ii sunday in Lenten season year A Theme: preparation for a mission 16-03-14

2nd Sunday In Lenten Season Year A Theme: Preparation for a mission. 16-03-14 I Reading Genesis 12:1-4 Abraham is chosen & sent. II Reading II Timothy 1:8-10 Timothy is gifted with the Spirit of Power, to witness his faith, boldly. Gospel Mathew 17:1-9 Peter, John & James, fortified by a vision. Mountain in life has a very great significance in our life. Mountains are experiences of divine. Moses met the Living God on Mount Sinai. He secured the tablets of, Ten Commandments on the mountain. Many of the Prophets have had their visions on a mountain. And today Jesus is choosing this great simile of Mountain to reveal his glory. Jesus is crucified on a mountain between two thieves. Eventually he ascends to the Father in Heaven from a mountain We have had many peak experiences of God’s love. We have sought from people who have had this experience to be mediators of this to us. We go to church to pray. Attend Eucharist; participate in it, to be empowered to live our daily lives. Does it give us the peak experience, we require? of which Paul is asking his disciple Timothy to be bold? Can we say we are bold enough to be authentic witnesses? We write testimonies after a Charismatic retreat saying we have experienced the living power of God. Is it only an emotional knowledge? When difficulties come we are timid. We are harassed by the fundamentalists every day, what do we do, see to be compromised. See what happened to Peter, James John they were so much impressed by the vision? Peter was even bold enough to tell Jesus he would prefer to live there. But when he descended the mountain he and his companions, forgot, began to expect to be empowered as ministers in the kingdom of God. When suffering came to Jesus they abandoned him. But the real power came to them in the upper room. The upper room in our lives too is essential. Where is our upper room or mountain where we can experience the divine? So that we are empowered and be able to live our calling in an authentic way. This requires to be understood the grace of God. We have to keep our eyes open to be able to discern the living power of God. Only then will be able to experience the love of God. Can we, see the living Jesus in the eyes of powerless, downtrodden, sick and the suffering, in the lives of prisoners, in the lives of suffering masses, in the difficulties of tragedies. That is why often we see the divine in total abandonment. These could be the peak experiences which will enhance our faith to live our daily calling meaningfully. In union with the divine word, Fr. Juze Vas svd