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February 24, 2018
Readings that correspond to this devotional can be found here.
The Reason why God requires service from man is this: because He is good and merciful He desires to confer benefits on those who persevere in His service. In proportion to God’s need of nothing is man’s need for communion with God.-St. Irenaeus of Lyon
In this quote, St. Irenaeus reminds us of a central truth: God does not need us, we need Him.
This is important to keep in mind during Lent. As we sacrifice, serve others, and pray, we do these things not because God needs us to do them, but because we need God. The more willingly we give ourselves over to His service during Lent, the more we will discover that we truly need only one thing: communion with Him.
Lent allows us to let go of unnecessary needs. The fewer needs we carry with us, the easier it is to be carried away to God. For climbing the mountain of God requires that we leave behind things that drag us to earth. If we can find the strength to leave them behind, we will find that our most fundamental need, the need for Him, drives us up the mountain of God, which is also the mountain of transfiguration.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as the Church reflects today on the mystery of Jesus’ transfiguration, let us ask Him to transform us that we may desire Him above all earthly things and find contentment in the light of eternity that shines forth from His glory.
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Fr. Ambrose is a member of the Order of Preachers and was ordained to the priesthood in 2013. He is originally from Connecticut and is currently a PhD student in the Philosophy department at the University of Virginia.