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February 26, 2021In the Gospel for this Second Sunday in Lent we hear how Peter, James, and John witness Jesus' transfiguration. But they themselves also undergo a transfiguration. Some change occurs within them, so they are able to hear God's voice announcing Jesus' identity (“'beloved Son”) and the clear terms of their own discipleship (“listen to him”). Lent is meant to be our time of transfiguration. What change needs to occur in us so that we grasp the clear terms of our own discipleship? What change needs to occur in us so that we truly listen? As pastor, I rejoice in two groups in our faith community that are actively exploring what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The First is our School for Disciples that meets in the churchyard on Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm. For the past year, we’ve been learning how to pray, learning how to connect with Jesus in a living relationship of love that will lead us to be His missionary disciples in the world. The second group is the Francis Fraternity, and they are already engaged in missionary activity.
The Francis Fraternity meets this Sunday and I find joy in its members. Their mission is to help with the tasks of evangelization and formation in our faith community. And in order to be effective in that mission, they have committed some time each day to connecting with God’s Holy Spirit through prayer, because you can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t tell others how wonderful Jesus is, if you don’t know how wonderful Jesus is in your own life. Anyone is welcome to join us. Besides the time we give to our mission, this is the time we try to give to God:
Spiritual Accountability Plan- Sunday Eucharist
- Sacrament of Reconciliation – at least 2x annually
- One 15-minute daily spiritual exercise – e.g., devotion or rosary, etc.
- One 45-minute weekly spiritual exercise – prayer movement or a daily Mass or Adoration, etc.
- Friday Sacrifice – traditionally abstinence from meat. But it could be abstinence from dessert or the screen or fasting from a meal.
- Monthly Fraternity Meeting with Review of Life
The “Review of Life” is an important part of our monthly meetings. As Americans we are task oriented, but the Review of Life asks us to do something more important. It asks us to look at the “why” of our tasks. It asks us to look at God’s presence in our lives. This means looking back over the month since the last meeting with a serious eye and sharing what we discover about our own interaction with God. It isn’t public confession! It is an attempt to reflect upon our life in order to discern what God is doing, how God is present to us and how is He directing us? An important element of this is not just telling our own story. It’s listening, attentively and humbly, to that of others. The common experience is that as trust builds within the group, the level of self-disclosure grows as well. It is a rare privilege to have a number of spiritual friends who will listen to your deepest longings for God without for a moment passing judgment but who will support you, and above all understand you and remember you in their prayers.
We haven’t quite reached our goal for the Annual Catholic Appeal. Our goal is $30,583. Reaching the goal is important, but so too is participation. Participation – at any welcome amount you choose – affirms that you support our Seminarians, you support Catholic Charities,
and that you support the next generation of Catholics keeping our faith community alive.To those who have already given, I am grateful for your generosity and stewardship. Thank you.
Taking the Gospel Home – With God’s help, how can I transfigure my life this Lent? How can I connect (listen) with Jesus this Lent to let the grace of God’s transfiguration take root in my life?