Listen to him...
Lent is about choosing a path, the right path to God.
In this Sunday’s reading from the book of Genesis, Abram puts his faith in the Lord, trusting God
to follow through on the amazing promises He is making in His unilateral
covenant with Abram. Abram prepares the sacrifice God prescribes and waits in the insecurity of darkness. And then, in the
midst of this darkness, light comes, passing through and focusing everything in
one place, clearly showing Abram the path he is to follow. Abram chooses a direction, not just for
himself, but for his descendants, and trusts in a promise that will not be
fulfilled in his lifetime; his belief in the relationship allows him an open
connection to God that will guide him throughout his days.
Like Abram, the psalmist in this Sunday’s reading chooses
the path of faith and trust in God. Hide not your face from me, he sings –
he himself is calling upon God to be ever-present, to be light, salvation and refuge,
to be life itself.
Luke’s account of Jesus’ Transfiguration is also a
significant marker on the disciples’ journey.
Ascending the mountain with Peter, John, and James, Jesus is transformed
before their eyes – his face changed in
appearance, and his clothing became dazzling white – and joined by Moses
and Elijah. When God’s voice comes from
the cloud that surrounds them, saying This
is my chosen Son; listen to him, the disciples don’t quite understand the
path they are to follow. Yet this
experience of God’s presence is a critical part of their own journey, and their
path is the path to the Cross, which Jesus has already predicted. They must choose to trust in Jesus’ Way,
following him to death and, ultimately, resurrection.
St. Paul exhorts the Philippians to the very same;
post-Crucifixion, theirs is the choice of salvation through the Cross, a choice
for life, defined by the the love revealed by Christ’s death and resurrection,
and culminating in their own transformation on the path to salvation. It is the path we are all called to follow,
as we strive to move through the season of Lent, ever mindful of the need for
our own faith and trust in God’s path for us.
This reflection is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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