Here is Fr. Tom's homily from the 2nd Sunday of Lent!
Today we read about Abraham but I think it’s important we learn about his beginnings by going back to Genesis as Abraham’s ancestry came from Adam and Eve’s son Seth from whom after many generations came Noah, a time the world was corrupt and God sent a flood sparing Noah and his family. It was from the lineage of Noah’s Son Shem generations later that Abraham was born followed by his descendants Isaac, Jacob and - then Joseph who was sold by his brothers and taken to Egypt. It was in Egypt while in prison that Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of a famine and won his favor by stockpiling food prior to a famine giving Joseph a place of honor. It was during the famine in search of food when the Israelites came to Egypt. Sometime after Pharaoh’s death a new Pharaoh was chosen who knew nothing of Joseph who made the Israelites slaves. Moses came 430 yrs. later and freed them, generations later came King David and finally came Jesus.
I felt this summation would help us better understand Abraham’s role in salvation history when God puts Abraham to the test in our first reading. In other words, God is evaluating him. God wants to know just how much Abraham is willing to do -to show his love for him by requiring of Abraham - that which is most dear to him - his only Son. Now before we go any farther, we have to understand Abraham’s relationship with God. Throughout the years, when he was still known as Abram, God protected him. He gave him the name Abraham when he made a covenant with him and revealed his love to him by promising him He would make him a Father of Nations. Now God wants Abraham to prove how much he loves him by making the most difficult request of all. He wants him to sacrifice his only Son. God calls out to Him: Abraham! He replies: Here I am then God says: Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him as a holocaust on a height I will point out to you.
In today’s reading Isaac and Abraham’s journey up the mountain is omitted. I mention this because it’s difficult for me to hear of such a life altering request and simply arrive at the place of sacrifice - without knowing what he had to endure along the way. We all need to process things whether we do it internally or externally but either way, the journey is as much a part of our response to God - as the actual sacrifice. We need to look at what Abraham had to go through on his way to the place of sacrifice before he submitted to God’s will. This is what one might refer to as “the rest of the story.” We learn it is early the next morning when Abraham saddles his donkey and takes with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. After cutting the wood for the burnt offering they set out for the place God had told them to go. The 1st thing I notice is that the request is made the day prior to the journey. Imagine what it was like for Abraham thinking about offering up his only son in the late hours of the night - knowing he doesn’t leave until the next morning. Imagine the sleepless nights you may have experienced wondering what tomorrow will bring. To make things even more difficult we learn the journey takes over three days before they arrive at the place of sacrifice. So, Abraham has to travel for three days with his son - unable to share with him what’s tormenting him inside. When they finally arrive a short distance from their destination, Abraham tells his servants to stay with the donkey while he and his son go worship, and after they finish they will return to them, and finally the last segment of the journey when he climbs the mountain with his son - after having laid the very wood for the offering on his sons shoulders while he carries the fire and knife.
Not only do we try to imagine what Abraham experiencing, but we try to imagine what Isaac is feeling when he asks his father. Here are the fire and wood but where is the sheep for the offering. It makes us realize Isaac has no idea what he is walking into. Abraham replies: My son - the lord will provide the sheep for the offering. It must have been very disheartening for Abraham to have his son carry the very wood he would be sacrificed on - What I find most enduring is not only the trust the father and son have for each other as the two of them walk side by side, but the trust Abraham has for God who is also walking beside them. How often do we see God walking beside us - during our struggles?
A analogy made on the journey of Abraham and Isaac walking to the place of sacrifice is interpreted as a pre-calvary event. Isaac is Christ the one who is sacrificed while Abraham is God, the one willing to sacrifice his son for us (while the servants wait for Abraham to return from the sacrifice, the apostles wait three days for Jesus to return in the resurrection. Interesting how God waits to see Abrahams total submission to his will before an angel intervenes and spares his son, revealing to Abraham the journey itself was the sacrifice, yet no angel intervenes when Jesus is about to be sacrificed because he has to suffer for us, because we weren’t willing to take our journey of suffering and make sacrifices -in our lives Because Abraham is faithful to God, God promises him his descendants will be as countless as the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore and that all nations will be blest because he was willing to sacrifice his son. I wonder how many of us would be as loyal and how many of us - really understand what it means to give up a loved one, maybe not by choice, but because of circumstances. I think of the men and women who die in war or in the line of duty or who lose a loved one to an incurable illness. What is the rest of your story. Maybe during lent we should look at what our journey with God is like and the sacrifices we are willing to make for God - because of the covenant he made with us -
Now we come to the Gospel of Hope, the transfiguration. Like Abraham and Isaac, Jesus and his Apostles go up the mountain. What are they thinking along the way? Jesus wants to prepare his Apostles for his crucifixion so He allows them to see him in all his glory so when they follow him on the road to calvary they have hope. His transfiguration will help them later to witness the great injustices he will have to endure. Upon seeing this great phenomena Peter says to Jesus: it is good that they are here. Yes, it is good they are there but for a greater reason than witnessing the transfiguration but for the hope they will now have when they witness his crucifixion. What does God have in store for those who remain faithful to him? You and I are also on a journey of faith as we climb our mountain. You and I have a mountain top experience of the transfiguration every time we approach the Altar of sacrifice and receive Jesus in holy communion and like Peter, you and I need to say: Lord it is good that we are here. Lent is a time for us - to take a journey of faith - and prove our Love to God. Lent is a time for us - to really look at we are doing and see how much focus we put on other things. Lent is a time for us to ask ourselves just how often we really allow God to enter into our lives. Lent is a time for us - to get back on track in our relationship with God.
We need to ask ourselves what kind of mountain top experiences are we having that is bringing us closer to God. - Do we find ourselves approaching the Altar, that mountain top experience as a Christian and receiving our Lord in all his Glory in Holy communion or are we limiting our mountain top experience to things of lesser value on Sunday mornings. It’s not a choice of one or the other, we can do both but maybe we need to ask ourselves why is it always the other. Why do we think our experience is greater than the experience Our lord is offering us? When we come down the mountain, we don’t want to come down to a world of emptiness - but we want to come down to a world of hope after having been on a journey with God - and having that - mountain top experience we always longed for.
Walk with Abraham and Peter today to the mountain top: be someone who is willing to sacrifice for God be someone who witnessed the transfiguration when you receive our Lord in Holy communion. Be someone who takes the time to pray with your family then you can go out and partake in the activities you enjoy and Jesus will be at your side – because you chose to begin your day with first putting Jesus on your side. During this lent look for the rest of you story by looking at your journey with God. I want to get to heaven. I want you in heaven. I want us to be there with Jesus. If we turn away from sin and forgive our brother and sister and obey the commandments, then like the apostles we will have our mountain top experience and be glorified as he is glorified and we will become like him.