Second Friday of Lent

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to any- one until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him what- ever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”

—Matthew 17:9–12

Because they have not yet witnessed the Resurrection, the disciples are susceptible to drawing the wrong conclusions about Jesus and his mission.

Jesus does not bring about a kingdom of political power but rather a kingdom that restores life and creation to be as God intended. Death and suffering were not part of God’s creation; they entered the world through sin. The Transfiguration points to a restoration and ultimate redemption of all persons and things, what our Christian faith calls “salvation.” God is at work now in our world, but God’s kingdom is not yet complete. Jesus conquered death, and we can confidently trust that death will not have the final word.

Today, pray that God will restore the broken and suffering people of the world. Ask for the healing of relationships you see in your communities and in the media—if not in this life, then in the life to come.

 This reflection from Messages of Trust for Lent, originally published by Ave Maria Press, was reprinted with permission of the authors, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran. For more parish resources, visit https://www.rebuiltparish.com/.

Responsorial psalms are excerpted from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Other scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.