Homily of Second Sunday of Lent
of Year A 2020
Last Sunday’s first reading was
about the sin of disobedience of Adam and Eve. In Genesis Chapter 11 is the
story of the sin of rebellion of the builders of the Tower of Babel. God
scattered the builders over all the earth. After Noah, there was no record in
the Book of Genesis of true worshippers of God. God, then, called Abram to
begin a new phase of God’s relationship with human beings, which also marks the
beginning of the story of God’s Chosen People. God called Abram who was a pagan
to leave his pagan kinsfolks and his pagan father’s house to where God would
reveal himself to him, and then, make him a great nation. The first reading
concludes, “Abram went as the Lord directed him.”
The call of Abram means that God
wants to begin a new relationship with us and wants us to leave behind us the
sins of disobedience and rebellion. If we respond positively to God’s call and
follow as God directs us, we will merit God’s abundant blessings.
It’s worthy of note that out of
the entire people of Ur of the Chaldeans, God called only one man, Abram, to
establish a new and great nation. God may be calling anyone of us to something
new and great. May we be able to respond positively like Abram as God directs.
Abram was 75 years when God
called him to begin a new journey and a new life. The call of Abram also means
that it is never too late to bloom. Seniors who are psychologically young at
heart, in mind and spirit have more positive attitude towards life than some
young people who are old-aged at heart, in mind and in spirit. There is some
truth in the saying, “Age is a state of mind.”
The second reading says, “He
saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according
to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus…” This call is
not according to the way we want it. It is according to God’s design. If we
accept the call as God designs it, God’s grace leads us forward. God does not
send us to any place where his grace will not sustain us. God is always
faithful although we are unfaithful most of the time.
In the Gospel, Jesus took his
disciples and transfigured before them; “his face shone like the sun and
his clothes became white as light.” I believe that Jesus took Peter, James
and John to witness his transfiguration, for them to have some idea who he
truly is, and be able to tell others what they witnessed. Because the three
apostles witnessed the transfiguration, the story of what they witnessed is
told till this day.
To transfigure means to
transform the appearance of something in order to reveal great beauty or
magnificence that is present but hidden. The glorious nature of Jesus revealed
at transfiguration had been hidden from the apostles.
God made each of us with great
beauty and magnificence. In Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it
was very good.” We are part of that beauty. Psalm 139:13-14 confirms that
each one of us is wonderfully and beautifully made. Unfortunately, layers of
sins, weaknesses, and ugly experiences hide our wonder and beauty. Therefore, we
are invited to transfigure in order that our original beauty and wonder may be
revealed. The call to transfigure is a call to conversion and restoration.
The three readings invite us to
pray for God’s grace to remove the layers of sins, weaknesses, and ugly
experiences that hide our beauty and magnificence. None of us is free from the
layers. St. Paul says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23).
Some of the layers that hide our
beauty and wonder:
I used to be happy and peaceful,
but now I am unhappy and angry. I used to be prayerful, but now I have little
or no interest to pray. I used to be grateful, but now I am ungrateful. I used
to be sincere, but now I tell lies. I used to live a good moral life, but now I
live a worldly life. I used to be obedient, but now I am disobedient and
stubborn. I used to be hard working, but now I am lazy. I used to be
self-content, but now I am greedy, envious and jealous. I used to be friendly,
but now I am resentful. I used to be self-restraint but now I gossip,
criticize, and malign. I used to be easy going but now I find it difficult to
reconcile and forgive. I used to be generous, but now I am unkind. I used to be
understanding, but now I am quarrelsome. I used to be courageous, but now I am
very fearful and anxious. And so on.
There are some other layers that
hide our beauty and magnificence and we pray that God intervenes and removes
them: layers of ill-health, of hardship, of trials, of crises, and other
afflictions. We need transfiguration in our places of work, places of business,
plans, family, parish, Church, and so on. Our Country needs transfiguration.
Our political and economic leaders need transfiguration. Our world needs
transfiguration. May our hidden beauty and magnificence be revealed and
restored. Amen.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP
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