17.02.2008 - 2nd Sunday of Lent
- year A
First Reading; Gen 12,1-4 Psalm 33 Second Reading; II Tim 1,8-10 Gospel
Reading; Matt 17,1-9
Our faith in God as creator has profound and beautiful consequences which I am not able to list and describe here for you. As mentioned before this faith helps us to appreciate the creation as the Father's word and therefore, an expression of his love for us. This faith allows us to see the objective truth about things and therefore, the possibility to base our lives on certainties that do not depend on our feelings, but that are concrete. On the other hand, not knowing that all is God's work would leave one in a subjectivity that is frightening: we would consider ourselves owners of things that would take on meaning according to our whims and we would feel the need to satisfy our egoism rather than care about others. Those who do not believe in God the creator, believe in themselves and are, they themselves, the foundation of their lives and consequently, they do not have to justify their actions. The society in which we live breathes this atmosphere. People believe that the truth depends on their feelings, if they are pleased or satisfied. We firmly believe that our lives are an act of God. In this faith the certainty transmitted to us through the Bible that we are created in the image of God, grows. Every man and woman is a work of God, and therefore, every man and woman is a gift of God to others! The value of every human being lies not in his skills or his beauty or his belongings, bur in the fact that he or she exists. Everything we do for others is a joy to God or a sorrow if it is morally or physically damaging. Everything that we do for others is seen by God as done in his image, as done to him!
"Through the power that comes from God accept your share of suffering for the sake of the gospel!" St Paul exhorts his disciple and exhorts us too, to cultivate the desire to spread the gospel, announcing the Father's love that reaches us through Jesus! And at the cost of effort and suffering. Jesus is at the centre of our celebration of Lent, a period of preparation for baptism for all those who have been touched by his love! And those who have already been baptised? We too, need to renovate our faith, renovate our love for Jesus in order to be able to spiritually love all those we meet! We have been baptised, but the grace of baptism must be accepted again and again in order to find new possibilities in our hearts and in our days: in short, our conversion must be ongoing. Those who are preparing to be baptised at present are a great help. We accompany them in their commitment and they transmit the enthusiasm of their new faith! They relive Abraham's walk of faith, when he left everything to follow God's instructions. Certain of being blessed, he followed God's invisible guidance to set off for an unknown land. He trusted God and what God had promised. There was joy in his heart and also suffering for he had yet to see what he had been promised. I wish to have a similar faith, the faith of those to be baptised and those who are going to the promised land following Jesus.
Today we will try and follow Jesus onto the mountain where he goes to pray. What is Jesus' prayer to the Father? "Not my will but thy will be done"! This prayer transforms Jesus, he shines in the full glory of God. This is the true prayer, the most beautiful dialogue, that is pleasing to the Father, that makes us truly his children.
The three disciples who are with him are so amazed at the light in Jesus' face,
that they fall into ecstasy, almost out of this world. They are not used to
this and react with fear, with superficial words, with sleepiness. The appearance
of the cloud and the sound of the voice helps them to understand that although
they are on a mountain in Galilee, they are in the presence of God and that
God has poured out his love onto Jesus, their Master. Jesus prays and speaks
of the Father's plans concerning the great ones of Israel, Moses and Elijah,
who were great because they were obedient to God. Jesus is to fulfil their mission.
He is the Son, the true obedient son: the Father has great trust in him! He
speaks to the three disciples: "listen to him!" God wants mankind
to listen to Jesus. I will also listen more carefully in order to understand
all the subtle tones of God's love and the full worth of the Good News and to
be able to say with him: "Not my will but thy will be done, Father!"
Will the Father's will bring suffering? I will offer it together with Jesus,
together with the apostle and all those who obey! Some of the light from Jesus'
face will shine in mine and I will be a witness to him.