By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Gen.22:1-2, 9-13. 15-18, Ps.115:10.15-19, Rom.8:31-34 & Mk.9:2-10)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Two women stood before the 12th century Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. One asked, “Why can’t we build structures like this anymore?” Her friend answered, “The people who built this had faith. Today we have opinions. And you can’t build a cathedral with opinions.” Great faith does mighty works. Whoever has faith in God must be willing to listen to God and serve him in obedience otherwise the faith is just sterile and empty. Your belief determines your action and your action determines your result, but first you have to listen to know what God is saying to you.
In our first reading this Sunday Gen.22:-18, God puts Abraham to the test and demands that he sacrifices his only son, Isaac. Abraham being a man of great faith, did not hesitate to obey, not minding that he and his wife, Sarah were already advanced in years to beget another child through whom God would fulfill his earlier promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations.
In this narrative, Abraham is presented as a sublime model of self-sacrificing and obedient faith. Just when Abraham thinks that God’s promises of making him the father of many nations, had been realized in the person of Isaac, the son of his old age, God makes what looks like the most incomprehensible demand on him. However, when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God intervened, sending an angel to stop Abraham. The Angel commends Abraham for his obedient faith and then asked him to use the ram hooked by its horns in the bush for the sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac. In rewards for his obedient faith, God appeared again to Abraham and said, “because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore.” By willing to offer his only Son, Isaac, Abraham wins God’s approval and even greater blessings. He emerged with a stronger faith in God.
The Gospel reading presents the transfiguration of Jesus in the presence of three of his disciples. The scene described a very remarkable event of Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, the two great men symbolizing the Law and the Prophets. Caught up in this marvelous scene, Peter asked to build three tents for Jesus and the two men. The glory was so powerful that Peter wouldn’t want to return. But then came the voice of the Father who, confirming Jesus as His beloved Son, commanded the disciples to listen to Him. Like Abraham who did not hold back his son Isaac, God is not holding back Jesus, but offering Him up for the salvation of all people. What is required on our part is obedient fellowship in doing all that Jesus would ask of us. Thus, the command, “listen to Him”.
The event of the first reading forshadows the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets who leads us into the new era of God’s salvific plan. What God demands of us is to render him obedient fellowship. Like the disciples of Jesus, we have to learn to listen to Him, to believe in His Word, and to live it out. Abraham did not just have Faith in God, he matched it with obedience. The world does not like the word “obedience”, because it sounds like someone telling you what to do. But how can we grow in Godliness without God telling us how to go about it? Why do we send our children to school if not to learn. Without listening to parents and teachers, children would hardly learn the right things. If God is our Father, then we have to listen to Him and obey His commands, even when it seems difficult.
St. Paul assures us in the second reading that God has our back. We don’t have to be afraid to commit ourselves in carrying out everything he might requires of us. He said, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” God’s assurance is evidenced in the gift of His own Son, Jesus. What else can be more than that? What other assurance do we need to beleive that God is to be trusted, that His commands are perfect and represent our best interest? The foundation for the obedient faith required of us is rooted in God’s faithful and unconditional love shown in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. That shows the commitment of God to our welfare.
This lenten season is a period to reflect on the events of our salvation. The passion and death of Jesus end with the resurrection, which is a sign of hope. That hope is contained in the glory that was revealed to the disciples during the Transfiguration. Jesus instructed the disciples to keep the event of the Transfiguration secret until he is raised from the dead. We have the benefit of hindsight, helping us to know that pains of death and sacrifice in which we participate in this Lenten period definitely ends in something glorious. That knowledge should inspire us not to withhold anything capable of bringing us closer to God.
Let the sacrifice of Abraham and the passion of Jesus encourage us to render sacrificing services for the good of our brothers and sisters in need, remembering the words of Jesus that, “ whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.