In our gospel today, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John “apart, by themselves,” to reveal himself to them in a new way. This last Sunday before the beginning of Lent is a good time for us to recognize that model of revelation. In the model, we see that God gets our attention in some way, and once we are awake and aware of the Divine Presence, God can speak to us.

So long as we are otherwise occupied, as long as the ears of our hearts are closed, we miss God’s call of Love echoing through the universe, reaching out to each and all. As we plan for a holy Lent, considering what Lenten disciplines we might choose to enable us to be prepared to celebrate Easter with a clean and joyous heart, we might try this gospel model. Choosing a time and place to be alone, apart from the distractions of our busy lives, where we may focus our attention on God, can be a fruitful discipline. Perhaps a daily time apart, some period of time at home with the door closed, the phone turned off, or taking a long walk on the beach alone, as a way of focusing on the voice of God is calling our name. For others, it could be one day a week where the usual distractions can be put aside during Lent to focus on paying attention to our need for self-examination and repentance in the presence of God. Whatever we choose as our Lenten discipline, we can trust God to honor the intent of our prayer, fasting, and self-denial. As the psalmist notes, “Our God will come and will not keep silence.”

What works for one is not what feeds another, but if we make time to go apart by ourselves to soak up the glory of God, we will find ourselves joining Peter in recognizing, “It is good for us to be here.”