In this Second Sunday of Lent, we hear the powerful call of Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk to a land that I will show you.” Abram does not receive a map, a timeline, or guarantees-only a promise. Yet he goes. That simple act of trust becomes the foundation of salvation history. During these Lenten days, the Lord speaks that same word to us: “Go.” Go from what is comfortable. Go from old habits of sin. Go from self-reliance into deeper trust. Lent is not merely about giving something up; it is about stepping forward in faith. Like Abram, we may not see clearly where the Lord is leading, but we walk by faith because we trust the One who calls us.
In the Gospel, the disciples glimpse the glory of Christ in the Transfiguration. On the mountain, Peter wants to stay-“Lord, it is good that we are here.” Who wouldn’t want to remain in that radiant moment? Yet Jesus leads them back down the mountain, toward Jerusalem and ultimately toward the Cross. The glory they witness is real, but it is inseparable from sacrifice. Lent invites us up the mountain to prayer, to behold the Lord more clearly, so that we may have the strength to follow Him down the mountain into daily life, carrying our crosses with hope. If we listen to Him, as the Father commands, we will discover that beyond every cross lies resurrection, and beyond every act of trust, a deeper share in His glory.
I want to thank the Quilters for their donation to finish the light project. We had a generous parishioner who donated all the supplies and had planned to get it done if timing ever worked out, but the quilters paid for the installation. I thank the anonymous parishioner and the quilters for making this happen: the lights around all the side altars, Pieta, Sacred Heart, Mary, and St. Anthony. This is also the lights behind the stained glass in the vaulted ceiling, called the clerestory. Look up next time you are in Church. Those stained-glass windows have always been there, but they capped off the exterior windows a long time ago because they were all broken. Now with these spotlights behind them we get to see these beautiful windows that add so much to our space.
We also have been working to put glass into the entry doors for increased safety and the door locking mechanisms. As this project gets completed, I am sure there will be kinks to be worked out for locking and unlocking. Soon the Church and Parish Center doors will lock and unlock themselves at set times. As soon as that is all set, I will let you all know and then ask that you don’t do anything with the doors after that time for locking and unlocking. These upgrades will make us all safer and save a lot of time and effort. So many good things happening here at St. Francis and it’s all thanks to you and your generous response to the Lord.
Father Arisman