roommates), is there something you can do together like play a game or go on a hike? If you live alone, can you reach out to a good friend and catch up?
Leisure, not entertainment - try to do things that are life giving; binge-watching a favorite show or playing video games for hours rarely leaves anyone with a new zeal for life. Read a good book, go on a long walk, develop a hobby.
PARTICIPATE
“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Each Sunday we are called to “keep holy the Sabbath” and although that may look different for right now we will still come together as a St. Ann community through the gift of technology.
MASS READINGS
GIVING
Take a few minutes to give to St. Ann Parish. Please give generously and sacrificially as an act of faith during these difficult times. You can give online:
After giving, offer ways to be generous of your whole self during this trying time for our world.
“Each must do as already determined without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.”
PROCESS
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them” (Mark 9:2).
We find a peculiar description in this week’s gospel recounting the scene of the transfiguration. We hear that “Jesus took Peter, James, and John” with Him and “led them up a high mountain apart by themselves” (Mark 9:2). What is interesting is that they climb the mountain together and yet they are described as being “apart by themselves”. The moment of the Transfiguration in the gospels has often been described by Pope Benedict XVI as a “prayer event” (Jesus of Nazareth, p.310); and the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that, “Jesus often draws apart to pray in solitude, on a mountain … He includes all men in his prayer” (CCC 2602). The details Mark uses to describe the ascent where the apostles with Jesus are together and yet “apart by themselves” makes more sense when seen from this view. This seemingly insignificant phrase shows us that to encounter Jesus in the transfiguration we must also be apart by ourselves and find solitude.
Mingled in the subtlety of the words is the principle that the solitude needed for prayer is not isolation. The apostles are with Jesus in this event and they are near one another as well; they are close to Christ and therefore closer to one another. Often we get the terms isolation and solitude mixed up. The absence of others in activity is not solitude. Watching shows, scrolling through social media, or playing video games, while possibly being enjoyable and not evil in themselves, fit more in the category of isolation. As John Mark Comer appropriately defines it, “Solitude is engagement; isolation is escape” (The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry p.134). To be in solitude, as we see in the Gospel, does not mean to be completely alone but “to be” with Jesus and to rest in His presence and His love. The solitude in which we pray is in many ways an imitation of Elijah and Moses in the scene who were “conversing with Jesus” (Mark 9:4). Coming into this dialogue with Jesus requires that we first take time to slow down and become aware of the presence of God who is with us “at every time and in every place” (CCC 1).
Then, shrouded in the cloud of the Holy Spirit, the voice of God the Father like lightning struck the heart of the apostles with such thunder that it reverberates down to us today with the words, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). At some point, we too ought to allow these words to strike us to stillness so that we can look up and peer above the frenetic activity that we inevitably allow ourselves to be swept into, and in solitude allow our mind, our body, our breath, our heart, our vision and the sole activity of our entire being to abide with “Jesus alone” (Mark 9:8). One of the most powerfully unique displays of glory in the Gospels is the Transfiguration. At the pinnacle of the Transfiguration, Jesus opens to His disciples access to the elevation of His prayer with the Father, and shows them where His strength comes from. This revelation is an invitation for us to take time to rise above the hectic speed of the day and enter into time with God. Here in this breathtaking experience, Peter, James, and John were shown the incredible power that comes from being “apart by themselves” in solitude with Jesus.
Practice
This week, take time to be alone with Jesus. There are many ways to practice solitude: observe silence as you drive, don’t look at your phone when you are eating, listen to a piece of music intentionally, eliminate all unnecessary multitasking.
So many times we think that we need to work hard, do more, speed things up. Perhaps God is actually asking us to pray intentionally, do less, and slow things down. St. Paul asks, "Will he not also give us everything else along with him?" (Romans 8:32). We must ask ourselves this question: if we seek the presence of God in solitude, will He not give us Himself but also many other things as well?
Solitude can seem very daunting at first - it can certainly be a sacrifice. God calls us to be ready to make this sacrifice, just as He asked Abraham to be prepared to sacrifice his son. We can know from the sacrifice of Abraham that although God asks us to make challenging sacrifices, He will be with us, and He will provide what we need.
Let us remember that we are human beings, not human “doings”. Peter wanted to do something, instead of engaging with what God was doing. Let’s spend time with Jesus in solitude and disengage from the busy world for a moment in order to re-engage with what God is doing in our lives. Perhaps this time alone with Jesus will allow us to remember that we are His beloved child with whom He is well pleased.
Discussion Questions
Think about how you can continue to reflect on God’s word to you this week, and how you can invite others into the conversation. You can use the questions below for personal reflection, or to grow with others. Be creative! You could consider gathering with friends and family, or starting a group text, or a group FaceTime, to discuss the questions below.
What stands out to you from the readings this week? What might God be speaking to you at this time?
Were you able to examine your conscience and perhaps receive Reconciliation? If not, when might you be able to receive Reconciliation this Lent?
We know that when Elijah and Moses appeared, they were “conversing with Jesus” (Mark 9:4). What do you think they were talking about?
Why do you think solitude is so difficult especially in our times?
Our last pre-pandemic Mass was this day in 2020. How has this time been for you: have you cultivated a fruitful solitude during this year? How can you begin or continue to have fruitful solitude in your life?
What do we value more than the Lord? Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved son - what are we willing to sacrifice? Are we more like Peter who wants to stay on the mountain? Where do we choose comfort and what is easy over the Lord?
Fasting is one of the ways we can sacrifice. On March 3 we will be talking about fasting in depth - a perfect topic for Lent! Would you be willing and able to join us either in person or online for Cultivate at 7 pm Wednesday March 3?