Awakened by Jesus

Lent is a good time be awakened by Jesus Christ. The Gospel readings for the Second and Third Sundays in Lent highlight powerful “pauses” with the divine word, as the threads the Old Testament covenants are woven to fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the fount of living water. 

Listen to him (Lk 9:28-36)

Our senses awaken to the revelation of God: father, son and Holy Spirit on the mountain where Jesus, accompanied by St. Peter, St. James and St. John “went up to pray.” This was no ordinary “prayer time” for the three apostles. We read that as Jesus prayed his physical appearance dramatically changed as did his clothes, described as “dazzling white.” Jesus’ full glory. Completely awakened, the three apostles witnessed Jesus speaking to Moses, through whom the law was given, the great intercessor, and Elijah, the great prophet. They spoke with Jesus about the exodus “he was going to accomplish.” 

Moses led the exodus of the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and through the desert for 40 years. Elijah, hundreds of years later, called the Israelites out of the darkness of sin to conversion, to repent from idolatry, and to return to the one true God. Now Moses and Elijah fully understand “who” is the one to accomplish God’s plan of salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “But only on the mountain of the Transfiguration will Moses and Elijah behold the unveiled face of him whom they sought; the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (shines in the face of Christ, crucified and risen)” (Para# 2583).

The light of knowledge of the glory of God in Christ’s face is something to embrace. How does one gain such knowledge? Prayer. Prayer. Prayer. A life of prayer is a life with God. “Through his word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: “Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words but on the fervor of our souls” (Catechism para# 2700).

Moses and Elijah spoke to God, who revealed himself to them during their lifetime. They followed God’s will and fully trusted his ways. They “listened to him.” For us, to hear the word of God is to grow in knowledge of God’s glory as we gaze upon the face of Jesus. We pray out loud. We meditate. We contemplate. We listen to God in our heart. To hear the voice of God, we must follow Jesus closely, very closely. Then we turn and pray together, in community, in family, as one in Christ. 

Hope

With prayer comes hope. St Paul writes that “hope does not disappoint,” since God’s love is present by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5-8). “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism para# 1817). Hope is what the Samaritan woman at the well had residing deep in her heart (Jn 4:5-42). The account of the woman at the well found in St. John’s Gospel is worth a holy hour or two of meditation. We know the story. She comes to the well at midday, an unlikely time because of the heat. She, scorned by others because of her lifestyle, was alone. She encounters Jesus, who talks with her, asks her for water because he is thirsty.  He is thirsty for souls. She listens to him, drawn into the dialogue. He offers her “water” for eternal life, which she asks for. He knows her lifestyle, points it out to her, and she begins to respond to him. She shows her hope in the coming of the Christ. He says “I am he, the one, speaking to you.” 

Listening. Responding. Receiving. Revealing. Encountering the Christ. 

We too thirst. There is an unquenchable thirst in us that only Jesus Christ may satisfy. We cannot fill our cups, our vessels, alone. We need God: father, son and Holy Spirit, to fill us to the brim. St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes “The man who is wise, therefore, will see his life as more like a reservoir than a canal. The canal simultaneously pours out what it receives; the reservoir retains the water till it is filled, then discharges the overflow without loss to itself. Today there are many in the church who act like canals, the reservoirs are far too rare ... You too must learn to await this fullness before pouring out your gifts, do not try to be more generous than God.”

Am I reservoir for Christ or a canal, draining and running empty? Do I speak before I listen? Am I impatient before trusting in God? Am I fetching water for Jesus or am I allowing Jesus to provide all that I need? Am I awakened by Jesus? Does my life radiate Christ? 

Lent is, again, a good season, for a holy pause, to ponder, to pray, to listen, to be awakened by Jesus.

During this time, we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph. May our devotion to Christ Jesus, with humble hearts, imitate St. Joseph, guardian and protector of the universal church. Amen

Resources for Lent may be found at diobr.org/lent

Dow is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.