Now we are on the Second Sunday of Lent to start the second full week of our Lenten journey. And where our journey of Lent will take us?
Of course, to the Calvary and to the Cross with
Jesus.
But, the Cross is not the destiny of our journey of
Lent, though Lent itself ends with the sundown just before commemorating the
Last Supper on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday).
In fact, Lenten journey will take us beyond the
death of Jesus on the Cross and all the way to the empty tomb of Jesus on the
day of his Resurrection.
To complete our Lenten journey beyond the Last
Supper, through the Paschal Triduum, to the day of Resurrection, we must keep
our faith steadfast and enduring, like the faith of Abraham.
And this is what is reflected in the Scripture
Readings for this Second Sunday of Lent (Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18;
Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19; Romans 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10), reading on
Abraham’s faithfulness (Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18) and the
Transfiguration of the Lord (Mark 9:2-10) – steadfast faith, exemplified by
Abraham (First Reading) and a preview of the Resurrection glory in the
Transfiguration of Jesus (Gospel Reading).
God sure knows so well that it is not easy for us to
return to him after spending some time entertaining Satan by our sins. Our
return journey back to God for Lent (Joel 2:12) can be just as difficult as the
prodigal son’s journey back to his father, whom he betrayed by his sin (Luke
15:11-32). So, God wants to encourage us
with what is awaiting us upon our completion of our journey of Lent to return
to God and to be with Christ in his climax of the Paschal Mystery: his death
and resurrection. So, we know it is worth fighting temptations from Satan to
lure us back to his domain of sins by keeping our faith as steadfast and
enduring as Abraham’s to make it through this challenging journey of Lent – so that
we, too, will rejoice over the Resurrection in Christ’s glory.
Anyone who have run a marathon knows from his or her
own experience, how keeping a victorious vision of himself or herself crossing
the finish line can help overcome all obstacles on the course and temptations
to quit as bodies ache with fatigue. Spiritually, we keep the glorious vision
of Christ’s resurrection, as prefigured in his Transfiguration, so that we can
truly complete our Lenten journey.
In regard to the Gospel Reading description of the
Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10), it is important to know what precede to this
event.
Around the middle point of the 3-year period of Jesus’ public ministry, in Caesarea Philippi, a hub of pagan deity worship in Galilee, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”(Mark 8:29a) to make sure they know who they were following. It was Simon, who gave the correct answer, proclaiming, “You are the Messiah”(Mark 8:29b). Then, Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about this Christological identity of Jesus and foretold his death and resurrection (Mark 8:30-31). This is to fulfill Isaiah’s “Suffering Messiah Prophecy”(Isaiah 52:13-53:13) so that we may be justified (Romans 4:25). To this foretelling of Jesus’ resurrection and resurrection, Peter tried to deter him from going to Jerusalem (Mark 8:32) but was rebuked by him (Mark 8:33), as Jesus took Peter’s such attempt was an interruption of his mission on earth. That is why Jesus scorned Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”(Mark 8:33).
Obviously, Peter did not understand what Jesus
really meant by his foretelling of his death and resurrection. That is why
Jesus took him, along with James and John, to witness his Transfiguration,
after 6 days from the foretelling (Mark 9:2).
The glorious Transfiguration of Jesus is a
prefiguration of the Resurrection. While the Transfiguration was taking place, Moses
and Elijah appeared, and Jesus was conversing with them (Mark 9:4).
What this conversation among Jesus, Moses, and
Elijah was about?
It was about what Jesus was to accomplish – what Peter
tried to stop: his death and resurrection so that both the Law and prophecies
are fulfilled. For this reason, Christ came (Matthew 5:17), as sent by the
Father out of His love (John 3:16) by incarnating the Word (John 1:1, 14).
Moses represent the Law, while Elijah represents the Prophets to be fulfilled by
Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So, now, we understand that our Lenten journey will
take us, beyond the Cross, to witness the fulfillment of the Law and the
Prophecies through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Paul in the Second Reading (Romans 8:31b-34) gives
us an encouraging remark to make sure that we will not drop out of this
challenging journey of Lent, “If God is
for us, who can be against us?”(Romans 8:31b). So, we know God is for us, as
we journey to the Cross of Christ and beyond in order to witness the glorious
fulfillment of the Law and the Prophecies by the risen Christ, as previewed in
the Transfiguration.
After all, knowing that God is for us (Romans
8:31b), we can keep our faith like Abraham’s (Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18),
no matter how challenging our Lenten journey may become, and keep walking, even
afflicted by Satan’s attacks to pull us back to sins, as God’s faithful
servant, as reflected in the Responsorial Psalm (116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19) all the
way to witness what the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-10) points to.
Let us keep on going forward on our Lenten journey
to where the Transfiguration points to, keeping our confidence that God is for
us. Amen.
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