It may seem odd to hear the Gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus during Lent. Wouldn’t it fit better after Easter? After all, the disciples who witnessed it did not tell anyone else about it until after the Resurrection (Matthew 17:9). An answer is found a few verses after our Gospel selection. Jesus tells the disciples that he will suffer (Matthew 17:12).  The vision of Jesus’ glory shared by Peter, James, and John was meant to help them not to become discouraged by Jesus’ death on the cross.

The story encourages us during the long season of Lent to be faithful to our prayers, our Lenten sacrifices, and our charity because we have seen a glimpse of the glory that is coming. Some of the details in the Gospel can help us understand.

First, we hear about Jesus’ appearance, that “his face shone like the sun” (Matthew 17:2). Just as we can’t look directly at the sun, so people thought that if they looked at the face of God they would die. If the disciples didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God before, they surely did now. For us this can be a reminder that God is with us during this season of Lent, helping our faith to grow.

Next, the three disciples see Moses and Elijah, who were signs that Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets. But when Peter tries to keep them around by offering to set up tents for them, the voice of God interrupts. God tells them that now they should listen to Jesus. The Gospel tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus throughout Lent. Do we grumble about Lent, seeing it as another set of laws to be obeyed? Perhaps we’re forgetting that Lent is not about how much we do for God, but a time to reflect on what God has done for us.

The last line of the Gospel has Jesus admonishing the three not to tell anyone about their vision until after his resurrection. Maybe the disciples were tempted to brag that they were better than the other followers of Jesus. This reminds us that the sacrifices of Lent don’t just make us look holy; they lead us to the new life of Easter.        -Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications

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SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL (1858-1955) – March 3                          

Born into Philadelphia society, Katharine was an infant when she lost her mother. Her father remarried and the couple taught their daughters that their wealth was a “gift on loan” to be shared with the poor, whom they fed and cared for in their home. Invited by priest-friends to witness firsthand the destitution on Native American reservations, Katharine resolved to devote her inheritance to this apostolate and enter a contemplative order. When, however, in private audience, she begged Leo XIII to send missionaries to staff the schools she was building, the pope replied, “My child, why not become a missionary yourself?” Katharine renounced a twenty-million-dollar fortune and founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, adoring Christ present in the Eucharist and ministering to Christ suffering in victims of racial discrimination. Her Sisters established over sixty schools nationwide, including Xavier University in New Orleans, the first dedicated to professional education for African Americans. In 2000, John Paul II canonized “Mother Drexel,” praising her “excellent example of practical charity and generous solidarity with the less fortunate, long the distinguishing mark of

American Catholics.” —Peter Scagnelli, Diocesan Publications

 

CRUX: Lenten Meditations with Deacon Mike and MJ.
Tuesday evenings at 6:30 or Thursday afternoons at 3:30
               Adoration in the Historic Church
Every Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
               Stations of the Cross – Every Friday after 5:30 Mass
               Meatless Soup Supper – Every Friday after Stations in the Family Life Center.  A reminder that all Fridays of Lent are obligatory days of abstinence (no meat) for Catholics from age 14 until age 59.

Lent doesn’t require hours of extra time to be meaningful!
Give God your heart and he will transform it with his love.

Lent Questions and Answers: How can we explain our Lenten practice of fasting and abstaining from eating meat? Fasting is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and New Testament. Christ expected his disciples to fast (Mt 9:14-15) and issued instructions for how they should do so (Mt 6:16-18). Catholics follow this pattern by holding a partial fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence from certain foods is also a biblical discipline. In Daniel 10:2-3 we read, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.” Catholics use a practice similar to Daniel’s when, as a way of commemorating Christ’s Crucifixion on a Friday, we abstain from eating meat on the day of that day of the week during Lent. The only kind of flesh we eat on Friday is fish, which is a symbol of Christ.

 

Our annual Lenten Mission Appeal this year will again benefit the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales and their work in South Africa and Namibia. The Sisters are devoted to providing food for poor families. They also teach in schools that are literally run on “mercy,” relying on the prayers and support of good people to continue the work of evangelization and serving humanity as they educate the hearts and minds of young people.

Next weekend (February 28-March 1), we will meet two Sisters from Mt. Aviat Academy in Childs, Maryland, who will remind us about the great need to help the least of our brothers and sisters.  Please consider donating to their order – no gift is too small. This can be done in several ways: (1) Use one of the special envelopes the Sisters will provide for a check or cash given directly to the sisters; (2) Write a check made out to St. Paul’s and put OBLATE SISTERS in the memo line; (3) Give online at www.stpaulsjaxbeach.org. (4) Give directly to the Oblate Sisters at www.oblatesisters.org.

No gift is too small, and the need is so large!