A Decision To Follow The Lord

12-03-2017 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (A)

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1. Gen. 12:1-4a
2. Ps. 33:4-5.18-19.20.22 (R. 22)
3. 2 Tim. 1:8b-10; Accl; Mt. 17:5.
4. Gospel Mt. 17:1-9.

Theme: A Decision To Follow The Lord

Beloved in Christ, the season of Lent offers us an opportunity to reflect, reorganize, re-evaluate and renew ourselves daily in the decision to follow the Lord. The decision to follow the Lord is a very tough one because it appears as if it is a lonely journey, a fruitless journey, a journey to isolation, a journey into wretchedness, a journey into not living out your dreams and the list is endless. This may be the thought of the carnal minded person and that is why Psalm 14:1 will say “fools say to themselves, there is no God. They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.”

The truth however remains that whoever makes a decision to follow the Lord ends up a happier, fulfilled and a better person. That is why the psalmist will say in psalm 25:14 “the Lord is the friend of those who obey him and he affirms his covenant with them.” Psalm 37:25 “I am an old man now; I have lived a long time, but I have never seen a good man abandoned by the Lord or his children begging for food.”

This bible verse is made very evident in the life of Abraham the first reading of today’s liturgy talks about and then the experience of the three disciples who followed Jesus up the mount Tabor where Jesus was transfigured. It was indeed an intense moment of beauty, joy, peace to behold the glory of the Lord and the command to listen to the beloved son of God in whom God is well pleased. If we put it in another sense, it would mean that to enjoy this beauty, peace, and glory, is conditioned on listening to Jesus the beloved of God the father in whom he is well pleased.

Let us pick the experience of Abraham and then the disciples and how well we can learn some lessons from the experience of these great figures the biblical passage presents to us.

1. The blessings of Abraham:

The blessings of Abraham were hinged on some foundational principles and that is faith and obedience and with each step of faith and obedience, the blessings of the Lord increased in his life.

In Gen. 12:1-3- God remembered Abraham, called him from his pagan family and blessed him.

In gen. 12:2- God told Abram he would become a great nation.

In Gen. 17: 4- God told Abram he would be a father of many nations.

In Gen. 17: 6- God told Abram that nations and kings would come out of him.

In Gen. 18:18-God told Abram he would become a “mighty nation” and bless all nations.

In Gen. 22:18- God told Abram that all nations of the earth shall be blessed

The master key to release the fulfillment of these promises was obedience to the instructions demanded by God in his covenant even when he did not understand “the why question”-he followed God and the bible tells us in Romans 4:3- “the scripture says, Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” We can say in order words that Abraham has a blind faith and trust in God.

Lessons: 1. The secret to blessings is founded on absolute faith and obedience to God. 2. It also entails a readiness to leave one’s comfort zone to encounter the Lord. We see that each time God wanted to do something wonderful in the life of anyone, he moves such a person from his comfort zone unto a new ground where he will use that person to do exceedingly great thing. For example he did it in the life of Joseph who because of his dream was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. He experienced a twist of fate in Egypt having to rise to a position of power that saved his brothers and generations from starvation. The fact of the event in Joseph’s life was to prepare him for a time such as that he would be the one to save his father, brothers and their generation.

It also occurred in the life of Moses. Moses found his way to pharaoh’s palace in a watertight basket made of reeds and covered with tar. He found favour in the court of the King Pharaoh but that didn’t last too long he fled to the land of Midian where he encountered Jethro the priest of Midian and spent 40years in voluntary exile after murdering an Egyptian. There he also married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. There he also encountered the Lord at Sinai, the Holy Mountain in the burning bush. He receives a message to go back to deliver the children of Israel from bondage.

During these years he spent in Pharaoh’s court, he learnt the art of war because every prince is taught how to defend himself in times of battle against the enemy. The years he spent in Midian, he learnt service-the role of a servant leader, the later part of his life through the intervention of God, he delivered the children of Israel from bondage. For every step Moses took, God prepared him for something great.

The same was for the apostles Peter, James, and John whom the Lord called from their trade in order to make them fishers of men. To actualize this, they learnt how to be fishers of men from Jesus through the action, power and gift of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. The same also was for Paul and Barnabas who were separated in order to accomplish the Lord’s mission. The apostles and disciples were scattered to the ends of the earth during the persecution that claimed the life of St. Stephen.

To accomplish a great thing, there must be detachment from worldly things, a readiness to forgo pleasure and a clinging to Jesus. This requires decision making which at times is very costly but the truth is that in the end you are going to reap bountifully for he has said in Matt. 19:29 “and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.”

Questions:

1. Let us ask ourselves how many times we have been able to follow the Lord’s instruction to us in the dictates of our consciences? 2. How many times have we ignored the word of God either through a study of the word of the Lord or spoken to us from the pulpit? 3. How many times I have acted in such a manner that I doubt God’s power to solve my challenges and gone ahead to consult other gods or seek protection from ungodly places? 4. How many times have I offered the Lord a sacrifice that is not befitting of God and yet I want the Lord to bless me? 5. How many times have I supported the work of God? 6. How many times have I ignored the call from the church to support her projects? 7. How many times have I abandoned God’s project because someone angered me, something did not work in my favour so I quit? 8. How often have I sort or made efforts to understand what the church is asking me to do and complied? 9. How often have I acted in such a way to douse God’s word or water down the word of God so that I may not be pricked in conscience? 10. How many times have I acted like I think I know more than the priest, why should I listen to him or follow his instruction or why should I support in whatever he is saying? 11. How many times have I murmured in church when the church calls on me to do something? 12. How often have I acted in pride or become pompous or feel too big to adhere to simple as they may sound, instructions from the church warden or traffic warden who has been positioned or given the task to help me feel comfortable in the house of the Lord?

These questions will help us make resolutions to become better Christians not only within the season of Lent but every day I live my life as a Christian.

1. The Transfiguration:

The Gospel tells us what happened on Mount Tabor. Shortly before, in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus had declared to his disciples that he was to undergo suffering in Jerusalem, that he was going to die at the hands of the chief priests, the elders and the scribes. The apostles had been saddened and dismayed by this announcement. Now Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, and led them apart to pray. They are the three disciples who later will witness his agony in the Garden of Olives. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his garment became dazzling white. they saw him talking to Elijah and Moses who appeared in glory and spoke of his death which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.

The Apostles had for six days been weighed down by sorrow by the announcement made in Caesarea Philippi. It is Jesus’ tenderness that enables them to contemplate his glorification.

St. Leo the Great says that, the principal aim of the transfiguration was to banish from his disciples’ souls the scandal of the cross. The disciples would never forget this drop of honey that Jesus gave them in the midst of his grief. Years later, st. peter would recall these moments in all their clarity in 2 Peter 1:17-18- “we were there when he was given honour and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, ‘This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased! We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the Holy Mountain.’”

This is one wonderful thing the Lord does for us that in the moment of greatest suffering, he gives us the consolation we need to keep us going forward.

The flash of God’s glory transported the disciples into a state of immense happiness. It made St. Peter exclaim Master, it is well that we are here, let us make three booths, one for you, for Elijah and Moses Peter wants to make that situation last longer. The underlining fact here was the joy of been in the presence of the Lord.

Lesson: 1. We all go through suffering but we also experience the beauty of the transfiguration at the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, where we are comforted and consoled with the word of God and the Body of the Lord. 2. The Lord is never far from us in the moments of greatest sufferings, he is always there for us and offering us a helping hand through the hands of others. 3. We must strive to make the Holy Mass and Holy Hour/Benediction a constant habit for us where we draw inspiration and strength to forge ahead. 4. If we remain with Jesus, we will be very close to other people and we will be happy in whatever place or situation we may find ourselves. 5. We need to seek the face of the lord in ordinary circumstances of each day.

Questions:

1. What does the Mass mean to me? 2. How well do I participate at Mass? 3. Do I chew gum or lick sweet while the Mass is on? 4. Do I kneel in adoration to the Lord I receive at Mass or do I approach the rail of the sanctuary with irreverence? 5. Do I read other materials, surf the web and view ungodly sights while the mass is ongoing? 6. Do I sit with friends and talk all through Mass? 7. Do I run commentary on everything that goes on within mass or offer it to God in prayer?
2. What is my understanding of the Holy Hour? 2. Do I realize it is the extension of the Holy Mass where we have ample opportunity to mediate in perfect adoration the body of Jesus we received at Mass. 3. Do I realize that if I spend quality time with the Lord I will be happy and able to face the week with renewed energy and zeal?

Prayer: Lord Jesus please teach us to learn obedience, grow in faith and seek to spend time with you in the blessed sacrament we ask this through Christ our Lord. amen.