Dear Parishioners,

The focal point of today’s Mass is, as always, the Lord’s Transfiguration. It is placed within our Lenten journey because the Eternal Father points the way to conversion of life:  “Listen to him,” to the Beloved Son; to the Messiah, to Jesus who calls us to repentance and faith.

Listening is not always easy.  It is a discipline. When we hear at Mass or open the Scriptures at home, the Lord speaks to comfort, rebuke, correct, and encourage us. Listening to him is key. Yet, I fear that ours is often a “selective listening.” We may read or hear a passage of the Gospel and think, “That doesn’t apply to me,” or “I know who needs to hear this,” or “That’s impossible, I can’t do that.” A Lenten challenge might be to shed this selective listening and allow the voice of the Jesus to become stronger within us so that his word reaches every corner of our being. Fr. Nouwen writes:  “We tend to present to God only those parts of ourselves with which we feel comfortable…thus our prayer becomes very selective and narrow.” Let’s strive to be less selective and more sensitive to God’s voice."                           

Chè pawasyen,

Pwen santral Lamès jodia, kòm sa toujou ye, se Granmèt la ki chanje figi (trasfigirasyon). Li enskri nan vwayaj Karèm lan paske Bondye papa a montre nou chemen konvèsyon lavi a: « koute l », Pitit gason mwen pi pito a, Mesi a, Jezi ki rele nou pou nou konvèti e pou nou genyen lafwa.

Koute pa toujou fasil. Se yon disiplinn. Lè nou ap koute nan Lamès oubyen lè nou ouvè liv pawòl Bondye a lakay nou, Granmèt la ap pale pou li rekonfòte nou, pou li reprimande nou, korije nou e ankouraje nou. Koute se yon bagay ki esansyèl. Men, mwen krenn “koute nou an pa souvan selektif.” Nou kapab li, oubyen tande yon pasaj nan Levanjil la epi nou panse : « Sa a pa pou mwen», « mwen konnen ki moun ki bezwen tande l» oubyen « se enposib, mwen pa ka fè sa ». Yon nan gwo defi Karèm lan se elimine koute selektif sa a e pèmèt vwa Jezi vini pi fò nan nou dekwa pou pawòl li rive nan chak kwen ki nan nou. P. Nouwen ekri : « Nou genyen tandans prezante bay Bondye pati nou santi nou pi alèz avèk yo nan nou…konsa priyè nou yo vini selektif e etwat. » Ann nou fè efò pou nou mwens selektif epi pi sansib a vwa Granmèt la.