second sunday of lent

Posted on by Cassie

Before Jesus embarks on His journey to Jerusalem, where He would suffer and die, He takes Peter, James and John up a mountain.  Here we experience the Transfiguration, which illumines for us in a profound way just who Jesus is.

It is interesting to note that Jesus went up on the mount on the “eighth day.”  The only Jewish Feast which lasts eight days is the Feast of Tabernacles.  This Feast commemorates Gods’ protection for Israel in the desert wanderings after Sinai.  This took place in the time of Moses.

Part of the celebration required the building of  booths, to symbolize God’s sheltering presence with the glory cloud from the sun (see Isaiah 4:5-6).  In Luke’s story of the Transfiguration a cloud comes and overshadows the group around Jesus.  When you consider Peter’s comment about building three tents it is obvious that Peter is thinking of the Feast of Tabernacles.  This Jewish Feast remembers the journey of the people of Israel in the desert.

Luke is the only Gospel to include the topic of conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration.  They spoke of “His exodus, that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem” (verse 31).  The suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus will be a new exodus – He is the new Moses for the new Israel, the Church.

Jesus’ exodus is His departure from this world enslaved to sin, to the new promised land of Heaven.  When Moses promised the Israelites that God would raise up a prophet like himself, he said, “to Him you shall listen” (Deut. 18:15) with Peter James and John, let us “listen to Him” (verse 35).

Lent is a wonderful time to learn how to listen to Jesus.  We need to pay more attention to what Jesus wants to say to us and less attention to what we can do for Him.

Our God is generous and loving.  He wants to share His life with us.  However, sometimes we are just too busy serving Him to receive Him.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

 

first sunday of lent

Posted on by Cassie

Every year on the First Sunday of Lent we focus on the story of Jesus being tempted by the Devil in the Desert after His Baptism by Saint John.  This year we use St. Luke as our guide to what took place during the 40 days of fasting in the desert.

The account of Jesus’ temptations demonstrates that he overcame the three great vices: love of pleasure, love of possessions, and love of glory.  His refusal to be mastered by any of these vices shows us that Jesus is a great moral teacher.  He is for each of us an example of discipline and dedication to Gods’ will.

Alone in the desert, where no human could observe and where only God could see Him, Jesus showed Himself to be the obedient Son of God.  Throughout His life, even to the cross, Jesus showed Himself to be God’s humble servant.

In Baptism we become children of God, and we become His Holy Temple.  Lent is for us a time when we respond to the personal invitation of God to come back to Him with all our hearts.  We can use Lent to rediscover how much we are loved by God and share that love with each other.

Lent can be seen as the time when we cleanse ourselves as God’s Temple.  It is not unlike spring cleaning.  Despite our best intentions, and the best things we do, there can be our own life things  that are not of God-things that must be cleaned out.  In a sense, it is like the difference between everyday vacuuming and those times when we move the sofa and vacuum.  During Lent we “move the sofa” in our lives.  It is not just a question of dirt and sin, it is a question of realizing our thoughts and, by fasting and more intense prayer and more intense works of mercy, we begin to see things differently.  We begin to take another look at our lives.

What we do during Lent is not simply getting rid of the sinfulness in us.  It is also opening our hearts and minds to a fresh, deeper, fuller awareness of God within us and around us, and to His holy will.

As we begin our Lenten Retreat the Church takes us into the desert so we can learn from Jesus how to overcome the temptations of this world.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

 

eighth sunday in ordinary time

Posted on by Cassie

Jesus continues to teach what it means to be His disciples and live according to the love of God’s mercy.  He now gives some pointers for incorporating the love He speaks of into our lives.

This love must have no boundaries.  “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”  Anything less than this is unworthy of a disciple of Christ because “even the sinners love those who love them.”  To extend our love this far requires us to show mercy.  “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”  Our refusal to forgive will not only prevent us from loving our enemies but will also prevent us from receiving the mercy God wants to extend to us.

To love and forgive all people demands that we see something of the sacredness in every other person.  Judging others will always obstruct that view, a point Jesus makes using some humor.  “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”  Recognizing the absurdity of this situation requires humility.  This is the ability to see ourselves as we truly are, in all our ridiculous glory.  Humility will inevitably lead us to compassionate action.  By incorporating these loving actions and attitudes into our lives, we become like the house built on a strong foundation.  Our behavior reveals whether we really are disciples of Jesus.  Those who put Jesus’ teaching into practice build their life on Him as a foundation.  With Him as our foundation, we will withstand every storm and stand the test of eternity.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell