Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent
(A) (12th March, 2017) on the Gospel
Gen 12:1-4;
Ps 32:4-5.18-20.22 (R. v.22);
2Tim 1:8-10;
Matt 17:1-9.
Those days, when rice was the major thing that gives children
joy whenever they remember Sunday for those families who could afford it every
Sunday and major solemnities like Christmas. Children could stay wherever they visited
and noticed that rice was being prepared for as long as it would take to
prepare it. Telling a child before he or she partakes of it that someone is
looking for him or her would most certainly fall on deaf ears. Sometimes, they could
get as much as just a handful or even something less than that. One would
always get the best from the children just with the promise of giving them rice
because it was what they wanted.
Topic: Our Dwelling Place.
Conditions in life both those considered favourable and those
considered unfavourable do make some think that they have reached the final bus
stop. Some who like their condition are ready to do anything to see that they
remained in it whereas some of those who do not like theirs are equally ready
to do anything to change it. At the sight of the transfiguration of Jesus in
today’s gospel Peter said: “Lord it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I
will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”.
This was before the condition he considered favourable. This same Peter rebuked
Jesus when Jesus foretold his passion and death saying: “God forbid, Lord! This
shall never happen to you” (Matt 16:22)
and even denied Him during His passion and death, cf. (Matt 26:70, 72, 74). Job rightly asked: “… Shall we receive the
good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (Job 2:10).
Every condition is for at least a lesson. Reading the
gospel further: “While he [Peter] was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’”.
The voice made no reference to what made the apostles preferred to remain on
the high mountain but delivered the message – “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
In the Book of Exodus we also read a passage similar to this where the angel of
God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of a bush. When Moses turned to
see why the bush was not burnt God called him and sent him on a mission, cf. Ex 3:1-12.
We are called anew this period of lent to believe the
gospel bearing in mind what we are and where we are going to–dust. On Ash
Wednesday, while receiving the ash, we were told either ‘Turn away from sin and
be faithful to the gospel’ or ‘Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will
return’. Which means no matter the condition we find ourselves in this life we must
surely leave this world one day for our eternal home, cf. Eccl 12:5. Only those who followed the footsteps of Christ can enter
that eternal home, cf. Rev 21:27. We
are called to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Christ, (cf. Mk 8:34-35) who is the head, cf. 1Cor 12:27; Col 1:18. St Paul in his
Second Letter to the Corinthians urges us thus:
So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim
to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether
good or evil (2Cor 5:9-10).
Remember when you are in a condition you do not like
that “He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home
with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps 126:6). The home in question is heaven because our commonwealth
is in heaven, cf. Phil 3:20. We
should not forget our home at the face of either what we want or what we do not
want like the children in our story.
Bible Readings: Ex 3:1-12; Ezek 18:1-32; 2Cor 4:16–5:10; Phil 3:12-21.
Thought for today: We are members of the household of God (cf. Eph 2:19).
Let us pray:
God our Father, author of all that is good, help us to
make the best out of this lent because without you we can do nothing – Amen.
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