THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
(Genesis 12:1-4; II Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9)
The Hebrew word Shema names one of the best-known
passages in the Old Testament. It is found in the Deuteronomy, the book in
which Moses shares his final counsels to the people of Israel. The word itself
means "listen." Israel always has to listen well to what the Lord
says. In the first reading Abram is found doing exactly that.
When He speaks to Abram, God is putting into action His plan
to redeem the world. Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit there has
been a decline in human goodness. One of their sons murdered the other. After a
few generations the situation deteriorated so much that God decided to start
over. He sent a flood to destroy the earth except for the righteous Noah, his
family, and a pair of each kind of animal. But this did not solve the problem.
Soon after the second creation the men of Babel tried to gain fame by building
a tower that would challenge God in heaven. Now with Abram God tries a new
strategy. He will form a holy people from the lineage of Abram that will teach
the world His ways.
Abram must listen carefully to God. The project will not be
easy. At seventy-five years old, Abram is to leave his homeland to transplant
himself to a foreign land. However, as a man of faith, Abram does not hesitate
to carry the orders that he is given.
In the gospel God commands Peter, James, and John to listen
to Jesus, his son. Jesus is here to inaugurate the fulfillment of God's plan.
By his surrender into the hands of the Jews, his passion, and his resurrection
from the dead, Jesus will take away primordial sin from the world. He will
become the head of the redeemed people of God.
His disciples must now be assured that his going over to death will not
result in defeat. Rather, it will manifest his victory over death and regenerate
them as his brothers and sisters.
The other day an article in the newspaper indicated the human
preference of hearing what one wants to listening well. The author, who
identifies as "pagan forever" (that is, "pagan forever"),
criticizes the Bible for its extreme violence and sex. But he refers only to
the Old Testament: the stories of Abraham's trial, Jonah's captivity inside the
whale, and David's many wives. He doesn't mention anything about the person to
whom the entire compendium of evil is pointing. Jesus Christ is the most
prominent person in the Bible. He is presented there as the supreme teacher of
justice and the redeemer of all human sin. He teaches us how to overcome vices
through prayer and self-sacrifice. By sending his Spirit, he strengthens our
hearts and enlightens our minds to overcome every evil spirit confronts us.
Yes, it is difficult to listen to Jesus with so many voices
telling us what to do. Many people want to tell us what the good life consists
of. And many advertisements try to attract us with things that we supposedly
cannot live without. But we know deep down that there is only one voice that is
worth our full attention. God speaks to us in the Bible, particularly through
Christ in the gospels. Only to him should we pay full attention.
