The Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The prayer this week is sensual, mean it involves the senes of hearing, tasting and seeing. Peter, James, and John had a sensual trip on the mountain with Jesus, too. Before their eyes, Jesus was transfigured, he changed in form. His clothes became intensely white. They saw Elijah and Moses, they saw a cloud, they heard the voice of God.

“This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.” Used here, “listen” doesn’t mean just to hear. It means to heed, obey, to understand. It’s also not just a suggestion or a good idea, God commanded it.

The “that” in the prayer is a conjunction that tells us that we can behold God’s glory with our spiritual sight made pure, but only if we are nourished by God’s word.

I’ve been thinking a lot about spiritual sight and what it would be.

Spiritual sight is needed to have an honest look at our desires, the unforgiveness we hold on to, our motives. We should look to see how these fit in with God’s desires.

Spiritual sight can be the view that God has of us, what he sees in us. Imagine what a pure clean heart looks like to God. It would probably resemble his Son and heart of Mary.

A spiritual sight that is pure can also be us seeing things as God sees them. If we would ask God every day to see what he sees, we would see God in every person we meet, we would see His hand at work when plans change or when unexpected blessings come our way. We would see God as we watch nature unfold with spring.

Here in Iowa it’s still a bit cold to wash windows, but do you remember the satisfaction you feel when you look through the freshly cleaned windows of your house or your car? There is no dirt or spots, and hopefully no streaks, nothing hinders your view. A pure spiritual sight is like that. God would love for us to have a pure spotless vision of his glory.

Lectio the Liturgy: “Cleaning the glass” of our spiritual sight is done through scripture. Yet, for some people, reading the Bible isn’t a priority. In scripture we find great confidence in who God is. This week, write down these declarations found in our second reading (Romans 8:31b-34) and pray them every time you feel God cleaning the glass of your spiritual sight:
God is for me.
God has justified me, no one can condemn me.
From the right hand of God, Jesus Christ intercedes for me.

Thank you for praying with me!
Julie