2nd Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Second Reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel

Luke 9:28b-36

THEME: STAY IN THE GLORY OF THE LORD.

It is not always easy for one to trust someone one knows very well talk more of trusting someone one does not know, not seen. The glory of the Lord manifests in our lives on daily basis but it seems very difficult sometimes for us to recognize it for we leave the glory or the presence of God to looking for another thing or other things that are not all that necessary. It is always had to be in the presence of the glory of God but it pays more than anything on earth.

Abraham in the first reading brought all that were requested from him for his covenant with his God. He did not stop in bringing them but persisted in the presence of the glory of God. He kept guard over them so that, animals will not feed on them. It is not enough to be converted to Christianity, to receive baptism and other sacraments we receive from God through the church but being able to keep watch so that animals of faith do not feed on our faith and that is the act of remaining in the presence of God. Continue Reading..................................

How do we remain in the presence of the glory of God just like Abraham? The second reading has given us views on what it means to be outside the glory and what it means to be inside the glory. Some have sold their faith to things concerning stomach just like we saw last week Sunday. Some have sold to the ordinary things of the world they term culture. Ill treatment of people in the name of culture. All are things of the world which are taking us out of the glory of God. Why should we select some of the evils our fore parents did in the name of culture and leave others? If we insist on what our fore parents did, then, we should go back to the era of wearing plantain leave, killing of twins, stop formal education, stop white collar jobs, and stop businesses involving anything not used or done by our fore parents and so many other things they did. Some of these things are what are taking us away from the presence of God who alone can save us.

There are some wonderful experiences one do encounter in the presence of God. Some of them are manifested in the gospel reading. (1). Things that are impossible will become possible. (2). You will be fulfilled with your situation and some others. Looking at the first one, none of the three apostles that went to the mountain of transfiguration with Jesus thought of the possibility of someone changing as Jesus changed during the transfiguration. Again, they did not know Moses and Elijah for they existed years before the birth of the oldest among them but they saw them. Some situations in our lives which we think and others also think that there is nothing that can be done about them may turn around just like in the gospel if we remain in the glory of the Lord. Secondly, Peter and the other apostles did not care about being changed like their master but was contented with their state at that time. They did not care to get mansions again rather, through Peter they only liked to remain in the glory of the Lord. Peter expressed this by telling Jesus that it will be good for them to build tents there for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. He forgot himself and was comfortable with the glory he was experiencing.

This Lenten season is a period we are to look into our lives and talk to ourselves and examine if we are still in the glory of the Lord. It is a time of stock taking. If we are no longer in the glory, it is an opportunity for us to come back, if we are, it is an opportunity to remain steadfast in it for every good thing come from the Lord. THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY.