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 8th, 2020.
