“This is my Son, whom I love; listen to him!”
This Sunday’s teaching helps us understand why Jesus taught his disciples to be persistent in prayer. Prayer is to be in the presence of the Lord and listen to him while at the same time talking to him.
On the first Sunday of Lent, Jesus is in the desert, fasting to be fully awake while listening to his Father and make sure he remains faithful in doing his will. On this second Sunday, God shows Peter, James and John the glory Jesus shares with Him and which he will get back after his mission on earth is completed. The devil who tried to make Jesus walk away from doing the Father’s will; the same who made Adam and Eve to listen to him instead of being faithful to God’s will, is the same who in today’s gospel, is behind Peter telling to Jesus: “Lord, it is good to be here. If you wish, let us stay here.” By staying there, Jesus would not have to go the passion and all that was awaiting him in Jerusalem.
So now we understand the next sentence of the gospel:” While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Adam and Eve fell and lost the glory and luster they had living in God’s presence and friendship because they did not listen. Peter will go to the point of denying Jesus, because he did not listen. Human beings fall into sin every day, because they do not listen. Even those who listen are not completely safe, because the devil, like a prowling lion, is behind each one of us, trying to find whoever lacks prudence, or does not rely on prayer or is too proud or lacks temperance, and make him deviate and fall in his snares.
The devil is real, he is trying harder than ever to get as many as possible to deny Jesus, to renounce their faith. He is driving some people to take part of the truth and to live part of it aside. The time of the great apostasy is here. More and more will leave the true church of Jesus and adopt other faiths or become agnostic or atheists. Satan is working harder than ever to divide in order to reign. May we use this Lenten season to amend our lives, to devote more time to prayer, to adoration, and to practice the works of charity. But most of all, let us on Fridays and especially on Good Friday, be faithful in observing the practice of abstinence and fast, remembering the advice of Jesus to his disciples: “some kinds of devils you get rid of only by prayer and fasting.”
And more importantly let us be always listening, let us be always open, ready to obey, to put into practice, to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. In any situation, let us listen to others while being attentive to the Spirit of the living God and answer the way Jesus would, so that in all things, we may give glory to God, in order that he may find delight in each one of us, and say about us what he said about Jesus: “ This is my son/daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”