In today’s readings, we hear of three transforming encounters with God. Isaiah speaks of a vision he had of God. His initial reaction is one of fear and he becomes aware of his weakness. “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips … “ Isaiah then senses he has been cleansed and commits himself to the Lord. “Here I am … Send me!” In the second reading ,Paul recalls his transforming encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus and how he moved from being a persecutor of the church to a being a faithful follower of the Lord. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective.” In the Gospel passage, Peter is awed by the Christ and the miraculous catch of fish. He becomes aware of his weakness and his mission. “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Then Jesus said to Peter, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” These three transforming encounters with God/Christ suggest that Lent can provide us with a personal encounter with the Lord that can be transforming. Lent is an opportunity to place ourselves in the presence of God in a more intentional way. Lent is about taking the time to be with God. Lent provides opportunities to pray and to reflect. There are opportunities for Mass and Stations of the Cross. There are opportunities for Confession and Reconciliation. Both Scripture Study and a Lenten Series allow us to hear God’s voice in a new way. As with Isaiah, Paul and Peter, we can become aware of the less that we are and the more that God calls us to be.
©2013 Eugene S. Ostrowski
