[Goanet] Second Sunday of Lent
20-Feb-2018 Dear Friend, There are times in our lives when God seems to be asking us to make difficult and cruel choices, almost impossible ones! How can God be asking something difficult from us? Why can’t He be reasonable? If only we could have the ecstasy without the agony! Yet we all know that in life there is no escaping from the difficult situations that come our way. Only our faith and love can transfigure our crosses. May we have a transfiguring weekend! –Fr. Jude Sun. Refl. 2nd Sunday of Lent “By accepting the Cross will we be transfigured.” 25-Feb-2018 Gen: 22: 1-2, 9-13, 15-18; Romans 8: 31-34; Mark 9: 2-10; In the first reading we are told that God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Surely God could not be asking such an unreasonable thing. After all, his son Isaac, was given to him as a promise. How could God go back on his promise? The other question we could ask is: How and why was Abraham so ready to comply? The only answer to these questions is the tremendous faith of Abraham and the passionate love of God. God spared Isaac and instead provided the lamb of sacrifice. Although God spared the only son of Abraham, He did not intervene to spare His own son Jesus Christ. Victim or VictorCharles Rayburn has been a victim of cerebral palsy since his birth. His only means of communication was an electric typewriter which he strikes with a stylus attached to a band around his head. In spite of his palsy, Charles Rayburn has published 37 articles in national magazines. One of his articles appeared in America Magazine and dealt with the Stations of the Cross. Charles Rayburn is a living example of today’s reading about Isaac and Jesus. These three figures and the three readings are tied together by a triple theme –the theme of Son-ship, Death and Deliverance.Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ In today’s gospel the account of the transfiguration gives us some insight into the mystery of Jesus, Son of God. The transfiguration is an epiphany story. This is the earliest epiphany story about Jesus, where the veil is lifted and his apostles were given a glimpse of his future glory. The chief significance of this event was for Jesus himself. It was meant to confirm him in the course he had undertaken. But it also benefited the apostles, and it is this that Mark emphasizes. On the mountain Elijah and Moses appeared to them representing the prophets and the law respectively. Thus Jesus is seen as bringing the law and the prophets to fulfillment. We do not know what exactly happened on that mountain but it seems Jesus had an intense experience of the presence of God. He heard those marvelous words: “You are my beloved Son.” On Tabor Jesus felt comforted and affirmed. He knew that the Father was pleased with him and would give him all the strength he would need to face whatever lay ahead. With God on his side he could face anything. At times, life could be dark for us and we too need to hear those reassuring words: “You are my son the beloved, my favour rests on you.” People from time to time do affirm us, but their affirmation is conditional. “You are good but you need to change your behavior”! “You are good but only if you live up to my expectations!” Only God affirms us exactly as he affirmed his son Jesus. With him there are no terms and conditions even if we are sinners and have failed him. We will always remain the well beloved sons and daughters of God. On that mountain the Father affirmed Jesus and that same Father is waiting for us to come to him to be affirmed as his well beloved sons and daughters. Our problem is that as soon as we run into trouble our faith fails us. We think that God has abandoned us. But if we pray we will realize that God has not abandoned us, He is always with us. Like Jesus on Tabor we too can experience being affirmed by God, we too can be transformed by the power of his Spirit, if only we let Him into our lives. Affirmed by my fatherSr. Helen Prejean is well known in America for her work with prisoners on death row. The film Dead Man Walking tells the story of one man (Robert) she accompanied during the months leading to his execution. She noticed how Robert clung to one of the wardens, who were a kind and fatherly figure. She saw this as a cry for a father’s love he had never known. His father spent 27 of his 53 years in prison. This led Helen to reflect on the beautiful relationship she had with her father. She says, “It has to be one of life’s most precious feelings to know that your father is proud of you. I was my dad’s scholar, his scribe who kept the travel diary on family vacations. He always had a special tone in his voice when he introduced me to friends and colleagues: “And this is my little daughter, Helen.” In the presence of strangers I would fall silent, standing close against him, my hand holding on tightly to his. Afterwards I would squeeze his hand
[Goanet] Second Sunday of Lent
07-Mar-2017 Dear Friend, One of our human tendencies is to settle down and take roots wherever we stay for a long time. We tend to be creatures of habit and routine. The older we grow the more we resist change and transformation. Yet the call of the Christian is to be on the move; ready to respond to the call of the Lord, ever seeking and doing whatever the Lord wants of us. Here are my reflections on this theme. Have a transforming weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Second Sunday of Lent “This is my beloved Son! Listen to him” 12-Mar-2017Readings: Genesis 12: 1-4; 2 Tim. 1: 8-10; Matthew 17: 1-9; In our first reading we see God appearing to a seventy-five year old to tell him to travel to Canaan to fulfill the destiny God had in mind for him. Abram was not a young man and he could well have complained and protested as some of us do. "Lord, I've lived here most of my life. We have our property and our future is secure. Now you are asking me to give up the known, the safe, the familiar and go to an unknown land? Sorry Lord, it's too late!" But Abram loved the Lord and trusted in him and so he immediately obeyed God's call though it would cost him. “Picture an old lamp covered with layers of dust and dirt. How wretched and useless it looks. Then someone comes along, cleans off the layers of dirt, and polishes it until it begins to sparkle, and then lights it. Suddenly the lamp is transformed. It positively glows, radiating light and beauty to every corner of the room. Whereas prior to this it was disfigured with dust and dirt, now it is transfigured with beauty. Yet it is the same lamp. When an object (or a person) is loved and cared for, it is redeemed, and rendered brighter and worthier.” Flor McCarthy In the Gospel reading we see Jesus, walking the same journey of faith as Abraham did. He knew he was going to suffer and die at the hands of the leaders of the people, whom he had challenged and confronted. He now goes up the mountain, taking with him Peter, James and John, with whom he wants to share this intimate experience. As Jesus leads the three up the high mountain in their presence he was transfigured, his face shone like the sun and Moses and Elijah appeared to them, a bright cloud covered them with its shadow and from the cloud there came a voice that said, "This is my son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to Him." It is an assurance for Jesus, his three disciples and for all of us that our life too, our passion and suffering can and will be transformed by the power of God and his presence with us. Again the reading reminds us that Jesus took the initiative in inviting his friends to come up the mountain with him. It is always God's initiative and never our own that can bring about a transformation, a transfiguration in our lives. God's voice tells us to listen to Jesus. The last part of the gospel scene tells us that the three were so deeply struck by the presence of God that Peter babbles foolishly about building three tents so that they can stay there with Jesus. But like, Jesus we have to come down the mountain. The gospel also tells us that they were afraid, they fell on their faces trembling with fear after their experience with God, but Jesus comes to them, touches them and reassures them: "Do not be afraid." When they lifted up their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus. That final note is comforting for all of us when we have to let go of something beautiful, meaningful and life giving. Will we lose it all? Will we be able to move on? Will we be equal to the task and be able to make the decision that awaits us? All we need is to look up and we will find only Jesus saying to us: "Be not afraid!" It's going to be alright! Glistening pearlsThe cheerful little girl was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbour and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. She wore them everywhere, even to bed. Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh daddy, not my pearls. But you can have princess she's my very favourite." "That's okay, honey, daddy loves you. Good night." About a week later, after story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me you
