A Kenyan theologian reflects on Transfiguration, Abram’s journey, and what Lent demands of the faithful today
Standing at the Mountain: The Second Sunday of Lent
On the Second Sunday of Lent 2026, Sr. Mary Nzilani Wambua, a theologian writing for the Global Sisters Report, offered a meditation that cuts to the heart of what the Lenten season demands. Drawing on the readings for March 1, she weaves together the story of Abram’s radical departure from everything familiar, the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, and the ongoing call to discipleship that runs through every age and every culture. Her reflection arrives in a world shaken by war and political upheaval, and speaks with unusual clarity to those who are asking what faithfulness looks like when the path forward is obscured.
Abram’s Leap and What It Demands of Us
The first reading from Genesis confronts the listener with an uncomfortable demand. God tells Abram to leave his land, his family, and his past behind with no detailed map and no guarantee of comfort. God offers instead a relationship and a promise. Wambua notes that Abram’s greatness was not born of achievement but of obedience, and that his journey began not with confidence but with trust. That reframing is quietly radical. Modern culture trains people to demand certainty before commitment, data before decision, proof before faith. Abram’s story inverts that logic entirely. Lent, Wambua argues, is a season of leaving behind the habits that enslave us, the attitudes that harden our hearts, and the comforts that prevent growth. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides the full text of the Genesis passage for those wishing to read the call to Abram in its complete form, and it rewards careful attention.
Trust as the Heart of the Spiritual Life
The responsorial psalm at the center of this Sunday’s liturgy declares: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Wambua identifies this trust as an active choice, not a passive sentiment. It is the decision to rely on God rather than on one’s own understanding, particularly when God’s action is not immediate or visible. Lent, she writes, gently strips away the illusion that we can save ourselves. That stripping process is not comfortable. Fasting is not comfortable. Facing one’s attachments honestly is not comfortable. But the psalm teaches that waiting on the Lord is a form of quiet strength, not weakness. For those navigating a world where political institutions and international norms seem to be unraveling, that spiritual posture offers something that no news cycle can provide.
Paul’s Honest Reckoning with Suffering
In the second reading, Paul speaks without illusion about the cost of discipleship. Following Christ involves sacrifice and sometimes suffering, Paul says, but that suffering is never pointless because hope is rooted in God’s saving power rather than in human outcomes. Wambua draws out the implication with care. Lent is not about proving oneself worthy. It is about allowing grace to work even through difficulty. That framing speaks directly to communities around the world where Christian faith is practiced under pressure, including those in Hong Kong, where the Catholic Church has navigated extraordinary tensions between pastoral fidelity and state surveillance since the imposition of Beijing’s National Security Law.
The Transfiguration and the Return to the Valley
The Gospel reading brings the disciples to the mountaintop, where Jesus appears in blinding glory alongside Moses and Elijah, and the Father’s voice commands them to listen to him. Wambua’s reading of this moment is theologically precise and pastorally honest. The Transfiguration does not come to remove suffering from the path. It comes immediately after Jesus predicts his passion, as a foretaste of Easter glory meant to sustain the disciples when they later see him crucified. Peter wants to stay on the mountain. His instinct is entirely human. But Jesus leads them back down, toward Jerusalem, toward the cross. Lent reminds believers that the light of God often shines not by removing darkness but by transforming those who must walk through it. Wambua’s reflection can be read in full at the Global Sisters Report, a project of the National Catholic Reporter that has consistently elevated the voices of women theologians from across the world.
A Season for Hard Questions
Wambua closes with three questions that the readings press upon the faithful. What is God asking me to leave behind? Where am I being called to trust more deeply? Am I willing to follow Christ when his path leads through difficulty? These are not abstract questions. They carry weight in a world where authoritarian governments demand compliance and where the cost of conscience can be severe. The tradition of Lenten self-examination has a long and serious history across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity. Resources like Loyola Press document the full depth of that tradition for those seeking to enter the season with greater intentionality. Whatever the news outside the door, the invitation of Lent remains consistent across centuries: trust the one who calls, and follow.
Mei Ling Chan
Education & Social Policy Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: meiling.chan@appledaily.uk
Mei Ling Chan is an education and social policy journalist specializing in school systems, youth development, and public policy impacts on families. She trained at a top-tier Chinese journalism institution, where she focused on policy reporting, data interpretation, and media ethics, building a strong analytical foundation.
Her professional experience includes reporting for Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese publications, producing coverage on education reform, student movements, social welfare programs, and inequality in access to public services. Mei Ling’s reporting combines document analysis with interviews involving educators, students, and policy experts.
She has worked in fast-paced newsroom environments while maintaining high standards for accuracy and context. Her stories are known for precise attribution, careful interpretation of policy language, and avoidance of speculation.
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At Apple Daily UK, Mei Ling Chan delivers fact-based reporting that helps readers understand complex policy issues through clear, verified, and responsible journalism.
