SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2024
SUNDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT B
Genesis 22: 1-2.9.10-13.15-18
Romans 8: 31-34
Mark 9:2-10
UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERIES OF THE SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF CHRIST.
In the time of Jesus, in the understanding of a normal Jew, the suffering, death and agony of the Cross was a great scandal because it reveals the weakness of man in suffering and shows man’s immortality. So if Jesus allowed himself to experience such agony and did actually die, then his powers and nature as God is put to question. That was why it was a great stumbling block for the Jews.
More importantly, for Jesus himself to be the one announcing that he was to undergo this experience to redeem the world, was to them and particularly his disciples a great scandal. It became a great stumbling block to the faith of the disciples of Jesus. How could such a prophet die? Why should Jesus even think of selling the idea that he was to experience this form of cruel death that only criminals and condemned people undergo? This saying that he was going to suffer, die but later rise again from the dead made no meaning for the disciples.
This prompted the transfiguration whereby Jesus wished to sell to his disciples the great mystery of his death, his suffering and his resurrection. First in the transfiguration event, Jesus reenforced the faith of the disciples by revealing his glory.
Revealing his glory in the transfiguration enhanced the disciples’ faith. For at that mountain, Jesus showed them his real self, his surpassing glory, his nature, his unity with the old dispensation represented by Moses the Law and the prophets Elijah.
These testimonies of Moses and Elijah with the dazzling glory of Jesus and the testimony from the voice of God reenforced the conviction of the disciples that gave them a little latitude to trust in the words of Jesus and by so doing unravel the mystery of his suffering, death and resurrection as God’s way of redeeming mankind. They accepted it yet could not understand it.
Today, we reminiscence this mystery again to remind us that faith in Jesus has been reenforced by the transfiguration event. That the ways of God are different from ours. God’s redeeming action demands that we understand his ways and grow our faith in him. Having faith in the sacrifices of this season is necessary. We must develop the same faith in God as we are called to make sacrifices during this Lenten season. Such sacrifices are demanded of us to help us cleanse our hearts, fortify our strength and attend to our faith journey to the father in heaven.
The faith of Abraham should be our model. For Abraham was asked to take his only son and offer as a sacrifice to God. He did not reject or decline to do so. His faith in the providence of God was very strong and never shaking. He chose to follow without questioning, without thinking, and without suggesting to God. His faith in God was total and unreservedly.
This is our call this time to follow Jesus also, to offer ourselves without questioning, without thinking about ourselves and without suggesting to God how to save us. Let us them accept the ways left for us today. The sacrifices of our selves, the offering we make this season of lent of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. How much have we done in this regard?
Are we up to it? Are we truly making sacrifices, trusting in Gods mercy and kindness? Have we intensified our prayer life? How much time are we giving to helping others, alleviating the pains of others, being of serve to people around us, making sacrifices by inconveniencing ourselves, attending to the evils resident in our lives and our hearts, heeding to the call of repentance and making serious efforts to mortify ourselves and be reconciled to God?
We must recall that as Saint Paul says in the second reading, one with God is majority. Our task of sacrificing during this lent season is to be able to reconcilevwith our God and to regain our place in God and his kingdom. For in God, nobody can condemn us, or judge us, or disregard us. Jesus whom we follow underwent the agony of the cross to reconcile us to God, so we must join him likewise to gain God’s Favour and friendship so that we may truly be saved. Our little efforts must complement God’s grace to effect our salvation. So do your part well.
God our Father, in Abraham we are strengthened to grow our faith. Help us to trust in you like Abraham. May our Lenten observances of fasting, prayers and almsgiving be carried out in great faith and trust so that it’s effect will bring us glory in this world and the world to come eternal life through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
