2ND SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR B [HOMILY]

2ND SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR B [HOMILY]

THEME: MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES

BY:  Fr Andrew Ekpenyong

1. Immunity Joke. Immunology riddles and jokes are all over the internet. Here is one of such riddles. What will never go viral no matter how popular they get? Answer: Antibiotics. Yes, antibiotics are against bacteria and cannot go against viruses. Only antivirals deal with viruses. Sisters and Brothers, our immune system defends our bodies against infections and other harmful invaders. Without it, we would constantly get sick from bacteria or viruses. By analogy, it seems our spiritual life, is also supported by a spiritual immune system, to protect us against scandals, the bad examples of others, the effects of sin in our society and even the effects of God’s actions in the world that we are yet to understand. In this spiritual immune system, God brings us mountaintop experiences, in which we encounter some glimpses of His glory, so that thereafter, we can thrive in the valleys of daily life. That is what God did with Abraham in today’s 1st reading (Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18) on Mount Moriah, that is what our Lord did with Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration in today’s Gospel reading (Mk 9:2-10), and we have the assurance that He will do it for all people of Abraham’s faith, in today’s 2nd reading (Rom 8:31b-34). Mountaintop experiences boost our immunity against scandals, inspire us to serve our neighbors and to overcome trials.

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2. Trials. Last week, our Lord’s 40 days of fasting and prayer, which culminated in His undergoing temptation in the desert, inspired our own Lenten journey. Today, we are inspired to continue this journey and to expect not only temptations from the devil, but also the trials that increase our spiritual immunity. In Abraham’s case in the 1st reading, God gave instructions. Abraham obeyed. This is called the obedience of faith (Rom 1:5). Then God blessed Abraham and his descendants: “I will bless you abundantly…and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing—all this because you obeyed my command.” The obedience of faith is a prerequisite for serving God. As Scripture says: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). But no human being can be more generous than God. God did in fact sacrifice His Son, for our salvation, causing momentarily, the greatest scandal in history, namely, allowing the most innocent person, to suffer the most gruesome death reserved for the worst of criminals, crucifixion!

3. Glory. Yes, in today’s Gospel reading, (Mk 9:2-10) the disciples of Jesus are given some boost in spiritual immunity against the coming scandal of the Cross through the Transfiguration, a manifestation of God. Peter, James, and John, are enabled to have a mountaintop experience, a glimpse of the glory of Jesus as a Divine Person: “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them”. They saw apparitions of Moses who spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18) and of Elijah who spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8) for an encounter with God. Finally, Peter, James and John heard a voice declaring: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Dear Sisters and Brothers, this mountaintop experience, this extraordinary encounter with the Divine, did not stop with Peter, James, and John. It happens to us especially during periods of deeper prayer, fasting and almsgiving or charity. From any mountaintop, one gets a broader vision, an encompassing view including the valleys and flat land. We then come down from the mountain, energized to go through the valleys, even the valleys of the shadow of death, without fear. Our mountaintop experience can be that moment of clarity, when we feel God’s presence in a way that deepens our love for the human family, in spite of uncertainties, of insecurity, of scandals. Like Peter, James, and John, we then join our Lord to go down from the mountain, to meet the needs of our other brothers and sisters, to face the trials of life. Last Monday, 19th Feb. 2024, Deutsche Welle, a German global news TV, posted a video on YouTube with the title: “How one priest in Spain serves 43 village churches”. That priest is Fr Teo Nieto who has chosen to work in the rural areas of Spain for 29 years! This is similar to those of you in this Church who serve at soup kitchens, who volunteer at homeless shelters, who pray outside abortion clinics, who sacrifice for others. You have had mountaintop experiences and you are now voluntarily sharing the Cross of Christ in the valleys. Thank you so much. May you share in His glorious resurrection. Amen.

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