1.Gn22:1-2,9-13,15-18
|
Romans8:31-35,37
|
Mk
9:2-10
|
THEME
OF THE READINGS “ Let go what is precious to us for the sake of God’s Kingdom.”
In
our daily lives we have got many things that we value precious, it is under
this background some people find it difficult to detach themselves from the
things valued as precious. As we celebrate the second Sunday of Lent Year B,
the story of Abraham and Isaac seem to be a drama, and at the same time seem to
be the contradiction to God’s promises that Isaac would continue and pass on
Abraham’s line into the distant future. The act of God requesting Abraham to
sacrifice Isaac was a trial of faith than obedience to speak. Abraham’s heart
was pierced by his innocent son Isaac that “where is the lamb for the burnt
offering? Finding it impossible to tell the truth, Abraham responded that God
will provide, this is an invitation that we have to trust in the providence of
God in all situations. God is one who provides our needs in all situations
whenever we feel have nothing to offer to him.
We
can put these questions before us to be pondered on that “why did God ask
Abraham to sacrifice his son?” and why did Abraham obeyed? Indeed why God did
allowed His own divine son to be sacrificed? Here we have the connection
between the two that is Abraham in accepting to sacrifice his own son, Isaac
was the pre-figuration of our Lord Jesus Christ being sacrificed on a hill as
Abraham wanted to sacrifice his own son Isaac on a hill. Our Lord Jesus Christ
was to sacrificed on a hill he was to carry his own cross up to the hill of Calvary.
In making further contrast between Isaac and Jesus we find that Isaac was a
bridge between Abraham and Jacob. In
contrast Jesus during his transfiguration was shown to his three apostles as
the figure of miraculous glory, truly God’s son and messenger to the World.
From the scenario of Jesus’ transfiguration we learn the sharp contrast between
the transfiguration and his passion at the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus
sweat his own blood anticipating his own passion.
Unlike
Isaac, Jesus knew what he was to undergo “the son of man must suffer.”(Mk
8:31). Jesus told his disciples what he was about to undergo, one of his disciples,
Peter in response he prayed that God would not allow such thing to happen to
Jesus, Jesus in giving severe response to Peter he said “ get behind me Satan
you are thinking not as God does but as human do.” (Mk8:33). In our daily lives
in order to make a good encounter with God we must have faith and trust in Him.
Our
call in this 2nd Sunday of Lent is to let go all what possesses
us/what makes us to be slaves for the sake of the Kingdom of God. It’s not easy
to let go what is precious. For instance the more precious the person is before
our eyes, the more it becomes difficult to let him/her go. The more attractive
that person is to us the more we feel inclined to possess that person. As
Christian we are invited in this Sunday to let go all what we value precious so
that we can receive the other back as the gift.
From
the Gospel reading we are all invited to have a spirit of being attentive, the
spirit of listening and acting according to the will of God. Peter, James and
John are taken up a high mountain by Jesus and thus they had an experience of
God’s presence in their midst, this was the experience that was so precious
that Peter could not let it go, to an extent he asked Jesus to build three
tents there, one for Jesus, one for Moses and the other for Elijah. Beauty always
attracts, a human being never want let that to go. They had to let all
manifestations to go and do one thing that was to listen to Jesus’ instructions.
We are invited to make what is called in economics “an opportunity cost” to let
the other party go and welcoming the other as the gift.
From the sermon by Saint Leo the great, Pope he had this to say about the transfiguration of Jesus at the mount that " the great reason for Jesus' transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had already witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed. With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of the holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head."
The Lord had foretold this when he spoke the splendor of his coming, that is " the just will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their father."( Mt13:43). Moreover st. Paul gives testimony to this truth when he says "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us" ( Rom 8:18). This transfiguration according to the words of Pope the great teaches us the lesson that the disciples of Jesus became strengthened by this transfiguration and it lead them to the fullness of knwoledge of Jesus.
From the sermon by Saint Leo the great, Pope he had this to say about the transfiguration of Jesus at the mount that " the great reason for Jesus' transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had already witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed. With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of the holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head."
The Lord had foretold this when he spoke the splendor of his coming, that is " the just will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their father."( Mt13:43). Moreover st. Paul gives testimony to this truth when he says "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us" ( Rom 8:18). This transfiguration according to the words of Pope the great teaches us the lesson that the disciples of Jesus became strengthened by this transfiguration and it lead them to the fullness of knwoledge of Jesus.
0 Response to "HOMILY FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B"
Chapisha Maoni