LAITY REFLECTIONS FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A
First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:4-5; 18-19; 20 and 22 (R. 22)
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8b-10
Alleluia: Matthew 17:5
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
 |
| Janet Meriabe Osuide |
Silence is my reflection's watchword.
God still speaks to us.
How many people are silent to hear God speaks in this busy world of ours?
Even in the church, we want to dance till the end of mass. We are in Lenten season, the mass has to be more solemn, but is it like that?
My people in Christ let us learn to be quiet and calm anywhere we find ourselves even in the market places so that, when the Lord speaks to us, we will be ready to take action and understand why he is talking to us, just like father Abraham.
 |
| Kingsley Ogbonna |
MY REFLECTION
My point of focus will be on “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Listening is a conscious act, we have to decide to listen. It is more than hearing. When you listen, you take notice of what someone says and responds / reacts to the person's message. There are also other non verbal means of communication too that we have to take note off.
In the first reading, Abraham listened to God and obeyed what God told him. Obedience is the best way to show you believe in someone.
The take home for me today is to ask myself how good of a listener am I?
Another thing also is who do you listen to? Our world today is filled with noise and confusion that we find it difficult to know who is genuine and also recognize when God is speaking to us. We should try our best to always seek the Lord in sincerity of heart, then we are sure to find him.
Finally, we should listen to God because His words are to be trusted, he is merciful and faithful. We can only enjoy this benefits if we put our hope in God as we have in the responsorial psalm. I encourage us all to listen and trust God in all things, it may not be easy to do this but let us be spurred by the blessed assurance that at the end, we will be victorious. May God help us all, Amen.
 |
| Chiemena Onyia |
MY REFLECTION
God's call and the ultimate reward.
The 3 readings are centered on God's call.
God called Abram and he listened. Likewise, the 2nd reading and the Gospel crowns it all with the Transfiguration when the voice of God said "This is my beloved Son... Listen to him."
A call goes with another action which is the listening aspect. In this period of Lent, this is a call to reflect on our relationship with God. Are we listening to God's call? What are you doing about what the voice of God is saying to you?
God's call and our response to it (listening), usually come with great rewards. Abram was a beneficiary, likewise the disciples.
Are you still sitting on the fence? Take that action today and see Him rewarding you.
Formula: God's call + Action (Listening)= Reward.
Shalom!!!
 |
| Solomon Etsegbe |
MY REFLECTION
In the school of life, there is a purpose: to respond to our calling and to testify for our Lord (Second Reading). We will most likely be persecuted for making Christ known to others, but God promises us his grace.
God had a purpose in asking Abram to leave his father’s house and country (First Reading). Abram could not see it then. However, he had faith and obeyed ‘the word of the Lord’ (Ps. 33:4).
What is God’s purpose for us? Perhaps, to bring up children in the holy fear of God. Maybe to move out of our comfort zone and help in the church or witness for him by living the gospel wherever we are been placed. Possibly to be his faithful priest or religious.
Lent gives us an opportunity to look back and see where we have gone wrong and discern God’s purpose for us and by God’s grace and faith in him, we are set out to fulfil it.
Shalom!!!
 |
| Joseph Stephen |
MY REFLECTION
If we accept that Jesus is our Lord, Saviour and King, we must allow Him to lead us to where we should go. We are no longer in control of our life but we surrender to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
In our day to day decision-making, we pray that Jesus will make His will manifest in us and that we may have the humility and willingness to follow Him.
Like what He did to the apostles, Jesus will surely lead us to a place where we can truly know Him, where we can see the glory of God, and where our life can be transformed.
When the apostles were enveloped by the cloud and witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, they were frightened. Seeing Jesus in His full glory can indeed be terrifying. This is because when we encounter the divine, there is the feeling that one is so small and unworthy before someone who is so great and mighty.
Like Simon Peter when He recognized the divinity of Jesus (Luke 5:8), would we rather say to him, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”?
Yet, even as we are also overwhelmed by our unworthiness of the greatness and goodness of God, Jesus comes to us to say, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
For it is His mission to reunite us with our Father. When we lost our way and we lived in shame and sorrow because we rebelled against God, He sent His only Son to call us back, “come back to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12).
We all want change. We all want to be transformed and yet we find it difficult to do so. May the transfiguration event inspire us to return to Jesus, for He alone can lead us and transform us so we can see His full glory.
