Overcome By Sleep

Today is the Second Sunday of Lent.

For Mass today, I went to the 12:45 p.m. liturgy in English at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral.

(I love being able to go to Sunday Mass at 12:45 p.m. It enables you to stay out late on Saturday night, get about eight hours of sleep and still get to church before it's too late in the afternoon.)

As is always the case for this Sunday in the liturgical year, the Gospel at Mass was the account of the Transfiguration.

In his homily at Old St. Pat's, Monsignor Donald Sakano noted that, in today's retelling of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Luke, it states "Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep." However, in the parallel sections of Mark and Matthew, no mention is made of this apostolic nap.

The monsignor mused that this artful addition by Luke can be a reminder of our own occasional spiritual drowsiness.

A Concord Pastor has posted his homily on today's readings. The Parish Blog of St. Edward the Confessor also has a reflection.

And, if you have an interest in Masses and Mass times here in Gotham, pay a visit to Catholic Churches of Manhattan. The author of this blog is visiting all 96 of the island's parishes. He is currently on No. 88.

Flashbacks: Second Sundays of Lent 2009, 2008 and 2007.

The image above is by James Tissot. It is from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.