Homily on Second Sunday of Lent Year C, 13th March, 2022

 Homily on Second Sunday of Lent Year C, 13th March, 2022

Readings: Genesis 15:5-12.17-18; Ps.27, Phil. 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

JOURNEYING WITH THE LORD AT THE MOUNTAIN OF TRANSFIGURATION

Reflecting on the awesome nature of God as manifested in the things he created, the surprising ways he chooses to carry out his plans, the people he chooses, the place, and the things he use in fulfilling his plans, they are just incomprehensible. This is evident in our readings today.

In the first reading, we heard how God chose Abram and after making a difficult demand from him, had a covenant with him saying:, To your descendants I give this land, from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River. For the Lord said to him look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants.’ Because Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified. This covenant with God is the beginning of Abram personal relationship with God. A covenant that brought about the filial relationship between God and humanity as seen in the covenant at Sinai, which reached its peak in the new and eternal covenant which Jesus sealed in his own blood on the cross on mount Calvary.

This Abraham’s covenant with God may sound very strange to us but this describes the ancient ways of making treaty with God. Where an animal is divided into two while the contracting parties walked between the divided parts of the animals. A symbol of what we have in the eternal covenant of Christ in the Calvary where Christ was crucified between two thieves who represent the filthiness of humanity and Christ being the sanctifier.  In all the covenants it is always God who takes the initiative, although the people will often break God’s covenants. But God has never abandoned us. For through his son Jesus, he has promised to be with us always even till the end of time. Hence, through this covenant, all of us are made to be sons and daughters of God, sharers of God’s inheritance and glory which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. 

This promise is what we see manifest in our Gospel passage today at the mountain of transfiguration, where Jesus chose three of his disciples Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain, there in their presence he was transfigured. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him

Therefore, the event of the transfiguration of the Lord reminds us of the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to. An event that occur to draw our attention to inevitable event of parousia (the second coming of Jesus at the judgement day), which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. Thus, this transfiguration account tells us about the great dramatic revelation and encounter of God’s presence among the disciples of Jesus.  A truly spiritual personal experience of God, calling us for a possibility of divine encounter. 

Dear friends, like Abraham and the three disciples: Peter, James and John, we all have been called this Lenten season to journey with the Lord to the mountain of transfiguration in obedience to his will. Though, sometimes when we are called to follow the Lord, the path may seem to be uncertain and unknown to us, it may seem difficult and contrary to our own way of life, we must learn to remain faithful like Abraham, knowing that the devil is always ready to distract us, persuading and tempting us to remain in our old and ugly way of life  and not to respond to the Lord’s calling.

 Therefore, we are called this Holy Season of Lent to reexamine our lives in order to know how we are responding to God’s call to holiness and faith. We are to discern carefully the will of God in our lives? Today God is calling us to change our ugly way of life and follow him, in whatever directions that he wishes to lead us. Hence, St Paul tells us in the second reading that our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body.

But, the truth remains that, we can change our friends, residence, car or our physical appearance: hair, cloth, colour even gender as some people do today. But if we do not have a personal transfigurative experience like the three disciples, that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and neighbours, we will remain the same and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again in our lives. Because, everything absolutely change when we change our mind for good. And that change can only be propelled by a strong personal encounter and experience of God in our lives.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today you revealed the glory of your Son to humanity at the mountain of transfiguration, calling us to listen to him. As we listen to your words today, may you transform us into the image and likeness of your Son Jesus and fill our heart with the Joy of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday celebration.