Second Sunday of Lent
Also Read: Mass Readings for 05 March 2023 Mass Reading Reflection for 05 March 2023
Gospel: Matthew 17: 1-9
God the Father directly addressing humans is rare even in the Bible. The Transfiguration of Jesus is such a rare occasion. God does two things during the short and magnificent conversation. In the first part, He asserts that Jesus is His beloved and well-pleased son. So, He commanded, we are to listen to Jesus.
God-the-Father is asking us ever more to listen to Jesus. Listening to Jesus is paramount to Christians. It is a command from God the Father; it is not meant to be neglected. It is not enough that we listen to others speaking about Jesus. We may hear of Jesus listening to preachers, teachers, and authors; it is not enough. We are asked to listen to Jesus. It is categorical, it is unambiguous. Listen to Jesus! It is personal; it is direct.
It is high time that we take up this command seriously. Last week, reflecting on the temptations in the wilderness, we saw Satan misusing the word of God to tempt Jesus. Jesus defended the temptations using the Word of God. Make no mistakes, the adversaries of Jesus often study the Bible seriously so that they can attack the Christians more effectively. Read or listen to the Bible daily. It is a gift and a command from God the Father.
In a short while, we hear Jesus speaking; He has only one instruction for the disciples, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” ‘Do not be afraid’ is an oft-repeated command from the Bible. Jesus has added one more command to it, ‘rise’.
Lent is an invitation to rise from our sinful human nature and to stand firm. You can rise and stand firm because it is Jesus who is asking you to rise and stand firm. He does not command from a distance but extends his saving hands, and invites you to hold on and rise with Him. You may be weak, fragile, down, sinful, or even beaten to dust, yet Jesus is inviting you with a smile and says to you looking into your eyes, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid’. Nothing is going to weigh you down unless you let Jesus go.
Jesus is the ultimate benchmark of human possibility. His transfiguration is an invitation to his followers to transform. You can transform. You can transform into Christ-like. It is possible when you listen to Jesus as commanded by God the Father, and you respond to the command of Jesus to rise and be not afraid.
Don’t be ashamed that you were fallen, or even now you remain fallen. Today is the best day to rise. Look unto Jesus. He is commanding you to get up, stand firm, and remain fearless. Jesus is extending the same saving hand He extended to Peter when he was about to drown. (Mt 14:22-30)
Courtesy: Pope Francis, Homily on Mt 17, 1-9 delivered on 16-March 2014
