Rise and Do Not Be Afraid: The Transfiguration, Zeal, and Sloth | Fr. Will Rooney | 2nd Sunday of Lent

Summary

On the Second Sunday of Lent, the Church gives us the Transfiguration—every year—because we need what the disciples needed: hope. Fr. Will unpacks why Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up the mountain, and how this glimpse of glory strengthens them for the Passion and the “scandal of the Cross.”

From there, the homily connects the Gospel to the Lenten series on the deadly sins, focusing on sloth (acedia): not simply laziness, but a spiritual lethargy that comes from forgetting what we were made for. When we lose sight of heaven, we grow indifferent, distracted, and even frantic—pouring energy into what doesn’t last while neglecting our true mission.

The antidote is zeal: remembering that every Christian is called to holiness, and that our vocation is lived out in concrete love—prayer, conversion, and daily sacrifice, especially toward the people closest to us.

Key takeaways

• The Transfiguration strengthens hope: Jesus shows both who He is and what we are made for.
• Jesus prepares the disciples “against the scandal of the Cross.”
• Sloth (acedia) is not merely laziness—it's sorrow at spiritual joy and forgetfulness of our mission.
• Zeal is the opposite of sloth: remembering our vocation and investing in love of God and neighbor.
• Holiness begins “here”: in our homes, our parish, and the relationships God has entrusted to us.

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