REFLECTIONS FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B
Fr. Vincent Esprit FMI March 4th, 2012
Reflection for Second Sunday of Lent Year B
In both the Old Testament – Gen. 22,1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 – and that of the New Testament – Mark 9: 2-10, the word of God declares an outpouring of God’s unconditional unto the world. God will intervene to help and save his loved ones. However, for this to be realized God asks us to cooperate with him. While he respects our free will, he humbly in love waits and desires our response to turn towards him. He intervened to prevent Abraham who responded in faith to God’s call, from the slaying of his Son Isaac. Abraham loved God and respond in obedience.
God’s word in the Gospel of Mark – 9: 2-10 – again demonstrates God’s intervention to his only Son Jesus Christ. God intervened and Jesus was transfigured. The Word of God tells us he became dazzlingly white. Most importantly, Moses and Abraham were there with him telling him of his own death that was to come – Lk. 9: 30-31. These actions of love by The Trinitarian God can encourage us in the following ways:
- God will intervene to save us from destruction. Whenever, we are on a path that leads us away from God, he does intervene through signs, wonders and people to bring us back to his love. The question remains; do we listen or take heed to his warning signs?
- The fact that Moses and Elijah were there with him tells us two other things about the Christian Faith. There is life after death, and to those who die in Christ eternal life awaits us. Mosses, who had a natural death and Elijah – taken up in a whirl wind, had already passed on, yet they were there having a conversation with Jesus. What do you think they were telling Jesus? They must have been giving Jesus encouragement to face his impending death – Lk. 9: 30-31. Does not that remind us of our loved ones who upon entering the agony stage before final death, seem to be calling the names of their families who were already dead? They seem to be in the presence of those who have already passed on. Jesus experienced it too.
- This encourages us to continue to pray for the dead and put masses for them. The second book of Maccabbees – 12: 41- 46 affirms this practice. The Word of God tells us that God’s people collected a monetary offering and had it sent to Jerusalem so that a service could be celebrated for all the dead brothers and sisters. Verse 45-46 tells us that this sacrifice to pardon the sins of the dead, was holy and keeping with faith, for the God’s people of the Old Testament believed in a splendid reward for those who died as believers.
- The transfiguration happened in the presence of the living disciples – Peter, John and James. God’s intervention in the New Testament was within a community of believers. You and I cannot go to heaven alone. We are communal people. Let us make the effort to build community, to strengthen and encourage one another as we experience an outpouring of God’s love during this time of Lent. May we come back to God with a repentant heart and in so doing allow ourselves to be transfigured by the blood of the lamb. Do have a blessed Second Sunday of Lent!
