Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 1 March ‘26
Second Sunday of Lent
Gen 12:1-4a. 2 Tim 1:8b-10. Mt 17:1-9
From Vision to Vocation
This Second Sunday of Lent, the Church gently shifts our attention—from the mountain of temptations to the mountain of transfiguration. Last Sunday, we stood with Jesus in the wilderness, facing hunger, power, and fear. Today, we are invited to climb another mountain, not to struggle, but to behold glory; not to resist the devil, but to listen to the beloved Son. Lent is not only about discipline and denial; it is also about vision and direction.
There is a simple anecdote often told of a traveller who lost his way in the mountains at night. Exhausted and afraid, he sat down, unable to move. At dawn, when the light broke, he discovered that he had been sitting just a few steps away from a steep cliff. What saved him was not his strength, but the coming of light. The Transfiguration is that light. It does not remove the cross ahead, but it shows us where we stand and why we must go on.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. There, before their eyes, he is transfigured. His face shines, his clothes become dazzling white, and the voice from the cloud declares: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” This moment comes at a crucial time. Jesus has already spoken about his suffering and death. The disciples are confused and afraid. The Transfiguration is given not to escape reality, but to prepare them to face it with faith.
The first reading presents another moment of decisive transition. God calls Abram: “Go from your country, your kindred, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Abram is not given a map, only a promise. He is asked to leave what is familiar and to trust in what is unseen. Lent, too, is such a call. It invites us to leave behind habits, attitudes, and securities that keep us comfortable but unfree, and to move toward a future shaped by God’s promise.
From a pastoral point of view, both Abram and the disciples mirror our own Lenten journey. We often want clarity before commitment, certainty before obedience. But God offers light for the next step, not for the whole road. Conversion, therefore, is not a dramatic one-time change; it is a daily choice to trust God a little more than ourselves.
Saint Paul, in the second reading, speaks with great realism and hope. He encourages Timothy not to be ashamed of the Gospel, but to share in suffering for it, relying on God’s grace. He reminds us that salvation is not our achievement, but God’s initiative, revealed fully in Christ Jesus. Lent is not about proving our holiness; it is about allowing God’s grace to transform us.
The Transfiguration also carries a gentle warning. Peter wants to stay on the mountain, to build tents and preserve the moment. But the vision cannot be frozen. Jesus leads them back down the mountain, toward Jerusalem, toward the cross. Spiritual experiences, prayer, retreats, and devotions are precious—but only if they lead us back to life with renewed faith, compassion, and courage.
The voice from heaven gives one clear instruction: “Listen to him.” This is perhaps the heart of Lenten conversion. To listen to Christ amid the noise of our lives; to let his word challenge our prejudices, comfort our fears, and reshape our priorities. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not ends in themselves; they are ways of tuning our hearts to hear his voice more clearly.
As we continue this Lenten journey, the Church invites us to walk with hope. The light of the mountain is not denied to us; it is offered so that we may walk through the valleys of life without losing faith. Like Abram, we are called to move forward in trust. Like the disciples, we are invited to see Christ anew and to follow him more deeply.
Fr Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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