THE GLORY OF THE CROSS

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Lent Year A

(Gen 12:1-4; 2Tim 1:8-10; Mt 17:1-9)

1.0.  Abraham’s Blessings

God called Abraham to leave his father’s house to the land He would show him. Abraham was relatively comfortable and successful in his father’s house. God was calling Abraham to go to a new land to start a new generation of humanity that would be people of faith in God. However, to uproot him from ‘his domain’ to an unknown destination would not be an easy task. So God attached great promises to Abraham if he embarked on the journey. “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing...and by you families of the earth shall bless themselves.” Believing in God and His promises, Abraham went as the Lord had told him. This ‘promised land’ would become for him ‘the land of promises’, since by going there, God’s promises would be fulfilled in Abraham.

2.0.         The Transfiguration

The Gospel today tells us the story of the Transfiguration. “And He was transfigured before them, and his face shone life the sun, and his garments became white as light.” The glory of Jesus was manifested on the Mountain (cf. 2 Pet 1:16-18). This shining glory was a manifestation—a foretaste—of what is kept for the Children of God through Christ. We are called to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Th 2:14). Thus the voice of the Father declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am will pleased; listen to him.” This implies that through Jesus Christ, the hidden glory of God will be revealed to all who share in the life of Christ Jesus (1 Cor 2:7).

Therefore, Jesus is the fulfillment and living manifestation of the ‘Land of promises’ where we enter in faith and unlock great divine blessings. Like Abraham, we are called to move from our ‘domain’ in human nature to the new land of divine revelation. This is the new life in Christ, where grace is stronger than family ties. The promises we have in Christ Jesus are now unveiled through the transfiguration, such that we are drawn to this new life, not by the imagination of our minds, but by the reality of His presence.  The life of Christ overwhelms, as the cloud of glory dazzles and summons the apostles of awe and adoration. “They fell on their faces, and were filled with awe.” The attraction is irresistible; the memory is unforgettable! 

3.0.         Coming Down from the Mountain

“As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ‘Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.’” The vision was a revelation of the glory of the Cross. The hidden glory behind the gory face of the Cross of Christ is now unveiled in anticipation, such that we can behold the ‘beauty’ of the Cross from within the cloud of glory of the transfiguration. Thus, the Cross becomes beautiful and attractive since its hidden glory is already here with us. God’s glory—and every glory—will be given in vain if it is not a product of the Cross. The perceived glory becomes a transfiguration of the agony of the Cross into the sparkling brightness of the divine essence.

Now the difficult journey of Abraham has become our ‘stations of the cross’ by which we step into God’s unfailing promises in Christ Jesus. “Then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, provided that we share his suffering, so as to share his glory” (Rm 8:17).  That is why St Paul tells us in the second reading to take up our share of suffering for the Gospel. We step forward to fulfill our daily responsibilities and embrace the sufferings of each day, but in virtue of the purpose and grace of Jesus Christ. This is already manifested and made available for us.

Hence, our Lenten observances draw inspiration from Abraham’s sacrificial journey to the Promised Land. This season of fasting, prayer and alms-giving trains us to move from our natural human domain to the realm of grace, where we encounter the overshadowing glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Sunday March 8^th, 2020.