Discussion Questions

First Reading

Genesis 12:1-4a

1. What was Abraham’s response to God’s request? Does this incident relate to your Lenten experience in any way? God called him out of his homeland to start something new. Does God sometimes call you out of your comfort zone or your favorite chair to start something new?

2. God gives Abraham a unique blessing at the start of Abraham’s journey. What would be a “blessing” for you? For whom are you a “blessing”?

Second Reading

2 Timothy 1:8b-10

1. Are we all called to become a living Gospel in the world? Will that involve some hardship? What does Paul’s letter to Timothy say about this? Will it involve some joy?
                                      
2. In this reading what is it that saves us, St. Paul specifies: grace and or our own work? Could it be that both count? Notice where he says, “Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.”

Gospel

Matthew 17:1-9

1. Jesus invited three of his disciples (and us) to gaze at him in his transfiguration. Do you ask yourself every night if you saw Jesus during the day?
                                                  
2. The apostles were in anguish when they heard about Jesus’ upcoming death. Jesus takes them up the mountain with him. At times because of moments of darkness do we need to go up the mountain too? According to Pope Francis, why can’t we stay there?

Thus we need a different outlook, a light that illuminates the mystery of life in depth and helps us to move beyond our paradigms and beyond the criteria of this world. We too are called to climb up the mountain, to contemplate the beauty of the Risen One that enkindles glimmers of light in every fragment of our life and helps us to interpret history beginning with the paschal victory.

…. We cannot remain on the mountain and enjoy the bliss of this encounter on our own. Jesus himself brings us back to the valley, among our brothers and sisters and into daily life. … Going up the mountain does not mean forgetting reality. ...

We are called to experience the encounter with Christ so that, enlightened by his light, we might take it and make it shine everywhere. Igniting little lights in people’s hearts; being little lamps of the Gospel that bear a bit of love and hope: this is the mission of a Christian.

Pope Francis Angelus 2nd Sun of Lent
Feb 28, 2021

Anne Osdieck

**From Saint Louis University