Second Sunday of Lent, Year A

First Reading: Genesis 12: 1-4a "God promises Abram a great blessing".
Around the year 1800 B.C. Groups of semi-nomadic shepherds who sought pasture for their flocks away from the city- states organized themselves in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean coast. Abraham and Sarah were part of these migrant groups, "seeking life" in other lands. While in their pilgrimage and struggle to live, they hear the call of the Yahweh "the God who is" asking them to leave everything and trust in His promise of life. This God promises Abraham that he is going to be the father of a people as numerous as the sands and that he will possess the land, the "promised land". Their hearts wanted that and also needed that to live in a dignified and peaceful way.

Abraham and Sarah walked the path that led them to the encounter with Yahweh. Today, the "Abrahamic minorities", weak, marginalized, displaced and expelled from their lands and the economic system, are those millions of people displaced by wars and political problems that walk towards the God of Life. They continue to hear God's call to look for new forms of a "promised life", to live happily as universal sons and daughters of God. They are the new Abrahams and Sarahs, who leave everything to look for a better and dignified life that are denied to them in their homelands.

In the Biblical narration, the Jewish people are those who speak of themselves. They attributed to the "will of the God Most High" for being "His chosen people" with the divine rights to invade, kill, marginalize and drive other peoples out of their land. They attributed to Abraham the title of "biological" father "father in faith" of Israel, and of the three religions that came out of Israel´s faith: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Jews of today want to justify their actions on a story made out from their perspective and to their convenience.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1: 8b-10 "Through God's grace we are called to holiness".
In his second letter to Timothy, St. Paul assures us that the Word of God is not chained; it is dynamic and makes its own way among the many ways of cultures. Although many have tried to manipulate it to their convenience and particular interests, the Spirit of the Risen Lord always finds a way to throw it to fly beyond the control of the manipulators; putting it at the fingertips of the displaced and marginalized seeking better living situations in dignity and justice, as Abraham and Sarah did. Those Abrahamic minorities or majorities displaced, reject this exclusionary and aimless system. With their lifestyle, customs, art and culture, they seek direction and guidance in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 

"Jesus is transfigured on the mountain in the presence of Peter, James, and John".
The transfiguration narrated in the Gospels is a powerful symbol. Those who wrote Matthew, tell the story with lots of freedom, enriching an oral tradition retold and reworked in its transmission. Today, we can also interpret it in a purely symbolic way. This transfiguration of Jesus symbolically updated one of those many "transfiguration experiences" that we all experience nowadays.

Sometimes, daily life becomes gray, dull, drab and tired. It can discourage us and leave us without the strength to keep walking. And suddenly, unexpectedly, we encounter those "special moments" where a light goes on in our heart, and that lighted heart opens our eyes and allows us to see much further, deeper and beyond of what we were looking until now. Although the reality is the same, it appears transfigured, with another shape. Life shows its inner dimension, the one we used to believe in but with the tiredness and routine of our walking we had forgotten. Those mystical and real experiences help us to renew our energies; excite us again to continue traveling up the hard life without these visions, but “seeing and feeling him, The invisible”, walking by our side.

Like the disciples of Jesus needed then, today we all need those transfiguring experiences. Although we cannot meet Jesus personally on Mount Tabor in Galilee, we can meet Him in our own Tabor. This encounter in the Tabor of today happens in our silence, in listening to the Word, in reflection, meditation, contemplation and prayer. These are the sources where we get the strength, which will help us to be really happy. Those are the transfigured ways where we can renew our baptismal commitment. Of those, with no doubt, Prayer is the most important source.


Let us Pray
God Father, Mother, Eternal Wisdom, Infinite Vision, Total Intuition:
Give us profundity in our look, power in our heart,
light in the eyes of our soul.

Helps us to be able to transfigure reality and contemplate your glory now,
in our terrestrial pilgrimage:
We as this through Jesus, your son and our brother. Amen.