Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year C (4)

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent Year C

Theme: Christian Life of glory and the Cross.

By: Fr. Cyril Unachukwu CCE

Homily for Sunday March 13 2022

There is an inseparable link between the Christian Life of glory and the Cross. Jesus was very insistent in making His disciples not to miss this link. Our path to glory as Christians is also the path of the Cross. The scene of the Transfiguration is one of the most concrete manifestations of this link in the life of Christ. On the Mountain of the Transfiguration, momentarily vested with His celestial glory, Jesus discussed His Passion. May our faithful walking through the path of the Cross, fitting prepare us for Transfiguration in Christ; Amen.

The Scene of the Transfiguration was a very important instance in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus, where He briefly unveiled His glory to three of His apostles Peter, James and John. One striking thing about this interesting event as we read in the Gospel Reading of today (Luke 9:28-36) is the content of the discussion between Jesus, Moses and Elijah in this momentary but glorious encounter; “suddenly there were two men there talking to Him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of His passing which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem.” They appeared in glory and were covered with glory, but they were talking about the Paschal Mysteries; Jesus’ suffering and death and His subsequent resurrection. The scene of the Transfiguration gives us indications about the basis of the Christian Life and Spirituality. The Christian Life is illumined by the glory of the Cross of Christ. Christian Spirituality is empowered by the tremendous victory of the Cross of Christ. The Cross here recaptures the Sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of the whole world. The Cross in this sense is also symbolic of the sacrifice we must make in order to win the price. The Cross that is salvific is only One, and that is the Cross of Christ. Our respective crosses must be linked to the Cross of Christ in order to open up to us the path to participate in His victory. No wonder Jesus repeatedly reminded His disciples; “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). All those who were successful and exemplary in their relationship with God followed this path. The First Reading (Gen 15:5-12, 17-18) reminds us of the story of Abraham and the covenant God established with him accompanied by some powerful blessings from God; “look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants… To your descendants I give this land.” But the manifestation of the glory of God in the life of Abraham was never devoid of peculiar experiences of the Cross; he left his people and his land of origin with absolute trust in God; he was childless for many years and even survived one of the greatest test by agreeing to offer his only legitimate heir apparent in sacrifice to God, etc. Abraham was a man of the Cross; he believed and practiced the basic terms of the salvific Cross; he knew that there is no Crown without the Cross. These are partly why he is reckoned as our father in faith.

It is very important that we spiritually connect ourselves to the blessings and favours of Abraham our Father in the faith. It is also even much more important to learn from him the basis for success and fruitfulness in our relationship with the God of Jesus Christ; because in Christ we receive something superior. Saint Paul made this clearer to us in the Second Reading (Phil 3:17-4:1) that Christ “will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of His glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which He can subdue the whole universe.” The Cross is that power with which our Lord Jesus Christ subdued the whole universe; the power with which He redeemed us by winning victory over the Devil. With the power of the Cross, we can subdue everything contrary to God’s will that are found within ourselves, and by so doing, receive the grace to positively subdue the world. In the Cross, we discover the depth of God’s love for us and how much of His glory He wishes to bestow upon us. Never be an enemy of the Cross because that would mean to be totally against the ultimate glory we seek. To be an enemy of the Cross is to be an enemy of one’s progress.

Lord Jesus, in Your Cross is our victory and glory. May we never reject the Cross either through words, actions or omissions. Rather, may we have the courage always to carry our respective crosses, following the path that You thread for us so as to receive the merits that Your Victory bestows; Amen. Happy Sunday;

Fr Cyril Unachukwu CCE