February 28, 2026 - Second Sunday of Lent

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

The journey of Lent traces a profound spiritual arc: from ashes on our foreheads, through the wilderness of temptation, toward the radiance of transfiguration. By the 2nd Sunday of Lent, we are no longer at the doorway of the season. The ashes have settled. The initial resolve has met resistance. Now the deeper work begins. Lent is not merely a season of giving things up. It is a pilgrimage of transformation.

We began with ashes — that stark and humbling reminder: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Ashes confront our illusions of control. They strip away pretense. They tell the truth about our fragility. But ashes also tell another truth: we belong to God. In Scripture, ashes are not only a sign of mortality but of repentance and return. They mark the beginning of conversion — not as shame, but as hope. To wear ashes is to admit that we need mercy. It is to step out from self-sufficiency and into grace.

The 2nd Sunday of Lent asks: What have we done with that beginning? Has the sign on our foreheads begun to work its way into our hearts? Every Lent passes through the desert. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where he faced temptation — not only physical hunger, but deeper spiritual distortions: power without sacrifice, glory without suffering, security without trust. Those same temptations echo in us. We are tempted to turn stones into bread — to satisfy every appetite immediately. We are tempted to grasp power or recognition.We are tempted to test God rather than trust Him.

Often, many of us feel the wilderness more keenly. The enthusiasm of the first days fades. Prayer feels dry. Old habits tug at us. We discover that the desert is not just a biblical landscape — it is within us. Yet the wilderness is not punishment. It is purification. In the desert, false attachments are exposed. In the desert, we learn what truly sustains us. In the desert, we discover that “one does not live by bread alone.” As Abraham embarked on the journey of faith, it took him through the landscape of trust in the word of God, walking into the unknown and humanly impossible to achieve goals and aspirations. But the Lent does not end in ashes or desert, or in just pious promises, it moves toward glory.

The Gospel of the Transfiguration shows us Christ radiant with divine light upon the mountain — traditionally identified as Mount Tabor. There, before his chosen disciples, his face shines and his garments become dazzling white. He stands conversing with Moses and Elijah— the Law and the Prophets bearing witness to him, witness to Abraham’s blessings being bestowed upon those who follow his journey of faith. The Transfiguration reveals what is normally hidden. The humanity of Christ is suffused with divine glory. But notice the timing: the Transfiguration occurs on the road to Jerusalem — on the way to the Cross. Glory is not separate from suffering. It shines through it.

For us, the 2nd Sunday of Lent holds this promise: if we remain faithful in the wilderness, if we endure the purifying fire of repentance, we too will glimpse transfiguration. Not as spectacle, but as transformation. And this is the pattern of the Christian life: Ashes, Temptation and Transfiguration. This is not only the structure of Lent — it is the structure of discipleship. We begin in humility, acknowledging our need. We pass through struggle, where our faith is tested and refined. We are drawn toward glory, where God reveals what we are becoming.

The purpose of Lent is not self-improvement. It is participation in Christ’s own journey. The One who entered the desert enters ours. The One who was transfigured desires to transfigure us. The 2nd Sunday invites us to persevere. If your Lent feels dry, stay faithful. If your temptations feel strong, remain steady. If your prayers feel small, continue praying. The ashes are not the end. The desert is not the destination. The mountain of glory awaits — and beyond it, the empty tomb. Lent is leading us somewhere radiant.

God bless everyone always!!!

Fr. Stan