CYCLE A 2ND LENT (#2)
Gen. 12: 1-4, 2 Tim 1: 8-10, Matt. 17:1-9
We always want the Good things in life, but we want it to come to us the ‘EASY” way. Whether it’s Health, Career, something Material or even a Relationship, if it doesn’t come “EASY”, many times we are likely to seek another route that is less burdensome or back off and quit.
Here we are, entering the 2nd week of Lent already. Lent helps us each year to seek our SPIRITUAL GOOD. The Church in the mind of Christ, knows well, the need for us to enter deeply into the penitential fervor of the season; she knows well also, how fast we can ‘Backslide’.
How are your personal Rigors of Lent going? Have you started? Have you already started the ‘Backslide’ or are you on top of your Lenten Game Plan? Just a reminder, so often what can help us to succeed this Penitential season is, make sure you have a companion or mentor to spur you on.
To avoid complacency or quitting we are noted for, the church doesn’t wait long to help us. Today in her role as a ‘Spiritual Companion and Mentor’, she uses 3 scripture stories to help us get into the mindset of ‘SUFFERING and SELF DENIAL’ not only for good spiritual health, but that it is the DOOR to the kingdom here on earth and to heaven as well.
Abram was a pagan shepherd living in northern Iraq, when called by God. Evidently, God convinced him that HE ALONE was the true God, and that HE ALONE should be served.
So God commanded Abram (name later changed to Abraham) to leave his family and land and emigrate to some foreign (secret) place where God will lead him. In Abram’s day, to leave one’s tribe and one’s relatives was to risk one’s life. Today, you and I find it ‘RISKY’ to fast between meals and abide by the ‘Meatless Fridays’ Rigor. (But I digress)
So God promised Abram that if he obeys, he will be the FATHER of a nation of many people. That he will be blessed by God and through him will be a blessing for all mankind. In these PROMISES, God chose him to be the father of the Chosen People and the ancestor of the Christ.
The PROMISES while important, it’s the example of Abram, and how he trusted whole heartedly in the true God who asked him to do ‘HARD THINGS’, in return for future reward, that is most important. Those PROMISES to Abram, was also promises to us. This Lent, like Abram, take the call to follow our God alone to heart. Do you want to be apart of that ‘NATION’? Do you want your family to share in the BLESSINGS’?
In the letter to Timothy, when Paul said “Take your share of suffering”, Paul reminded Timothy of the GIFT of POWER God had given him through the laying of Paul’s hands on him (ordination). He must use that gift for the spread of the gospel, even if it will cause him suffering and humiliation, which it did.
Our ‘CALL’ has POWER too, to help us follow Christ, like Timothy and ‘take our share of suffering’. That POWER comes in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. This ‘CALL’ also similar to Abrams call, reminds us to GO WHERE God leads, endure HARDSHIP, and like Timothy, PREACH the Good News.
So what is the Good News? Paul says “…it’s not in our works… but in Christ Jesus”. He is the divine plan “from ages ago” as first promised to Abram from our 1st reading, which now has been made manifest. So the 1st part of the Good News is the coming of Christ through the Incarnation.
And part 2 of that ‘Good News’ Paul goes on to tell us, is that in Jesus’ coming and His subsequent death and Resurrection, He ABOLISHED DEATH. Physical death would and should be the natural end of man if God had not decreed otherwise. But God had so decreed: physical death IS NOW the doorway to a new ETERNAL life.
This is the “good news,” that we all must LEARN, PREACH and GLADLY SUFFER for.
In the theme of this 2nd week of Lent which is ‘Suffering leads to Glory’, the story of the Transfiguration is the CONCRETE sign, of the Promises given to Abram that we can cling to. Seeing the Glorified Body of Jesus, the Law Giver Moses, the Prophet Elijah, gave Peter, John and James and through them PREACHING to us the reason why we should find the Transfiguration as a ‘ENCOURAGMENT’ for us to endure necessary SUFFERING and SELF-MORTIFICATION. The Apostles surely clung to this vision as they witness Jesus suffering and then understood it ALL, in light of His subsequent Resurrection. So to we must cling to that Beatific Vision as we endure our trials leads to the Glory that is promised.
Hopefully the theme of Lent makes more sense to you and you will be more ‘WANTING’ to enter into the RIGORS of Lent. To make time for STATIONS, DAILY MASS, CONFESSION, BIBLE STUDY. May be NOW, you will make greater effort, to give some of your TIME and TREASURE to those in NEED. Maybe your Fasting will INCREASE and you’ll find JOY in abstaining from meat on Friday. Little things count and a ‘BETTER Spiritual YOU’ will result and future GLORY assured. Of course it will be RISKY, of course it won’t be EASY, but it will be WORTH it! Have a good Lent.
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