2^nd SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: FOLLOW JESUS TO THE MOUNTAIN

(Luke 9:28-36)

After the declaration of Peter about Jesus as the Christ, and the prediction of Christ about the suffering and type of death awaiting Him, Jesus took the Apostles of the inner circle up the mountain. What was His intention of taking them there? What did they witness on the mountain? Can we be part of the closest followers of Jesus Christ to journey with Him this Lenten season? Let us look at the mountain experience of Jesus and the apostles and see how it helps us. Why the upward movement and what really happened?

 

PRAYER

Jesus took them up to pray. Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is always in communication with God the Father. He invites the apostles to learn the act of prayers. He took them away from the worries and distractions of the world to be in touch with the Divine aura. He wanted them to go beyond the low level of operation to a higher, spiritual perception of relationship with God.  There, He showed them the transforming power of prayer. That is to say that the man of prayer doesn't remain the same. Prayer is not just a verbal thing but a reality that manifests itself in your life and daily activity. Have you been changed by your prayers? Have your prayer life been able to convert anyone to Christ? The Lord takes you up this season to pray in a higher and better way.

 

BEHOLD GOD'S GLORY

To understand this well, we have to take a look at the preceding episode where Jesus spoke about the cross. The apostles must have felt frustrated and disappointed with Jesus. Matthew and Mark's account of this same story narrates how Peter couldn't help but rebuke Jesus for painting the image of suffering. Taking them up therefore Jesus tells them it's not going to end in sorrow. It's not going to be an empty suffering but a rewarding one. That after the rains, the sun must shine, that out of the darkness of pain and tears, joy and happiness must radiate.

 

LIBERATION

 Before the coming of Christ, the Israelites were held bound by the law. They were subjects of the law. The law is represented by Moses. Jesus came, born a subject to the law, to redeem the subjects of the law. He enters into conversation with Moses to put away and cause a disappearance of the vestiges of the law. To set His people free, to bring about the inclusive new law of love. It is no longer the exclusive mosaic law that people didn't dare to near the mountain for fear. It is about freedom. 

He goes on to bring about the fulfilment of the promises and prophecies of God for humanity. In Elijah, we saw a beckoning for Christ to ride on to Jerusalem for the salvation long foretold. May the promises of God for your life come to fulfilment.

 

LISTEN

Having manifested how good it is to be in the presence of the Lord, to behold His goodness, Peter desired to remain there. Moses and Elijah were taken away. Then, an important aspect of encounter with the Lord was voiced out by the Voice that came from above: Listen! To keep the word, person, and wondrous doings of the Lord alive in us, we have to pay attention to what the Lord tells us at each point in time.

May we listen to the Lord calling on us this season to the mountain of prayers, to the mountain of encounter, to mountain of transformation, to the mountain of total self-abandonment. May God manifest His glory in our lives. May our worldliness, tears, and problems be transfigured by the presence of Christ. May we remain in constant communion with Christ the Most High.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Thank You, Lord, for Your word today. Thank You for inviting us to the Holy Mountain of Communion and Holy Encounter with You. May we not remain the same after our encounter with You. Transform our situations for good. Open our spiritual eyes and ears. May we follow where you lead. And may we be liberated from spiritual, economic, marital, vocational, and political bondages through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Happy Sunday (Second Sunday of Lent, Yr C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 2^nd Sunday of Lent, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Beatific Vision: Reward for listening and obeying Christ’s voice

Readings: Gen 15:5-12,17-18; Phil 3:17-4:1; Lk 9:28-36

Dear friends in Christ, through the transfiguration experience, the gospel of today showed us a glimpse of the glory of Easter and the splendor of heaven. I was thrilled by the reaction of Peter after beholding the glory of Christ and the magnificent beauty of the heavenly home. He wished to remain on that mountain forever, enjoying the sight of the glory of God; he wished the experience continued unending; he forgot his family, friends, and the rest of the disciples; all he wanted was God’s glory. But let us remember that what he saw was just a glimpse of that glory that awaits all of us. In reality, what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has imagined is what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor 2:9).

Reacting to the request of Peter to stay on the mountain forever enjoying the vision of heaven, the voice of God the Father came from the cloud and said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” That voice of the Father simply informed Peter that if he wanted to enter the glory of heaven whose glimpse he saw on the mountain, he must listen to the voice of Jesus Christ and follow His teachings.

Hence, my dear friends, listening to the voice of Jesus and doing what He commands us have become the conditions for inheriting the beautiful beatific vision that lies at the end of our earthly existence.

Every Lent, the voice of Christ, through the church, calls us to take a break from the normal activities of life and dedicate some time to prayer, fasting, and arms-giving so that our lives will be renewed and prepared for inheriting the glorious home. It is the voice that is calling us this Lent to deny ourselves some comforts and pleasures in order to share in the suffering of Christ and that of others. It is the voice that is calling us to love more, to forgive more, to say no to immoral desires. It is the voice that is calling us this Lent to say no to drunkenness, lies, gossip, pride, hatred, and other sins. In summary, this voice is calling us to the way of the cross, to take up our cross and follow Christ.

If we listen to this voice and follow its demands, if we carry our cross and follow where this voice is leading us, that glory which Peter saw on the mountain will be ours at the end of our lives. So, between us and the glory of heaven lies the demand or the duty to listen and obey the voice of Jesus.

In the first reading, God made a covenant with Abraham. In that covenant, God promised Abraham that his descendants will be like the number of the stars in the skies. But, between that wonderful promise and its fulfilment, Abraham had the task of obeying every command from God and accepting their attendant difficulties. It was obedience to God’s commands, even in the most difficult and uncertain moments, that helped Abraham to reach/inherit what God prepared for him.

Dear friends, a careful look at the covenant between Abraham and God and the actual situation of Abraham at the time of the covenant will show us the level of trust Abraham had in God. At the time of the covenant, both Abraham and his wife were already old and had no child (his wife had passed the age of childbearing), but they believed in the faithfulness of God. Of course, many people would look at Abraham’s choice of remaining faithful to God as a foolish choice, but his obedience to the voice of God paid off. Same way, Christians who trust in God, Christians who have decided to obey the voice of Jesus this Lent and to follow the recommendation of the Church for a Lenten season may appear as foolish in the eyes of men but, in reality, they will be blessed by God.

In the second reading, St. Paul informs us that there are many voices in the world whose project is to distract Christians from listening to the voice of Christ. He tells us that those who promote these contrary voices (antichristian voices) have already made themselves enemies of the cross of Christ and, therefore, they purposely teach things that are against the teachings of Jesus as the standard for our world. According to St. Paul, these people “glory in their shame, with their minds set on earthly things.” They teach people to adopt antilife policies and immoral lifestyles as the best ways to enjoy life. Their project is always to promote things that are against the Christian life. These voices are heard every day in our world. Each day, these voices want to rise higher above the calm voice of Jesus; they have misled many people.

However, my dear people, St. Paul reminds us that we are citizens of heaven. It will, therefore, be unfortunate if those who are hoping to go to heaven are obeying the voices that contradict the teachings that come from heaven. Those who hope to enjoy the beautiful home of heaven, that home which Peter saw on the mountain, should listen to the voice of Jesus who has come down from heaven and obey it; this is our task this Lent. Let us pray to listen obediently to the voice of Jesus and to shun all voices that contradict the teachings of Jesus.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima