Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent – 2025

Genesis 15: 5-12,17-18 Phil 3: 17 – 4: 1 Luke 9: 28b- 36

What a blessing the scriptures for today are for all of us. We are on this journey of Lent and right up front we get the glimpse of what our life is all about.

The Transfiguration is a snapshot of our future. St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, years before the Gospel story was even written, tells us what to expect as believers in Christ. He says, our citizenship is in heaven and from it we also await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body. St. Paul names the end reality of living out our faith in Christ. He gives us the daily challenge of our spiritual journey.

The disciples were overwhelmed at the sight of Jesus seen in his glorified body, in the glorious state of heaven with Moses and Elijah. And they are discussing Christ Passion and resurrection:
Christ’s Exodus, that journey `to the Promised land – the fulfillment God invites us all into through Jesus’ passion and death.

Lent is our annual retreat experience to prepare ourselves for the ongoing surrender of all things into Christ and truly a preparation to enter into the spiritual dynamic of Holy Week and gift of Easter. To join Jesus in our exodus into new life. That total letting go for God. This is all so important for us because our lives are shaped by the end we live for. This gloried life with God in Christ Jesus. That’s our eternal life. Each day can count to bring us into that unity with Christ that we hope to achieve in our spiritual life.

Thomas Merton, our Trappist brother, puts it in a great way writing about our identity resting truly in God. He wrote:
I shall discover who I am and shall possess my true identity by losing myself in God. And that is what is called sanctity. We all want to be saints, don’t we?? This is really living out our Baptismal life of unity in Christ. Bringing Christ into the world by our life in Him.

So, this story of Jesus’ transfiguration is a great consolation for us, we are able to connect our faith and our personal spiritual journey right into the Christ Event. His life is our way to eternity. We live out this faith in Him. Day by day seeking to lose ourselves in God by our prayer, fasting and charity these Lenten days. The three ways of relationship with God, surrendering of self, and love of others, the dynamic is Christ’s life lived out today.

We can name it Sacrificial love. It’s really clear. Focusing on Christ and his identity and all that this means for us in imitating him as his disciples.

The passage right before this transfiguration story is the scene of Jesus asking his disciples,
Who do you say I am? Peter answers, You are the Messiah of God. With that, Jesus has the opening to discuss his passion and death with Peter. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with Peter and the disciples. But now in the Mountain scene with Moses and Elijah, they get the complete picture.

Jesus’ message to them and to us is: suffering is tied to glory. And Jesus is giving a powerful revelation, by this dazzling moment on the mountain. His life and death on the cross is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, all that Israel hoped for and lived for. Remember, our lives are shaped by the end we live for. And Jesus is our Savior.

May this Lent be a special time for us, day by day coming to a deeper surrender so to find our true selves in God.