The readings of this Second Sunday of Lent offer us a very concrete message of hope and commitment. They speak to us of vocation, transformation and mission.
In the first reading, the figure of Abram reminds us that faith is always a call to leave behind our securities and our comfort zone, and to set out on a journey sustained by God’s promise. Saint Paul exhorts us to live the vocation we have received with courage, supported by the grace given to us in Christ Jesus. In the Gospel, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of the Transfiguration, which reminds us that an encounter with the Lord always enlightens our path, strengthens our faith and renews our commitment.
On the mountain, Jesus reveals his glory to three of his disciples —Peter, James and John— and offers them an experience of light that strengthens them to face the journey to Jerusalem and the scandal of the cross. The voice of the Father resounds clearly: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” It is a way of guiding the disciple’s path toward trust and fidelity.
In this Lenten season, we too are invited today to “go up the mountain”, to pause, to contemplate, and to allow ourselves to be transformed by the presence of God. In the midst of a world marked by uncertainty, violence, the suffering of many peoples and the fragility of life, the Transfiguration becomes a call to hope: God does not abandon us; his light continues to shine even in the night.
The experience of the Transfiguration finds a deep echo in the life of our founder, Saint Francisco Coll. He lived in a turbulent time, marked by wars, religious persecution, poverty and social divisions. Yet he did not allow himself to be overcome by fear or discouragement. On the contrary, he knew how to “leave his land”, to read reality with eyes of faith and to respond with evangelical creativity. As a true prophet of peace and hope, he tirelessly proclaimed the Gospel, convinced that education, preaching and closeness to those most in need were privileged paths for transforming the world. He knew how to climb the mountain of prayer and contemplation, and then come down to the plain of history to give his life in the service of others, especially the most disadvantaged. God was the light that guided his path and his dark nights.
Francisco Coll allowed himself to be transfigured by God in order to transfigure the society of his time. From this inner experience sprang his passion for mission, his unreserved self-giving and his firm trust in God’s action, even amid human weakness.
Today, as then, we live in complex times. Wars, forced migrations, the climate crisis, loneliness, poverty, inequality and the loss of a transcendent sense generate fear, weariness and disorientation. In the face of this reality, the word of God and the witness of Saint Francisco Coll invite us to “leave our land”, placing our trust in God, and not to settle into resignation or escape from reality, but rather to lift up our eyes and allow ourselves to be enlightened by the presence of the Lord.
The voice of the Father continues to resound: “Listen to him.” Listening to Jesus today implies commitment and making choices in favour of a culture of encounter, non-violence, justice, care for life and the defence of the dignity of every person.
As he said to the disciples, Jesus says to us: “Get up; do not be afraid.” May this Lenten season help us to deepen our listening to the Word, to renew our inner life and to strengthen our evangelising mission, so that, in the style of Saint Francisco Coll, we may continue to be witnesses of light, peace and hope in our world.
Sr. Gloria Cañada Millán
