2nd Sunday of Lent Year B (2024)
Resources, Prayers, Games, and Lesson Plans
More Thoughts and Reflection Questions
Mass readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
- First Reading – Genesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18: “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 116: “I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.”
- Second Reading – Romans 8:31B-34: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”
- Gospel – Mark 9:2-10: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Themes for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
The readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B make us think of God’s revelation of Jesus Christ as his beloved son and also how God loves us. The first reading tells of how Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac, but God stopped him. The gospel tells of the Transfiguration, where the voice from the heavens revealed Jesus as God’s beloved son to Peter, James, and John.
- Prayer
- Listening to Jesus
- Taking time away to encounter Jesus
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B.
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Resources for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
Ups and Downs Discussion and Reflection
The Transfiguration will help youth think about the ups and downs of life. Sometimes we are in a really great place, but eventually we have to come down the mountain.
Mountain Time
This lesson plan on mountains in the Bible will help youth understand the significance of the many references to mountains in scripture. We will discuss why mountains are seen as a place to encounter God and think about how we can go to the mountaintop.
A Prayer to God on the Mountain
This prayer based on Psalm 121 is a prayer to meet God on the mountain. There we see His eternal goodness and faithfulness.
Prayer of Thanksgiving for Being Saved
This is a prayer of thanksgiving for being saved by God. This is a prayer for when I have been distressed and called upon the Lord, and he has come to my rescue. It is based on Psalm 116, which is the responsorial psalm for this Sunday.
Around the Mountain Game
Around the Mountain Game is an icebreaker. It is a combination of I Would Never Ever and Musical Chairs.
The Transfiguration – Lego Video
This engaging video tells the story of the Transfiguration with Legos. Kids of all ages will appreciate this presentation of this passage from the Gospel.
Lenten Ideas for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
Fasting on a Day Other Than Ash Wednesday or Good Friday
Catholics are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Adding another day of fasting is a way of practicing an additional sacrifice during Lent. You can decide to fast one day per week.
Pray the Night Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours
The Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours is a really peaceful way to end the day. Some people feel like the Liturgy of the Hours is too “old fashioned” to use with teens and children, but they can learn to appreciate it.
Make Pretzels and Say a Prayer
The pretzel is a symbol of prayer. The twist in the pretzel is meant to look like hands in prayer. And pretzels are made with simple ingredients – no sugar, butter, eggs, milk, etc. Includes a prayer you can say together before you enjoy your pretzels.
Give Up Candy and Soda for a Week
Long term fasting during Lent can be difficult for very young children. So instead of giving up something for all of Lent, little ones can give up something different each week.
Do Something Nice for the Environment
In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis urges us to be better stewards of the Earth, our common home. All Catholics are called to practice environmental justice. So do something nice for the environment.
Go for a Quiet Walk and Pray
Many people like to move and be active. So this active sort of prayer works well for people who find it difficult to sit and pray.
See More Lenten Ideas
See specific ideas for practicing prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Lenten season.
Homilies and Reflections for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
Completing the Story
In this reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B, Jeff Cavins focuses on the profound connections between the sacrifice of Isaac and the Transfiguration.
What Does Surrender Actually Look Like?
Fr. Mike Schmitz talks about how we can surrender to God daily. Accepting Jesus as Lord means surrendering everything we have to God, and giving it to him without hesitation. But how can we truly surrender everything to him without fearing we won’t get it back? Abraham demonstrates this in the first reading for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B.
The Ordering of Love and the Awful Story of Abraham and Isaac
A homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B from Bishop Barron. “We hear the deeply troubling story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. How do we reconcile God’s love with his asking Abraham to kill his own son? How should we take the fact that Abraham was willing to follow through with it? And what does this mean for how we must order our own lives?”
Bonds Loosed
A reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B from Scott Hahn. “These readings are given to us in Lent to reveal Christ’s identity and to strengthen us in the face of our afflictions. His rising should give us the courage to face our trials, to off er ourselves totally to the Father—as He did, as Abraham and Isaac did.” Read more.
The Mystical Transfiguration of Christ
Another homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B from Bishop Robert Barron. “The story of the Transfiguration of Christ has beguiled the Christian mind for centuries. It is the clearest New Testament evocation of mystical experience, the experience of spiritual things within the ordinary and the keen conviction that the spiritual reality is greater and more beautiful than ordinary experience. ‘Mystical’ means there has been contact with a Person: the person of God.”
More Thoughts for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
Genesis 22: The Binding of Isaac
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son seems horrific. Child sacrifice was common at the time, and this incident can be interpreted as God showing a new way. God’s creatures should not sacrifice their children in an attempt to please him.
The binding of Isaac, as the first reading is often called, prefigures the binding of Jesus to the cross. Isaac is thought to be a willing victim. He carries the wood, just as Jesus carries the wood of the cross.
Pay Attention
The account of Abraham and Isaac serves as a reminder to heed God’s voice and respond. It highlights the similarity between Abraham’s and Samuel’s responses to God’s summons, as they both used the word “hineni” – “Here I am” – to express their readiness. This term is also found in Isaiah 6:8, where the Lord asks, “Whom shall I send?” and the prophet replies, “Here I am!”
Mark 9:2-10: The Transfiguration Also Foreshadows
Similar to how the binding of Isaac prefigures the crucifixion of Jesus, the Transfiguration anticipates His resurrection. During the event, Jesus is shown in His glorified form, with a body that is both His own and yet somehow transformed.
Both Isaac and Jesus exhibit obedience, which results in the birth of a nation in the former case and the establishment of Jesus’ glorious reign in the Kingdom of God in the latter.
Moses and Elijah
The presence of Moses and Elijah is also noteworthy. Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets, which are the two major divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures. The presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus signifies that Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets.
Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind without experiencing death. His presence at the Transfiguration highlights the significance of Jesus’ upcoming death and resurrection.
Reflection Questions for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
- How can I offer myself for the good of others?
- How does obedience transform me and those around me?
- What death have I been rescued from in my life?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year B
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
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