FIRST READING: Genesis 12:1-4.The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. EXPLANATION: God's plan for man, when he created this world and made man the principal being in it was to share his own eternal happiness with him. The Incarnation was the means chosen for this act of gracious love. By taking our human nature, and uniting it to his divinity, the Son of God raised all human nature to the honor of adopted sonship of God. Before this took place, before the time preordained by God, or "the fulness of time" as St. Paul calls it, arrived, men had forgotten God and their purpose in life. In their sinful disloyalty to their maker they had made idols or false gods for themselves--gods who demanded, if any, service of them. But God's plan was unchanged and unchangeable. In due time he began the remote preparation for the Incarnation. Almost 2,000 years before Christ was to come, he selected Abram to be the father of a people who would be his special friends, his "Chosen People," and to them he would reveal himself, and through them, the fulness of his revelation, Christ would come to all men. This is the divine event read for us today. Lord. . . Abram: Abram was a pagan when called by God. At the time of his call he was living in Haran in northern Mesopotamia; his father Thare had come there from "Ur of the Chaldees." Evidently, God convinced him that he alone was the true God, and that he alone should be served.
Go . . . country: Even today this command could not be called easy to fulfillment, but in the days of Abram to leave one's tribe and ones relatives was to risk one's life.
go . . . show you: He was commanded to emigrate to some foreign land, the very name of which was kept secret from him.
I will make . . . nation: God promises Abram that he will be the father and founder of nation with a numerous following. He will be blessed by God and will be a blessing for many, for all mankind in fact.
I will . . .curse: A Hebrew parallelism. God will bless those who help Abram; he will not bless those who oppose him.
all . . . earth: All the human race will be blessed and will bless Abram, because God chose him as the ancestor of Christ.
Abram . . . him: Abram trusted implicitly and wholeheartedly in the true God who had so recently revealed himself to him. He did as God told him, without question or hesitation. APPLICATION: God's mercy and love for us men is the first lesson this call of Abram should teach us. Over 3,800 years ago God began the proximate preparations for opening heaven to us. He converted the pagan Abram and got him to leave his idol--worshiping family, kinsmen and country. He set him up in Canaan and promised him a great posterity, numerous descendants, who would eventually possess that land. His purpose in doing this was to preserve the knowledge of the true God, and continually enlarge on that knowledge, until the "fulness of time" and the fulness of his knowledge would come to all men in the Incarnation. The story of God's infinite patience in his dealings with the descendants of Abram, as narrated in the Old Testament, is another convincing proof of his infinite love for us. Only infinite love could have persevered in the face of the stubborn hard--heartedness, repeated ingratitude and infidelities of his Chosen People. But infinite love prevailed; a remnant of that people was preserved until the promised one, the Messiah, through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed, came on earth. Another lesson which every Christian should learn from the call of Abram, is that each and every one of us, no matter what our state in life may be, is called like Abram to preserve the knowledge of God in our own life, and to do all in our power to bring that knowledge to our neighbors. Some are asked to leave their home and their country and go to a land that God chooses for their apostolate. These are the missionaries, who are called on to do more than the rest of us. Their task is more arduous; their vocation makes greater demands on human nature; but God is with them and their reward is great. But those of us, the vast majority of Christians, who are not called to the mission-fields, are still called to the apostolate. Every one of us has the call and the obligation to share his knowledge of God with his neighbors. We are adopted sons of God, true sons of Abram. We are a small part of the whole human race which God wants in heaven. As he looked to the Chosen People of old to help him in bringing eternal life to all nations, so he looks to us now to continue the same divine task. The Incarnation has made all men sons of God, brothers of Christ and true brothers of one another. Am I really a brother of Christ if I have no interest in the true welfare of my neighbor, my brother? If I shrug my shoulders and say that I have enough to do to try to get to heaven myself, without having to bother with my neighbor, this is a sure sign that I am not trying to get to heaven. If my Christian life does not include the good example of true Christian living, a word of advice for a brother who needs it, a daily prayer for the salvation of all my fellow-travelers to heaven, I am not on the road to heaven myself. Lent is a very suitable occasion to examine my past conduct in this regard. Christ suffered and died on the cross to open heaven for all men. He rose from the dead--"the first-fruits" of the millions of those who will one day rise from the dead and enter into a new and everlasting life. That some, and maybe many, of my fellowman will reap the reward of what Christ did for them, will and does depend on my true charity. If I fail in this duty, if I turn a deaf ear to this Christian vocation, I am gravely endangering my own participation in the eternal happiness won for me by Christ.
SECOND READING: 2 Tim. 1: 8-10.Take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. EXPLANATION: Timothy, son of a pagan father and a Jewish mother, became a Christian, together with his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois (2 Tim. 1:5), on St. Paul's first visit to Lystra. When Paul returned to Lystra on his second missionary journey, Timothy joined him, and became his "fellow-worker" for the gospel. He remained with Paul all through his second and third missionary journeys, during which time Paul sent him on several special missions. Later, Paul appointed him head of the church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3), as he had made Titus bishop in Crete (Tit. 1:5). It is pretty certain that Paul appointed other such bishops, or "overseers," in the larger communities which he founded, but their names are unknown. We know of Titus and of Timothy because of the letters Paul wrote to them. These epistles are called the Pastoral Epistles, because they are principally concerned with the pastoral duties of these men whom he placed over the churches. These were the duties of pastors or shepherds of the communities.
Take . . . suffering: In the preceding verses, Paul had reminded Timothy of the gift, the power, God had given him through the laying of Paul's hands on him (ordination). He must use that gift for the spread of the gospel, even if it will cause him suffering and humiliation, which it did.
God . . . us: The call to follow Christ and become Christians in Baptism, is always attributed by Paul to God; the Christian faith is a free gift of God.
a holy calling: It is a call to holiness not only in this life but to an eternal participation in the divine sanctity and happiness.
not in . . . works: Nothing men could do of themselves could make them heirs to heaven, this was a free gift of God.
in Christ . . . ago: The divine plan "from ages ago" (from all eternity), the literal translation of the Greek (pro cheonon aionion) is "before eternal times " (see Eph. 1:4).
now has manifested: This eternal plan of God for us has been made known to us in our day, Paul says, through the coming of Christ, that is, through the Incarnation.
who aboished death: Physical death would and should be the natural end of man if God had not decreed otherwise. But God had so decreed: physical death would be the doorway to a new eternal life. Sin would have prevented man from attaining to this divine gift, but here again Christ's physical death made absolute atonement for all men's sins, and so abolished the spiritual death brought upon themselves by men.
life and imortality: This is gift which the Incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ brought to all men--eternal life. This is the " good news," the gospel that Timothy must preach and gladly suffer for. APPLICATION: The old saying, "familiarity breeds contempt," can be true of spiritual as well as material things. We Christians often so take our faith, with all it means for us, for granted, that we fail to appreciate it as we should. If St. Paul felt it necessary to remind Timothy, his faithful co-worker, of vigilance, how much more necessary are his words of exhortation for each one of us today! Even the holiest of us can get into a rut and forget what our real purpose in life is. We were created by God and given marvelous gifts to make our way through this life, This is already something for which we should be most grateful. But, as God saw, what good would 90 or 100 years of happiness be for a human being on this earth, if he would have to leave it all and end as a little pile of dust in a cemetery? So, the all-wise and all-loving God decreed that we should not end in the grave, but that instead our real life would begin after our physical death on earth. We would be taken into the eternal life of the Trinity, through the privilege of adoption, which the Incarnation would earn for us. This is the basis of our Christian faith and hope. This is the end and purpose of our Christian way of living while here on earth. This end and purpose we should never forget. It is true that we have many earthly occupations and concerns, many passing sources of worry and distraction, but these should not, and need not be a hindrance in our daily cares and crosses to lift us up above our earthly status. We must make them aids on our journey, rather than let them be impediments. To do this, we must never forget the plan God has for us. We must never forget what the coming of Christ in our human nature means for us. He has "abolished death" and brought us immortality. Physical death is no longer to be feared; it is not the end for us but the beginning, provided we do the relatively little that is expected of us. Are we all doing the little that the Christian gospel demands of us? Don't wait until tomorrow, or next week, to give yourself an honest answer to this question. There may be no tomorrow, no next week, for you. Thank God, that you have today, use it as if it were your last day on earth. It will be the last day for over 100,000--you could easily be one of that large number.
GOSPEL: Matt. 17:1-9. Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead." EXPLANATION: In the two preceding readings, we have been reminded today of the necessity of suffering, and self-mortification, during this season of Lent. Abram had to leave his home and his country, and face the dangers and difficulties of setting up a home among "strangers," that is, enemies at that time. Timothy is reminded of the necessity of suffering for the gospel, if he is to preach it effectively. Our third reading from Matthew's gospel is, instead, a source of encouragement---an incitement to be willing to suffer for a brief period because of the glory that will be ours later on. In 16:21-25, Jesus has warned his disciples that Christ must suffer and be humiliated. This was something they could not easily accept---who could humiliate or cause suffering to one who had such miraculous powers? In order to strengthen them for the scandal of the cross, and his apparent failure Christ now gives the three leading disciples a brief glimpse of his future glory. This vision is a contrast to the agony in the garden on Holy Thursday night, of which the same three disciples were witnesses. The transfiguration they witnessed on the mountain could not have been forgotten and must have been a source of strength to them in the Garden of Gethsemani.
he was transfigured . . . them: Peter, James and John were the only witnesses on this "mountain apart"---Mount Thabor probably. The transfiguration meant that they got a brief glimpse of his future glory.
His face . . . sun: His human appearance took on something of the divine, his garments became bright as light. This is an attempt to describe a heavenly vision, a divine revelation (see Is. 6; Ez. 1: 26-28; Dan. 10: 5-10 for similar visions).
Moses and Elijah: These two great men of the Old Testament represent the law and the prophets, who are testifying that Christ is the Messiah promised of old, he whom they had already prophesied.
Peter . . . James: Peter is not yet over-whelmed by the vision, and he declares how blessed he and his two companions are to witness it. He would like this moment of joy to be prolonged, and so he suggests setting up three tents in which Christ, Moses and Elijah could sojourn. The feast of Tents or Tabernacles--a feast of lights and illuminations--was looked on in later Jewish history as a representation of God's final kingship of the world. This thought was probably in Peter's mind.
a bright . . . cloud: A manifestation of Yahweh, God the Father. He appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb in a cloud (Ex. 24:12-16). His presence in the Tent of Meeting is manifested by the cloud which covered it (Ex. 40: 34); as also in the newly-erected temple---Jerusalem (1 Kgs. 8:10).
my beloved . . . him: A repetition of the words heard at Christ's baptism in the Jordan, an echo of the messianic "Servant of Yahweh," as foretold in Isaias (42:1). "Listen to him"---he is the revealer, he has the true message of salvation. He is the new Moses, the prophet promised by Yahweh to Moses (Dt. IS: 15-18).
fell on their faces: They knew that they were in God's presence.
Rise . . . fear: According to the Old Testament, to see God was to die; hence their fear, but Jesus tells them there is no reason for fear.
Jesus only: The vision had ended. Jesus was alone in his natural form once more.
until . . . dead: "Son of man" was a title given to Jesus by himself only. It was a half-hidden messianic title, taken from Daniel (7: 13), and also a stressing of his real human nature. In the semitic languages "Son of man" equals "a man." The three disciples were not to reveal this vision until Christ had been raised from the dead. It was only then that the true messiahship, as well as the true divinity, of Christ came to be accepted by the Apostles. The Transfiguration on Mount Thabor was but a brief, glimpse of it, to help these three Apostles especially. APPLICATION: This momentary vision of Christ, in his glory, was given in order to strengthen the three principal Apostles to face the trials to their faith, which the sufferings and crucifixion of their beloved master would bring on them. For the very same reason it is retold to us today, in the early part of Lent, to encourage us to persevere in our lenten mortifications. It reminds us that, very soon, the Easter bells will be ringing out their message of joy once more. If we are sharers with Christ in his sufferings, we shall be sharers with him in his glory as St. Paul reminds us. This is a truth we all too easily forget, namely, that we cannot and do not get to heaven in a limousine. Our spell on earth is the chance given us by our heavenly Father to earn an eternal reward. This reward surpasses even the wildest imagination of man. We could never earn it, but God accepts the little we can do and provides the balance of his infinite mercy. And yet there are many, far too many, who refuse even that little bit that is asked of them, and are thus running the risk of not partaking in God's scheme for their eternal happiness. And are they any happier during their few years on this earth by acting thus towards the God of mercy? Can they, by ignoring God and their duties towards him, remove all pain, all sorrow, all sufferings, from their daily lives? Death, which means a total separation from all we possessed and cherished in this world, is waiting around the corner for all of us. Who can face it more calmly and confidently---the man who is firmly convinced that it is the gateway to a new life, and who has done his best to earn admission through that gateway, or the man who has acted all his life as if death did not exist for him, and who has done everything to have the gate to the new life shut forever in his face? Illnesses and troubles and disappointments are the lot of all men. They respect neither wealth, nor power, nor position. The man who knows his purpose in life, and is ever striving to reach the goal God's goodness has planned for him, can and will see in these trials of life the hand of a kind father who is preparing him for greater things. His sufferings become understandable and more bearable because of his attitude to life and its meaning. The man who ignores God and tries to close the eyes of his mind to the real facts of life has nothing to uphold him or console him in his hours of sorrow and pain. Yet, sorrow and pain will dog his footsteps, strive as he will to avoid them, and he can see no value, no divine purpose in these, for him, misfortunes. Christ has asked us to follow him, carrying our daily cross, and the end of our journey is not Calvary but resurrection, the entrance to a life of glory with our risen Savior. The Christian who grasps his cross closely and willingly, knowing its value for his real life, will find it becomes lighter and often not a burden but a pleasure. The man who tries to shuffle off his cross, and who curses and rebels against him who sent it, will find it doubles its weight and loses all the value it was intended to have for his true welfare. Let the thought of the Transfiguration encourage each one of us today, to do the little God demands of us, so that when we pass out of this life we may be assured of seeing Christ in his glory, ready to welcome us into his everlasting, glorious kingdom.-a112 Click to return to our Home page
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please enter comments in a calm, clear, cogent manner