March 8: Second Sunday of Lent

The road ahead

Gn 12:1-4; Ps 33:4-5,18-19, 20, 22; 2 Tm 1:8-10; Mt 17:1-9

One memory stands out from my ordination as a priest, now over 50 years ago. My Passionist classmates and I had joined with our Chicago archdiocesan counterparts for the ordination ceremony.

So, 63 of us — one of the largest ordination classes ever — gathered in the crypt of the Mundelein chapel at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. When the signal came for us to process into the chapel, one of the seminarians yelled out: “Gentlemen, start your engines!” I noted that Cardinal John Cody, who was to preside at the ceremony, was not amused. 

While I don’t remember many of the details of that day, I do remember that call. It has taken on more meaning over the years. I realize now that walking in that procession and being ordained a priest was the start of a journey I could never have imagined. It’s been a journey that is both beautiful and challenging.

As the first reading today from Genesis tells us, the notion of a journey is one of the Bible’s most powerful and frequent metaphors for our human experience. In God’s words to Abraham, we hear the start of a very long journey for the people of Israel: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” 

This is a great turning point in the biblical saga. The previous chapters of Genesis spoke of the origins of creation, of the human person and of the travails of our remote ancestors. But now the story of Israel gets underway. It’s a history that would eventually lead to the appearance of Jesus, a “son of Abraham,” as Matthew’s Gospel would declare (Mt 1:1).

For Abraham, the call of God to set out for an unknown land was in fact a journey of faith. The reading concludes with the simple words: “Abram went as the Lord directed him.”

The New Testament Letter to the Hebrews reflects on this moment as a sign of Abraham’s trust in God: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go” (Heb 11:8). 

The whole history of Israel is portrayed as something of a journey with God, sojourning in Egypt under Joseph, liberated from slavery by Moses and seeking the promised land, coming back from exile and rebuilding their homeland.

Following the lead of the Gospel of Mark, Matthew — the source of our Gospel readings this year — also casts the public ministry of Jesus as a journey. It is a journey that begins with his teaching and healing in Galilee, but then turns toward Jerusalem, the place where Jesus’ destiny will unfold with his death and resurrection. 

The scene we hear today takes place during that fateful journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. For a brief and intense moment, three disciples — Peter, James and John — have a glimpse of the transcendent beauty of Jesus, filled with the divine presence. 

As the gathering storm of opposition to Jesus grows, the transfiguration reveals the true identity of Jesus and the abiding presence of the Father with him, even in the midst of threat and suffering: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The disciples are told, “Listen to him.” 

These readings for the second Sunday of Lent suggest one way we can benefit from this holy season. We are invited to reflect on our journey up to this point in our lives. No doubt, our journeys include moments of joy and peace, but also some loss and regret. 

We also think of our future and what lies ahead for us. Thinking about the journey of our lives from the vantage point of trust in the God of mercy revealed by Jesus can bring a sense of peace and serenity.

Recently, someone gave me a prayer composed by St. Francis de Sales. I think it fits the message of the Scriptures for this Sunday: “Do not fear what might happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it.”