Sunday-Homilies
Reflections: Lent - Sunday II (12th March 2017)
Abraham, our Father in faith, is called by God to leave his own country and set for an unknown land. Abraham takes the leap into the land shown by God with utter faith in God’s word, abandoning all securities. God takes the initiative and ‘blesses’ Abraham with a vocation which demands a radical posture: let go of all that is yours and “I will make you a great nation”(Gen.12:12). God asks to leave our old life of comfort, to go forth with him towards a renewal of life and submit to him the whole of our being in loving surrender for ever.
The transfiguration episode from St. Mathew (Mt 17:1-9) presents Jesus as a suffering Messiah who would triumph over his suffering and death. The voice of the Father confirms the Son as the one who is God’s final Word to humankind. The disciples who are privileged to have a glimpse of Jesus in his glory are to “listen to him”(v.35); they should discard their worldly ambitions about a political Messiah and be strong in their faith and hope to persevere through the future ordeal. The reference to Moses and Elijah recalls their experience of the Lord in his glory at mount Horeb: in the burning bush (Ex. 3:1-4) and in a cave (I King 19:8-9) in order to emphasize that Jesus is the culmination of the law and the prophets. Writing to Timothy (2Tim 1:8b-10) apostle Paul reminds us of our calling to preserve the ‘precious deposit’ of the Gospel, despite suffering and humiliation and that the power of God “manifested with the glorious appearance of Jesus Christ” in these to sustain us with life through resurrection. (V.10)
This Sunday of the lent, with the disciples of Jesus, we are encouraged to follow the Master by becoming humble and selfless, sharing love, compassion and forgiveness with others. Our faith in Jesus urges to seek God’s signs and enables us to face more demanding sacrifices in order to commit ourselves more fully to the service of God and people.
((Readings:1 R Gen 12:1-4a; 2 R 2Tim 1:8b-10; Gos Mt 17:1-9)
