Second Sunday of Lent – Sr. Maria Delaney, SNDdeN

March 16, 2025

Luke 9: 28b- 36

Listen to him!  Spending time with Jesus at close quarters always opened up new perspectives for his Apostles. When the chosen few among them spent time with Jesus they often didn’t understand the meaning of what they were witnessing.  Many times, they were perplexed by his behavior which did not conform to their legal heritage and their standard way of acting.  Peter, James and John, after waking up, tried to grasp what they were witnessing and considered erecting three tents to celebrate what they thought they saw.  The Apostles’ attempt to make sense of situations connected to Jesus can mirror how we can also miss moments of understanding. Jesus grounded them in reality and moved them onward. The booming voice that accompanied this mountain meeting had a message for all of us who profess to follow Jesus: “listen to him.”  When we listen to or read Scripture where Jesus’ words are directed to each of us, we can sometimes muse that we will think about it later.  We often look for spectacular moments and miss the meaning in what we consider ordinary situations. A wise woman once characterized listening as allowing another’s being to flow into us.  If you really value someone, you will pay attention to them, not just their words, but the depth of their perception. This passage known as “The Transfiguration”, placed at the beginning of Lent, can become an alert for us.   Lent is not a self-improvement opportunity; we are called to break out of our comfortable cocoon and reach out to others, in practical and empathetic ways. What are the situations being transfigured around you?  Listen to him!

Luke 9: 28b- 36

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

Meet Sister Maria Delaney, SNDdeN

Sister Maria Delaney has been a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 60 years. Her professional background includes secondary teaching and administration and ten years as the founding Executive Director of the Notre Dame Education Center in Boston. For twelve years, she was based in Rome Italy as a member of the Notre Dame de Namur Congregational Leadership Team. In this capacity, she had the privilege of visiting the sisters on five continents. She has also spent several years on the Board of Directors of the International Catholic Education Association which gave her the opportunity to visit many Catholic schools around the world, especially those in poorer countries. For the past seven years, she ministered as Director of the US Office of Sponsored Ministries, working with the schools and health centers in the US that carry the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur name and collaborating with other Notre Dame schools worldwide. She is currently a member of the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Notre Dame East-West Province.