March 1, 2015: 2nd Sunday of Lent B
March 1, 2015: 2nd Sunday of Lent B
Click to hear Audio Homily
If you look back, was there a life event where you surrendered yourself freely or where you abandoned yourself completely to someone else? I’m talking about an instance where you gave up control, preference, or future plans. Several examples come to mind, albeit incomplete surrenders on our part--the day of your wedding at the altar, the day of my my ordination, the day of your loved one’s death. To make a complete surrender on this side of earth is difficult, isn't it?
It took a lot of trust on the part of Abraham to be willing to give up his only son. Isaac was Abraham’s hope and future promise for many descendants. How many of us here can completely abandon our life and future in the hands of God and be obedient to whatever God will ask as did Abraham? We may have the desire, but we may not have the resolve to give up things that we hold on so tightly.
What does it mean to surrender to God? It means, trusting God’s lead without knowing where He’s leading you. It means trusting and waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come. It means trusting God’s purpose in a situation without understanding the circumstances.
Perhaps Jesus, knowing the human weakness of resolve, had to show Peter, James, and John his transfigured self on Mount Tabor. The same three were with him in the agony of the garden. And Jesus’ transfiguration was a preparation for that ordeal. Still, only John was at Calvary while Peter and James abandoned Jesus at that critical hour on the Calvary.
We too are invited to Mount Tabor today to behold Christ’s glory so that we may be strengthened to bear our cross and be changed into his likeness. How many us remember the excitement of beholding the newborn infant Jesus only 8 weeks ago. Yet how much that excitement is still within our hearts? Jesus knows that we lack trust in God at times, and that lack of trust keeps us from surrendering our future in His hands and keeps us from being completely obedient to Him. Heavenly Father asks us today, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This Lent, will we make our effort to listen to Jesus and trust him?
Fr Paul Yi
Click to hear Audio Homily
If you look back, was there a life event where you surrendered yourself freely or where you abandoned yourself completely to someone else? I’m talking about an instance where you gave up control, preference, or future plans. Several examples come to mind, albeit incomplete surrenders on our part--the day of your wedding at the altar, the day of my my ordination, the day of your loved one’s death. To make a complete surrender on this side of earth is difficult, isn't it?
It took a lot of trust on the part of Abraham to be willing to give up his only son. Isaac was Abraham’s hope and future promise for many descendants. How many of us here can completely abandon our life and future in the hands of God and be obedient to whatever God will ask as did Abraham? We may have the desire, but we may not have the resolve to give up things that we hold on so tightly.
What does it mean to surrender to God? It means, trusting God’s lead without knowing where He’s leading you. It means trusting and waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come. It means trusting God’s purpose in a situation without understanding the circumstances.
Perhaps Jesus, knowing the human weakness of resolve, had to show Peter, James, and John his transfigured self on Mount Tabor. The same three were with him in the agony of the garden. And Jesus’ transfiguration was a preparation for that ordeal. Still, only John was at Calvary while Peter and James abandoned Jesus at that critical hour on the Calvary.
We too are invited to Mount Tabor today to behold Christ’s glory so that we may be strengthened to bear our cross and be changed into his likeness. How many us remember the excitement of beholding the newborn infant Jesus only 8 weeks ago. Yet how much that excitement is still within our hearts? Jesus knows that we lack trust in God at times, and that lack of trust keeps us from surrendering our future in His hands and keeps us from being completely obedient to Him. Heavenly Father asks us today, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This Lent, will we make our effort to listen to Jesus and trust him?
Fr Paul Yi
