Hearing of the mountain top experience of the apostles, Peter, James and John from the Gospel community of Mark for the Second Sunday of Lent, we might be challenged by the words they heard from God, “This is by beloved Son, Listen to him.”  At all time, but especially during this Lenten time, we should listen to Jesus as we encounter him in our prayer life when we meditate on the Holy Scriptures.
 
A practice during Lent that we might adopt would be to spend time with the Sunday reading for the entire week, reading it daily to gain a deeper appreciation for what is being shared with us.  For this week it is Mark 9: 2-10. Listening to Jesus requires that we set aside time to do so.  Listening to Jesus as he speaks to us is our hearts can be prompted by our reading of Scripture on a daily basis.  This kind of Lenten practice can transform us.  We can grow in our relationship with God through Jesus and share that transformation with others through our love for others.  
 
     

​We know that life is different now and will remain so for the coming time. Moving forward into a new reality has not caught up with us yet. How do we navigate this change in our daily lives? Deep down we know that it will be a long time before the normal that we knew will once again be a reality and actually it might never be. Life has changed.
It seems that as Christians, we can move forward by not taking our relationship with Jesus Christ for granted, just as we no longer take our lives for granted or our relationships with others for granted. We need to listen to what he teaches us by our attention to prayer, reading of the Scriptures, attendance at Mass, either online or in person, always staying focused on the one who teaches us with authority. As we move on a new path for the future, let us be committed to the one who reveals to us the great love God has for us. If we do this, we can bring love to others as we build the Kingdom of God on earth.