Second Sunday of Lent
Some Catholics are facing a huge conundrum this Lent. St Patricks day falls on a Friday. “How can we not eat bangers and mash?” “Can I have green beer, even if I have given beer for Lent? “OMG! What are we going to do?” Someone sent me an e-mail asking if the archbishop was going to give a general dispensation this year. What do I say? I could say, “Jesus did not transform stones into bread in the desert!” Generally my answer has been, “Its up to you. What does your Lenten abstinence mean for you? What are you trying to accomplish through your Lenten abstinence?”
Today, I am choosing to focus Paul’s letter to Timothy (which is our second reading). This reading helps us to enter into the deeper meaning of Lent and indeed life. Here are my three practical implications for the second week of Lent.
1. “Bear your Share of Hardship for the Gospel.” Today’s second reading begins with the words, “Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.” Questions like “Can I eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day?” lose their sting in light of Paul’s statement. The Christian calling is deeper than penances and sacrifices. The Christian calling is to the love of the gospel and everything the gospel stands for. The Christian calling is to the love of Christ who has saved us and called us to be holy. When love of Christ becomes our motivation, when the love of the Gospel becomes the reason for our existence, then the hardships become an expression of love. This is precisely why Lent and our Lenten penances are not hardships we tolerate, rather, we undertake them so the Christ and his gospel maybe manifest in us. So what are you going to to this Friday on St. Patricks day? Its up to you! Whatever you do, do it out of love for Christ and His gospel.
2. To be Holy. Besides that fact that sometimes our cultural revelry clashes with Lent, I have to constantly remind myself of the deeper purpose of Lent and my Lenten penances. Paul’s words to Timothy are helpful to me. Paul says, “Christ has saved us SO THAT we might be holy.” In other words, not only our Lenten penances, but the purpose of Christian living is holiness. Paul takes us even further. He says “He has… called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design.” This means that holiness is not something we do, but rather, holiness is what God is able to do in us. Paul presents a paradigm shift in the way we imagine holiness. This has implications for us during Lent. As we enter the second week of Lent, and as our Lenten penances begin to bear on us, our reflection must center around a deeper question - “During this Lent, am I trying to do something for God or is God accomplishing something in me?” “This Lent, am I trying to do God a favor through my Lenten penances or is God leading me to holiness?” “Am I open to conversion?” “Does God have the freedom to transform me into who God wants me to be?” This Lent, do we have the courage to let God loose in our lives?
3. Jesus has Appeared to Us. Paul’s entire conversion story rests on his claim that Christ appeared to him. Perhaps that is why in today’s second reading he says, “grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus… through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,” Paul was talking not merely about his personal experience but also about Christ’s incarnation. The gospel account of the transfiguration was Jesus’ appearance to his disciples in all his glory. As important as the transfiguration was from Jesus’ perspective, I am choosing to reflect on the meaning of this event from the perspective of the disciples. In fact, we can divide the disciples’ life into two halves - life before the transfiguration and life after the transfiguration. Thus far, they imagined the messiah to be a divine figure who would liberate the nation from bondage. The appearance of Jesus through the transfiguration, however, gave the disciples a deeper and greater vision of Jesus’ life and vision. From this point forward, their discipleship would be a completely different ball game. So too for Paul His life before the appearance of Jesus and after his appearance were two completely different realities This has implications for us. We too are a post-transfiguration people. In fact, we are a post-resurrection people. This has to mean something. Each week we celebrate the Eucharist; each week we receive the body and blood of Christ; each week we are sent forth into the world with the real presence of Christ… this has to mean something. As we enter the second week of Lent we ask ourselves - “What Christ was trying accomplish in the disciples through his transfiguration, can Christ do the same in us?
This Eucharist is our mountain of transfiguration. Like Peter, let us drink it all in. Let us set Christ loose in our lives and let us then manifest Christ to the world.
- Fr. Satish Joseph