The Gospel this 2nd Lent Sunday is about the Transfiguration of Jesus, dramatically relating the sacred light as GOD being with us. When Jesus took Peter, James and John to the mountain, Jesus’ face “shone like the sun” and his clothing was “white as light”. Moses and Elijah were also bathed in the brightness just as Moses’ face had been when he came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, one thousand years before. Then, a “bright cloud” over-shadowed all three of them as they heard the voice of God.
Jesus was about to journey to Jerusalem to set in motion His crucifixion and the fulfillment of His Mission. He told his apostles on several occasions that this would happen. So, Jesus had come to this mountain to pray and recharge His Faith, Hope, and Trust in The Father.
We are all on a journey, a challenging and difficult journey we call life. When we were young, many of us assumed that the first thirty or so years of our lives are going to be the best and most challenging years. We plan the “road map” for our life. The last trimester is supposed to be the enjoyment phase after working hard earning the retirement “nest egg”. But rarely does life happen like that. As we “golden aged” people experience, life is full of surprises, not only enjoyment and pleasure, but also with lots of heartaches, frustrations and tragedies. The tried and proven formula to survive the journey of life is to have lots of Faith, Hope and Trust.
We are always reminded to take a second look at where we have come from and where we are going. The Lenten season is a regular reminder about second chances and preparedness for our own resurrection to Eternal Life. During the next few Sundays, leading to Easter, we will have the chance to listen to stories of hope, new vision, forgiveness, and new life. Let us use these Sunday readings as a basis for our own personal renewal during this Lenten season.
Today’s first reading gives us the story of the beginning of the journey of Abraham. He and his wife, Sarah were what we would say, “very senior citizens.” Abraham was seventy-five years old and Sarah almost the same. At their age, most people are well into retirement, but GOD calls them to begin a life-changing journey, without any guarantees. Their only promise is that GOD will be with them.
GOD’S Word to Abraham calls for Abraham to embrace something entirely new in his life. He is to travel to places unknown, placing himself in a new situation. Most of our life journeys are not going to involve actually travelling from one place to another, although that too might happen at times. But life does involve going into the unknown, meeting new and unexpected situations. This is when we need to call upon a deep trust that GOD will be with us as we are forced to make new decisions, and struggle with what may seem impossible roadblocks.
Actualizing our Faith, Hope, and Trust in GOD makes our Life journey truly happy and gratifying.
GOD Loves us.
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