HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A (no. 3)

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

THEME: The power of detachment

HOMILY: How good is your reconnection process to God during this Season of Lent? Have you ever thought about the power in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this Season? Have you ever thought about being detached from the things of this world and relying solely on God’s power and plan? May His grace lead us throughout this Season of Grace and always; Amen.

As a further step to the disciplines of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving of which this Holy Season is best known, the Word of God today unveils to us another discipline through which a holy soul, not only receives monumental blessings and favors from God but also beholds the glory of God which is the greatest desire of our souls; “my soul is thirsting for the Lord, when shall I see Him face to face” (Ps 42:2). Detachment is an attitude of the mind and heart which enables the human soul to focus on the right direction to God. Detachment is that attitude that knows the purpose of the temporal order and accepts the limit of their auxiliary function as against the false believe and attitude that our prestige and importance depends solely on our attachment to them. Detachment is one of the most powerful secrets of the fruitful and successful relationships with God in the bible.
The readings of today give us examples of persons who became models and whose relationships with God were exemplary because of their detachment from the things that are transient. Abraham in the First Reading (Gen 12:1-4) was able to move in response to God’s voice because he was a detached soul. An undetached soul cannot move and a soul that cannot initiate and complete a journey to God can never count her blessing like Abram did. Likewise in the Gospel Reading (Mt 17:1-9), the apostles Peter, James and John were able to ascend the mountain with Jesus for recollection because they were in this state. These apostles experienced the manifestation of Jesus’ glory. Like Abram who “went as the Lord told him”, leaving out every other thing, these disciples also “left everything and followed Jesus.” Movement is an indispensable characteristic of detachment; movement away from the distractive force of the things of this world and movement towards what really matters, to where God wants us to be and what He wants us to do.
As we continue in this Season of Lent, we must inoculate ourselves with the Injection of Detachment as against the sickness of attachment that is in circulation in the different sectors of our lives. God wants the best for you and for me and the secret of inheriting this best position which He bequeaths to us is by following the secret of Abraham, Peter, James, John, Paul, etc. Their one secret was detachment. The only attachment that is essential and indispensable is attachment to God. Attachment to God means listening to Jesus as the voice from the cloud commanded us today.
May God bless us with the grace of detachment and through it lead us to possess His manifold gifts and blessings; Amen. Happy Sunday;

-Fr Cyril Unachukwu CCE