On this Second Sunday of Lent, we reflect from our monastery, Our Lady of Silence, nestled between Offaly and Tipperary. In the Gospel proclaimed today, we hear of a moment when Christ is revealed in a luminous way to His disciples. Yet, rather than dwelling only on that experience, we are reminded of the path ahead—a path that leads down the mountain, toward Jerusalem, and ultimately toward the cross.
As Cistercians, we know that the spiritual life is not about clinging to grand moments, but about listening deeply to the voice that calls us forward. The disciples witness a vision of Christ’s glory, but they are also told to listen—because from that moment, they must follow Him through uncertainty, suffering, and sacrifice.
Here at our monastery, our life of prayer and silence echoes that invitation. We, too, are invited not just to gaze upon Christ in moments of clarity, but to come down the mountain and walk with Him in our daily lives. The glory we glimpse in prayer is meant to strengthen us for compassion, for self-giving love, and for trust when the path ahead is obscured.
We contemplate this Lenten journey: it is a time to let go of comfort and to keep listening. We are reminded that Lent is not simply about external acts, but about being attentive to what God reveals—both in light and shadow. From this monastery, we ask for the grace to embrace the entirety of the journey—to let the mountaintop revelation guide us into the valleys where love is lived out. In listening, we follow. In following, we are changed. And in this transformation, we are led to the fullness of Easter.