Word to the Wise
Sunday, February 25, 2018 - 2nd Sunday of Lent - B
[Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Rom 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10]SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1018 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT [Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Romans 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10] If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not give us everything else along with him? [Romans] The gospel account of the Transfiguration in the Gospel According to Mark shares the spotlight with the story of Abraham being called to sacrifice his "son Isaac, your only one, whom you love..." At the transfiguration, we hear a voice that identifies Jesus as "my beloved Son" and the command, "Listen to him." That same voice spoke at the time Jesus was baptized in the Jordan [Mark 1:11]. St. Paul offers a way forward to understanding the two other passages. Two elements seem prominent: God's incredible love, and Jesus as the manifestation of that love. The disciples who went up the mountain with Jesus found themselves the beneficiaries of an extraordinary revelation in regard to the "Rabbi" they had been following. He turns out to be more than they could understand, and would not really understand until he was given up to the cross and resurrection. But we who have the benefit of centuries of reflection on this event are able to see the generosity of God and to know that Jesus is that generosity. Our baptism brings us into the very mystery of the transfiguration. We are told on the mountain not only who Jesus is, but we are also told to "listen to him." This weekend I begin the second of three parish missions in South Florida. The challenge for this Lenten event is to help the participants realize the power of baptism presently working in them and what it is that Jesus asks them to do. The Transfiguration becomes an event in which we are active participants and not overwhelmed observers. AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
84 ms
4
