THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
The Church Calendar is soon to change again. From our current season after the Epiphany, we will soon be embarking on the journey of penitence and preparation that we know as Lent. Beginning on Wednesday, Lent was traditionally a time of preparation for baptismal candidates who would be baptised on Easter Sunday. While we may not be looking forward to baptism, we are preparing for the important spiritual exercise of Holy Week, and the Easter season that follows it.
But, before we get there, this Sunday invites us to witness what must have been one of the most beautiful and important experiences for the three disciples that Jesus called to accompany him. Peter, James, and John got a glimpse of the glorified Jesus, and witnessed both the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the affirming voice of God. But what they didn’t realise was that this was a turning point for Jesus. His conversation with the two great Old Testament leaders revealed that he was to fulfil, in himself, everything that the law and the prophets had promised. The voice of God gave Jesus the strength, courage and assurance that the road he was to walk was the right one, no matter what lay ahead. And when everything had returned to normal, Jesus reminded the disciples of what he had already told them—he would die and rise again.
The vision of God’s glory was a gift to Jesus and the disciples to sustain them through the tough trials ahead. Now for us, this last vision of God’s glory, at the end of the season after the Epiphany, is a gift to sustain us through the difficult, but life-giving, work of Lent. In these last few days before Ash Wednesday, why not take some extra time to prepare your heart for what is to come?
To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.
