BLESS YOUR PEOPLE LORD WE PRAY (GENESIS 15:5-12,17-18/Psalm 27:1,7-9,13-14/Philippians 3:17-4:1/Luke 9:28-36)

*BLESS YOUR PEOPLE LORD WE PRAY*

(Second Sunday of Lent March 17, 2019)

The practice Virtues goes with God's blessings. When we are being encouraged to practice love, it goes with bringing God's love upon us. The practice of the virtue of faith and hope lead us to inherit God's rewards and blessings. The first reading today presents a true picture of what we have just explained.

The reading narrates how God did a promise to Abraham because of His faith. His faith justified him and made him God's friend. Faith indeed goes with obedience to voice of God. Abraham not only exercised his faith in God but hearken the voice of God. In the second reading, St. Paul encourage us to imitate his rule of life and his rule of life is rule of Christ and the rule of Christ is that of Love, faith, hope and the practice of other virtues. Paul in this reading lamented bitterly of those who made themselves enemies of Christ by their way of living. He warned “I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost.

They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the Saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body” No wonder then St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians describes this period as a favourable period and a time of salvation; a time sinners called to repent and embrace the Good News. The gospel of today on its own part presents the transfiguration of Christ. Here appears Moses and Elijah that represents the Law and the Prophet discussing about the Passion and death of Christ. This discussion indeed centered on the reason why Christ came and this period among other times is the best time the Church calls all her children to reflect deeply on this Great Mystery that brought about our salvation.

The Mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. Let us not forget that to participate in the joy of the Resurrection, we have to follow Christ in His Passion and Death. It was this glory that will come at the end of our earthly sojourn that Christ revealed to the three inner disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was this glory that enveloped Peter and made him say, “Lord it is wonderful for us for us to remain here and build three tents; one for you, one Moses and one Elijah. Indeed, no one who encounters the glory of heaven ever remain the same. The glory of heaven is beyond human explanation.

The glory of heaven is what the devil and his cohorts have lost and they are fighting hard to see that we should not get there. So dear brothers and sisters let us strive and struggle hard to make it to the kingdom of heaven by all means by loving of God and always keep His commandments, by showing love to one another, by forgiving those who offended us and by practicing other of virtues.

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to keep your commandments so ad to experiencr your glory. Amen.