Homily For Second Sunday of Lent Year B, 25th February, 2024

Readings: Genesis 22:1-2.9-13.15-18, Ps.116, Rom 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

THE FAITH THAT LEADS TO STRONG PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

 

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 made a difficult demand from Abraham, who after receiving  the fulfilment of God’s promised of a son, in the person of Isaac, was asked by the Lord to present this same son for a sacrificial offering at Mount Moriah. Here we can imagine what must have been going on in Abraham’s mind the moment he was asked to sacrifice the only son whom he so much desired to have as the hair to the promised God made to him. But despite this, Abraham obeyed God’s instruction unconditionally, for he trusted in the Lord and went ahead to offer Isaac as the Lord required of him. So when Isaac discovered that there was no sacrificial animal, he asked his father about it, who told him, that the Lord shall provide.

 

Hence it is clear that Abraham had such trust and faith in God that even if he offer Isaac to God, God will surely provide as he promised, because he could do what was impossible and will always fulfilled his promises. This was the great faith Abraham had that was rewarded by God when he told him not to harm Isaac, for he had seen how faithful he was. So God rewarded him saying: because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore.

 

What a great experience at the mountain of encounter and transformation which marked the beginning of a special encounter and a close relationship between God and man after the fall in garden of Edam. By obeying and trusting God, Abraham demonstrated an extraordinary faith in God’s guidance and providence. Thus, through his faith the whole humanity were blessed because from his descendants comes the saviour of humanity and this saviour is revealed at the mountain of transfiguration in the person of Jesus as we have it in our Gospel reading today.

 

The remarkable event of transfiguration reveals in a moment that Jesus was not just merely a Man, but also the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. He has two distinct yet inseparable natures of Man and Divine, through which he would seal and make a new Covenant that will last forever with all humanity, which will be made known through his Passion, his death on the Cross and his resurrection.

 

Here, we see the Lord Jesus, the Promised Saviour, who just like Isaac, the promised son of Abraham, was tied and brought up to the mountain, bearing the wood of sacrifice, to build up the altar of the sacrifice, but, in the case of Jesus, the Wood of the Cross is his altar, the altar of his sacrificial offering of love, where he, as the high Priest of all, offered himself as the worthy offering for all humanity. And this is the ultimate proof of God’s enduring love for us all. 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.

 

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, this second Sunday of Lent we all have been called like Abraham and the three disciples: Peter, James and John 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 with God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for our sake.

 

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 our 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 faith that leads to 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.