Homily Lent 5A: Jesus calls us out of the cave of sin; the Church unties us

 

Homily for 5^th Sunday of Lent Year A 2023

Introduction

This is the third Sunday in a row that we read another long gospel, in fact, about six to seven minutes long.  The reason for the long reading is not to keep us on our feet longer and give us some penance to do; rather the long readings are like those old classical movies that tell a complex story, with complex characters and complex themes, that cannot be covered in a few words or paragraphs, like we do on twitter, text-messages or face book posts.

Scripture and Tradition

These three gospel passages have covered some basic human concerns: thirst, blindness and death.  Jesus has used these basic concerns as signs of our spiritual dysfunction, our need for spiritual healing.

·        Two Sundays ago, when the Samaritan Woman asked for water, Jesus offered her the living water of salvation as the answer to a much deeper human thirst for fulfilment, for God.

·        Last Sunday, when the Man born blind asked for the ability to see, Jesus gave him physical sight, but also clearer eyes of the mind and clearer eyes of faith, much needed aids to human spiritual blindness.

·        In today’s gospel, when Martha and Mary ask Jesus to bring their brother Lazarus back to this life, he does that, but he also uses the occasion to teach about the resurrection that leads to eternal life.

In all three situations, Jesus seems to be offering a two for one promotion, the kind of deal we appreciate since with the same money, I take home two packs of soda, two pairs of shoes, two shirts.  But what is Jesus offering us with this two-for-one deal?  Let us look more closely at today’s gospel.

We start with Martha, who says to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  She and Mary miss their brother; they love their brother; they want him with them.  How many of us have felt the same way, at the loss of a brother, a father, a mother, a child or even a good friend?  A few years ago a good friend of mine, a nun, lost her grandmother.  At the funeral as I was trying to console her, with the simplicity and innocence of a child she said, “I know my grandmother is in a better place, she is not in pain anymore; but I still wanted her around with me”

And so, that is why we heard that “When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed . . .” And then the shortest verse in the Bible tells us: "And Jesus wept.”  Jesus is not oblivious to human suffering and human needs; he feels our pain, he understands our needs.  In the case of Martha and Mary, he even did something about their pain.  He prayed to his heavenly Father and with his power commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb.  Jesus brought their brother back to life. 

And yet just like with the Samaritan woman, or the man born, the physical gift of resuscitation is not main point of the story.  This miracle of Lazarus' resuscitation is a foretaste of the greater miracle of the resurrection, as Jesus promises: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die."

And so much like the thirst of the Samaritan woman, or the blindness of the man born blind, Lazarus' death is a metaphor for our own death in sin and his resuscitation a metaphor for our own salvation.

Christian Application

That is why in the gospels Jesus raises only three people from the dead:

·        the young daughter of the synagogue official (Mk 5)

·        the young adult son of the widow of Nain (Lk 7)

·        and now Lazarus, a grown man (Jn 11).

St. Augustine observes that these three deaths represent three different levels of spiritual disorder in us human beings.

1.    The death of the young girl, who is still at her parents’ home, metaphorically represents the first beginnings of sin in us.

2.    The death of the young man, an older son, metaphorically represents the sin that has made its way into the world.

3.    The death of Lazarus, a grown man, and one who has been dead for four whole days, represents sinking deep into sin, spiritual death as it were.

But there is good news.  In the same way that Jesus intervenes in all three cases, he does the same for us.  Let us focus on the three things he does for Lazarus, the same things he does for us when we are spiritually dead:

First we heard that: "Jesus wept."  He wept not only for his dead friend Lazarus, but also for his friends Martha and Mary, who had lost their brother.

In the same way Jesus viscerally feels our spiritual death, our sinfulness.  Like the other time he wept in the gospels, over the sinfulness of Jerusalem, Jesus weeps when we are spiritually dead, when we no longer love God and our neighbour.  Perhaps if every time we sin we imagined the tears of Jesus, we might not take our sinfulness lightly, but might be convicted to conversion.

Second, we heard Jesus ask Martha and Mary: "Where have you laid him?" And they showed him the cave where Lazarus has been laid.

Jesus too looks for us sinners.  He acts like God in Genesis who looks for Adam and Eve when in shame they are hiding from him. He looks for us with the words of the Church's preaching, the words of our brothers and sisters who pray for us and fraternally correct us, and the words he whispers to us in our personal prayer.  He wants to raise us to a new spiritual life.  Just imagine Jesus looking for you and me, in whatever cave, or nook and cranny of sin we are hiding!

Finally, we heard that when Jesus got to the tomb he gave three commands:

·        First, despite the protestations from Martha about the stench of the corpse, Jesus commanded: "Take away the stone."

·        And when they did so, he gave another command: "Lazarus, come out!"  And indeed: "The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth."

·        And then Jesus commanded them: "Untie him and let him go."

Jesus continues to issue these three commands today to get us out of sin and bring us to forgiveness.

·        To each of us individually he addresses the command: "Lazarus (or whatever your name is), come out."  And so, whatever sin we find ourselves in, whether it is addiction or occasional sin, a break in our relationship with God or with our neighbour, or even just a sense of shame and hopelessness, the Lord commands you and to come out.

·        The other two of the commands Jesus addresses to the Church ministers.  "Take away that stone" and "untie him and let him go" refer to the Church's ministry of reconciliation, where through her preaching she takes away the stones that prevent us from hearing God's invitation of love, and through her sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist she unties us and lets us go, pardoned and in peace.

Conclusion

And so let today's gospel inspire us to listen to God's Word of invitation, as well as to use those means he has left us, to get back to him, to get back to life.  Like it is Jesus himself who heals when he says "Lazarus, come out", he is the one who forgives us in the sacraments.  But like the people who opened the tomb and unbound Lazarus, the Church let us out, untie us and let us go.

What the Lord gave Lazarus, a return to this life was good.  But it was only temporary, since Lazarus died again.  What the Lord gives us when he heals us from sin, is much greater.  He gives us a shot at eternal life with God

Homilia Cuaresma 3A: Cinco curaciones de un encuentro con Jesús

 

Homilía para el 3er Domingo de Cuaresma Año A 2023

Introducción

¡Qué largo evangelio acabamos de escuchar! Y que todo empezó con Jesús haciendo un simple pedido de un trago de agua.

Pero esto es algo que también hacemos. Cuando, por ejemplo, un le invita a tomar un café, rara vez se trata solo de la bebida. La bebida es simplemente el escenario para construir amistades, a veces para enmendar un error.

Escritura y tradición

Eso es lo que hace Jesús cuando le dice a la mujer samaritana: "Dame de beber". Ella lo toma literalmente, pensando que todo lo que quiere es saciar su sed. Pero Jesús le está invitando a un encuentro, que sanará sus cinco heridas.

La primera herida es la del prejuicio étnico o cultural. Los samaritanos y los judíos no se amaban, al igual que muchos prejuicios étnicos de hoy. Los judíos consideraban impuros a los samaritanos, ya que eran descendientes del matrimonio entre las diez tribus del norte de Israel y los asirios que las habían conquistado. Peor aún, los samaritanos habían establecido su propia religión y un lugar de culto para rivalizar con el templo de Jerusalén. Por eso la mujer, llena de prejuicios, pregunta a Jesús: ¿Cómo puedes tú, un judío, pedirme de beber, que soy samaritana?

Pero Jesús le ofrece la mano de la amistad, ofreciéndole el agua viva, que apaga la sed para siempre. Todavía pensando en términos literales sobre el agua real, ella pregunta: "Señor, dame de esa agua para que no vuelva a tener sed ni tenga que venir hasta aquí a sacarla". ¿Notas el cambio? Ella, que momentos antes había insistido en que judíos y samaritanos no podían compartir un vaso de agua, ahora quiere que Jesús resuelve su problema del agua de una vez por todas. Jesús ha sanado su herida de intolerancia y prejuicio étnico.

Pero esto es solo el principio. Jesús también le sana de una segunda herida, la herida de la infidelidad conyugal. Su vida personal estaba en un lío. Jesús la lleva a confesar que no tenía marido, porque había tenido cinco maridos, y el que tenía no era su marido. La salvación debe comenzar con un buen orden en nuestra propia vida personal, en nuestra vida familiar. Y por fortuna, Jesús le ayuda a esta mujer a reflexionar sobre el compromiso en la vida matrimonial.

Una tercera herida que necesita curación es su culto indigno. Tanto la religión judía como la samaritana en ese momento estaban en un lío como lo muestra Jesús a lo largo de los evangelios. Para esta mujer en particular, le pregunta a Jesús si el verdadero lugar de culto está en Samaria o en Jerusalén.

Jesús le explica que las pequeñas disputas entre judíos y samaritanos sobre el culto ya no tendrán importancia. Él dice: ". . . se acerca la hora, y ya está aquí, en que los que quieran dar culto verdadero adorarán al Padre en espíritu y en verdad . . .." Sabemos que Jesús se refería al culto cristiano, que no está ligado a Jerusalén ni a Samaria, ni a este santuario ni a aquel otro, sino que es la Eucaristía y los sacramentos, en los que en todo el mundo todos los cristianos ofrecen el digno sacrificio del mismo Cristo, como estamos haciendo ahora.

Esta discusión permite a la mujer darse cuenta de que se ha encontrado con el mismo Mesías, “el llamado el Cristo; [quien] cuando venga, él nos dará razón de todo”. De hecho, cuando regresa al pueblo le dice a la gente: “Vengan a ver a un hombre que me ha dicho todo lo que he hecho”.

Esa curación de su vida espiritual conduce a su vez a una cuarta curación de la herida del ostracismo de sus vecinos. ¿Notaste que la mujer vino al pozo sola y al mediodía? Puedo decirles por mi experiencia en Uganda que las mujeres no suelen ir al pozo cuando hace mucho calor, sino por la mañana o por la tarde cuando hace más fresco. Además, por lo general van en grupos, a veces por seguridad, pero a menudo para tener un poco de tiempo de chicas. Su comportamiento sugiere que tal vez por su situación matrimonial, esta mujer estaba aislada de la comunidad. Pero ahora, después de encontrarse con Jesús, vuelve corriendo al pueblo, para compartir el agua viva que acaba de encontrar con sus vecinos, quienes ahora le dan la bienvenida.

La última herida que sana Jesús no es de la mujer, sino de la comunidad, que como ella está ahora curada de la herida de la incredulidad y prejuicio. Oímos como al oír de la mujer, vinieron a oír hablar al mismo Jesús y en agradecimiento a ella, le dicen: “Ya no creemos por lo que tú nos has contado, pues nosotros mismos lo hemos oído y sabemos que él es, de veras, el salvador del mundo.” La mujer aislada no sólo se ha convertida en un discípulo sino también en un apóstol; sus días de aislamiento se han ido, y de la parte de la comunidad, sus días de condenarla y aislarla están en el pasado, gracias al encuentro con Jesús.

Y así, lo que comenzó como un simple pedido de un trago de agua por parte de Jesús y luego por parte de la mujer, no solo ha reconciliado a judíos y samaritanos, sino que más importantemente ha reconciliado a esta mujer, en su vida personal, en su relación con Dios y en su relación con el prójimo.

Aplicación cristiana

Hoy Jesús todavía viene a nosotros, especialmente a través de su Palabra y Sacramento, quiere curar en nosotros esas mismas cinco heridas.

Viene a nosotros en nuestro prójimo que pide un trago de agua. Espero que no respondamos como lo hizo la mujer samaritana al principio, diciendo: "¿Cómo puedes tú, judío, musulmán o protestante, inmigrante, vagabundo o refugiado, negro, blanco o chino, preguntarme, un católico por un trago?" En cambio, espero que respondamos como el otro samaritano en los evangelios, el buen samaritano, a través del cual Jesús enseña a los cristianos a ver más allá de las divisiones de religión, raza, nacionalidad, etnia y otros.

En segundo lugar, Jesús nos enseña en su Palabra sobre el compromiso. Él enseña que debemos vivir vidas ordenadas, viendo nuestros cuerpos como templos del Señor, estando comprometidos el uno con el otro en matrimonio. Él nos ofrece los sacramentos, especialmente el Matrimonio que establece un vínculo duradero de amor, y la penitencia que repara cualquier ruptura en nuestras relaciones. Debemos dejar que él también sane las heridas que amenazan la salud de nuestras familias.

En tercer lugar, el Señor nos ha traído una nueva forma de culto, en Espíritu y Verdad. Por eso nos reunimos todos los domingos a la Eucaristía que nos dejó. No ofrecemos cabra ni oveja, ni vaca ni buey, sino el mismo sacrificio que él ofreció en la Cruz. Venimos a proclamar su muerte y profesar su resurrección, hasta que él venga de nuevo. Debido a que nuestra adoración no se limita a Samaria o Jerusalén, incluso en el pueblo más pequeño de África o América Latina, donde la gente todavía adora al Padre en Espíritu y Verdad.

En cuarto lugar, quizás nuestros pecados también nos hayan llevado a ser desechados por nuestros vecinos y amigos. Jesús cura esa herida, especialmente en el sacramento de la Penitencia, que no sólo nos perdona nuestros pecados, sino que también nos vuelve a poner en el camino de la curación y la plenitud. Porque el Señor también ha pedido que después de confesarnos, como la mujer, volvamos a quienes hemos lastimado, tanto individuos como comunidades, y busquemos reparar las cercas.

Finalmente, Jesús sana a otros a través de nosotros, usándonos para llevarles el evangelio. Ahora ellos también llegan a creer en él, no sólo por lo que les dijimos, sino porque también ellos lo encuentran en la Palabra y en los Sacramentos. ¿Dejará que Jesús le use para sanar a la gente del pueblo?

Conclusión

Y así, aunque nunca debemos escuchar la confesión de otra persona, Jesús nos ha permitido en este evangelio escuchar la confesión de esa mujer samaritana y su encuentro con ella.

Al comienzo de la Misa también confesamos nuestros pecados, en nuestros pensamientos y palabras, obras y omisiones. Y como esta mujer, después de nuestro encuentro con el Señor en su Palabra y Sacramento en la Eucaristía, volvamos a casa listos para glorificar al Señor con nuestras palabras, listos para proclamar su evangelio a todos los que nos encontremos. Como hemos sido sanados, sanemos a otros.

Homily Lent 3A: Five healings from an encounter with Jesus

 

Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Lent Year A 2023

Introduction

What a long gospel we have just heard!  And to think that it all began with Jesus making a simple request for a drink of water.

But this is something we also do all the time.  When for example, a friend or business contact invites you for a drink or a cup of coffee, it is rarely just about the beverage.  The drink is simply the setting for building friendship, sometimes for making up for a mistake, or even closing a business deal.

Scripture and Tradition

That's what Jesus is doing when he says to the Samaritan woman: "Give me a drink."  Of course she takes him literally, thinking that all he wants is to quench his thirst, since it was hot and he was probably thirsty.  But Jesus is inviting her to an encounter with him, that will heal five wounds that she has.

The first wound is that of ethnic or cultural prejudice.  You see, Samaritans and Jews did not like each other, much like many ethnic and cultural prejudices today.  The Jews considered the Samaritans impure, since they were the descendants of the intermarriage between the ten northern tribes of Israel and the Assyrians who had conquered them.  Worse still the Samaritans had set up their own religion and place of worship to rival the temple in Jerusalem.  That is why the woman, filled with prejudice asks Jesus: "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"

But Jesus offers her the hand of friendship, offering to give her living water, that quenches thirst forever.  Still thinking in literal terms about actual water, she asks, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”  Notice the change?  She, who a few moments earlier, had insisted that Jews and Samaritans could not share a cup of water, wants Jesus to solve her water problem once and for all.  Is it perhaps because that now she sees beyond his Jewishness and sees him as a human being?  Jesus has healed her wound of ethnic bigotry and prejudice.

But this is just the beginning.  Jesus also heals her of a second wound, the wound of marital infidelity.  Her personal life was in a mess.  Jesus leads her to confess that she does not have a husband, for she has had five husbands, and the one she has now is not her husband.  For salvation is not just about being good to other people; it must start with good order in our own personal lives, in our family life.  And thankfully as their conversation progresses, Jesus helps her to reflect on the commitment or lack thereof in her marriage.

A third wound that needs healing is that of unworthy worship.  Both the Jewish and Samaritan religions at the time were in a mess as Jesus shows throughout the gospels.  For this woman in particular, she asks Jesus whether the true place of worship is in Samaria or Jerusalem.

Jesus explains to her that the little squabbles between Jews and Samaritans about how to worship God will no longer matter.  He says: ". . . the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth. .  ."  We know that Jesus was referring to Christian worship, which is not tied to Jerusalem or Samaria, or this shrine or that shrine, but is the Eucharist and the sacraments, in which throughout the world all Christians offer the worthy sacrifice of Christ himself, as we are doing now.

This discussion allows the woman to realize that she has met the Messiah himself, “the one called the Christ; [who] when he comes, he will tell us everything.” In fact, when she goes back to the town she tells the people: “He told me everything I have done.”

That healing of her spiritual life in turn leads to a fourth healing from the wound of ostracization by her neighbours. Did you notice that she came to the well alone and at noon?  I can tell you from my experience in Uganda that women usually do not go to the well when it is really hot, but rather than in the morning or evening when it is cooler.  Also, they usually go in groups, sometimes for safety, but often to have some girl time and may be to gripe about their husbands to each other. Her behaviour suggests that perhaps because of her marriage situation, this woman was isolated from the community.  But now, after meeting Jesus, she runs back to the city, to share her new found living water with her neighbours, who, now welcome her back.

The final wound Jesus heals is not hers, but that of the community, which like her is now cured of the wound of unbelief.  We heard how on hearing from the woman, they came to hear Jesus himself speak and in gratitude to her, they say: “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”  The outcast has not only become a disciple but also an apostle; her days of being an outcast are gone, and their days of ostracising her are in the past, thanks to Jesus.

And so, what began as a simple request for a drink of water on the part of Jesus and later on the woman’s part, has not only reconciled Jews and Samaritans, but more importantly has reconciled this woman, in her personal life, in her relationship with God and in her relationship with her neighbours.

Christian Application

Today Jesus still comes to us and with his encounter, especially through his Word and Sacrament, wants to heal those same five wounds in us.

He comes to us in our neighbour who asks for a drink of water. I would hope that we don’t respond like the Samaritan woman first did, saying, "How can you, a Jew, Muslim, or Protestant, immigrant, homeless man or refugee, Black man, White woman or Chinese man, ask me, a Christian for a drink?"  I would hope that we would instead respond like the other Samaritan in the gospels, the Good Samaritan, through whom Jesus teaches Christians to see beyond divisions of religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, and others. 

Secondly, Jesus teaches us in his Word about commitment.  He teaches that we are to live ordered lives, seeing our bodies as temples of the Lord, being committed to each other in marriage.  He offers us the sacraments, especially Matrimony which establishes a lasting bond of love, and penance which repairs any breach in our relationships.  We must let him also heal any wounds that threaten the health of our families.

Thirdly, the Lord has brought us a new form of worship, in Spirit and Truth.  That is why we come together every Sunday to the Eucharist he left us. We offer no goat or sheep, nor cow or ox, but the same sacrifice he offered on the Cross.  We come to proclaim his death O Lord and profess your resurrection, until he comes again.  It is because our worship is not limited to Samaria or Jerusalem, that even in the smallest village in Africa or Latin America, people still worship the Father in Spirit and Truth.

Fourthly, perhaps our sins have also led us to be cast aside by our neighbors and friends.  Jesus heals that wound, especially in the sacrament of Penance, which not only forgives us our sins, but also sets us back on the path of healing and wholeness.  For the Lord has also asked that after we go to confession, like the woman, we return to those we have hurt, both individuals and communities, and we seek to mend fences.

Finally, Jesus heals others through us, by using us to bring the gospel to them.  Now they too come to believe in him, not just because of what we told them, but because they too encounter him in the Word and the Sacraments.  Will you let Jesus use you to heal others, to heal the townspeople?

Conclusion

And so, although we must never eavesdrop on the confession of another person, Jesus has allowed us in this gospel, to eavesdrop on the confession and his encounter with the Samaritan woman.

At the beginning of Mass we also confess our sins, in our thoughts, in our words and in our deeds; we confess what we have done and what we have failed to do.  And like this woman, after our encounter with the Lord in his Word and Sacrament at the Eucharist, let us return home ready to glorify the Lord by our words, ready to proclaim his gospel to all we meet, just like she did.

Homily Lent 2A: Climbing the mountain of the Lord for a sneak-peek and descending to work

Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Lent Year A 2023

Introduction

I often find myself having to explain to my American friends that Africa, where I come from, is a diverse continent in terms of people, language, food and the environment.  That it is not all desert and scalding 100-degree temperatures.

Well, similarly, the Scriptures are also full of diverse geography, which variety the Bible writers use to deliver their messages.  For example, last Sunday’s gospel was set in a desert, where Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights.  The desert is a good symbol for Lenten penance, especially the hardships of fasting and prayer that are like a desert experience.  But on this second Sunday of Lent, our gospel passage takes us to a different environment, the top of a mountain, where Jesus reveals his glory to a close group of his disciples.

Scripture and Tradition

Jesus did not pick this location randomly.  In the Bible, mountains have a special role, as the places where God reveals the most important things about himself.  For example, Moses often met God and received the Ten Commandments from him on Mount Sinai; and Elijah defeated the false prophets and showed them that the God of Israel is the one true God, on Mount Carmel.

Jesus does something similar, when he brings Peter, James and John to the mountain.  Just before this field trip, Jesus had just announced to his disciples for the first time that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”  The disciples found this message unthinkable.  How could their Messiah suffer?  How could someone who should come in glory and power be killed?  In fact Peter even suggested that Jesus was out of his mind!  To which Jesus responded quite sternly: “get behind me Satan.” Jesus even went further and told his followers that they too would have to suffer like him.  For “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

And so, having proposed this rather stark picture of what it means to be a disciple, Jesus needed to give his disciples a morale booster.  You could say he did what marketing experts do and gave them a preview or foretaste or a sample.  For example, the Movie industry gives you a sneak-peek or preview of a movie, so that you can then go and see the full thing.

And so Jesus takes this inner group of three to show them that this suffering, both on his part and on their part, is not for nothing.  It is the means by which they will share in the glory of the Father.  And so on the mountain, they experience the transfiguration of Jesus and so have a sneak-peek of that glory, to which they must look forward, for which they must work hard.

Perhaps an even better image is that of plastic surgeon, who shows the patient, what they will look like after all the cutting, tucking and stitching, so that they can endure the pain and suffering.  Similarly, at his Transfiguration, Jesus shows these disciples a foretaste of what he will look like after the Cross.

·        They saw the face of Jesus shining like the sun and his clothes becoming white as light.

·        They saw Moses and Elijah, two Old Testament heroes, appearing in glory, standing there and chatting with Jesus.

·        But best of all, a large cloud enveloped them and a loud voice cried out: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Any of us would have been impressed, not just by the facelift and wardrobe change of Jesus, but especially by the appearance of revered dead men and the voice of God the Father himself.

And so, this transfiguration experience gave them a preview of who Jesus really is, the Son of God, and what living with him in heaven will be like.  It is an experience that will enable them to understand the suffering and death of Jesus and give them hope in the resurrection that he promised them.

Christian Application

And that is why the expression “mountain-top experiences” has come to mean a powerful and inspiring incident, especially a spiritual one.  We Christians also need this encouragement that Jesus gave to his disciples.  We too need these mountain-top experiences like the Transfiguration to give us a sneak-peek, or preview or sample of what heaven is like, to encourage us on our journey of faith, especially, the difficult journey of Lenten penance.

And indeed the Lord has not left us without encouragement; he has provided us with various mountain-top experiences.

·        Sometimes this sneak-peek into things heavenly is our experience of nature, like a beautiful sunset, a breath-taking mountain or even a refreshing evening at the beach.  In the wonderful works of nature we see the hand of God who created an orderly and beautiful world.  We see a little of what Adam and Eve gave up, what Jesus won for us.

·        Sometimes this sneak-peek into things heavenly is our experience of the goodness of others, of the innocence of children, or even of falling deeply in love.  In all these things we see God at work.

But the most compelling mountain-top experience should be our prayer and the celebration of the liturgy especially the Mass. Thoughtful as ever, Jesus left us this weekly mountain-top experience we call the Mass.  Like the three disciples who went up the mountain, we come to Church every week and temporarily leave behind the cares and concerns of the everyday world, so as to have a foretaste of what life with God will be like.  The weekly Eucharist is for us the mountain of the Lord, where we experience and receive Jesus himself in a very special way, in his Word and in his Body and Blood.

But then having experienced this special communion with the Lord, we must come down from the mountain and live life fully.  We cannot like Peter want to build three tents and remain on the mountain; rather we must bring our experience from the mountain-top to the valleys of everyday life.  Just like we cannot just keep eating the samples in Costco or Sam’s Club without buying anything, or watch only previews of movies without seeing any of them, we must let our spiritual mountain-top experiences inform our daily lives.

For Peter that meant coming down and enduring the suffering and death of his Lord and Master as well as his own; for us this means that we must return to the world ready face the daily hustles of family life and work life.  And indeed if we let ourselves enter into the experience of the Mass fully, we can proudly leave Mass reassured that the crosses of our daily life are not in vain; there is light at the end of the tunnel.  That is why when the deacon or priest dismisses us: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life,” he is asking us to come down from the mountain and get to work.

I recently came across the words of Martin Luther King, in the speech he gave at Memphis on the day before he was assassinated, ominous words in which he speaks about the mountaintop. He says:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

King went up the mountain of the Lord, saw the glory of the Lord and decided to come down and continue doing God's will, working for racial justice.

Conclusion

You and I also have been to the mountaintop of the Lord many times.  At Mass, in the confessional, in the adoration chapel; there our eyes have seen the glory of the Lord.  Have these mountaintop experiences inspired us and strengthened us to pray more during this Lent, give up more in fasting and abstinence, give to others more in almsgiving? 

Homiliar Cuaresma 2A: Subir al monte del Señor para echar un vistazo y descender al trabajo

 

Homilía para el 2do Domingo de Cuaresma Año A 2023

Introducción

A menudo tengo que explicarles a mis amigos americanos que África, de donde vengo, es un continente diverso: diversas tribus, idiomas, comidas y geografía.  No todo es desierto y altas temperaturas.

Bueno, de manera similar, las Escrituras también están llenas de geografía diversa, una variedad que los escritores de la Biblia usan para transmitir sus mensajes. Por ejemplo, el evangelio del domingo pasado se desarrolla en un desierto, donde Jesús fue tentado durante 40 días y 40 noches. El desierto es un buen símbolo de la penitencia de Cuaresma, especialmente las dificultades del ayuno y la oración que son como una experiencia del desierto. Pero en este segundo domingo de Cuaresma, nuestro pasaje nos lleva a un ambiente diferente, la cima de una montaña, donde Jesús revela su gloria a un grupo cercano de sus discípulos.

Escritura y tradición

En la Biblia, las montañas tienen un significado especial, como los lugares donde Dios revela las cosas más importantes sobre sí mismo. Por ejemplo, Moisés a menudo se encontraba con Dios y recibía los Diez Mandamientos de él en el Monte Sinaí; y Elías derrotó a los falsos profetas y les mostró que el Dios de Israel es el único Dios verdadero, en el Monte Carmelo.

Jesús hace algo similar, cuando lleva a Pedro, Santiago y Juan a la montaña. Justo antes de esta excursión, Jesús acababa de anunciar a sus discípulos por primera vez que debe ir a Jerusalén y padecer mucho a manos de los líderes judíos, y ser asesinado y resucitar al tercer día.  Los discípulos encontraron este mensaje impensable. ¿Cómo podría sufrir su Mesías? ¿Cómo podría ser asesinado alguien que debería venir en gloria y poder? De hecho, ¡Pedro incluso sugirió que Jesús estaba loco! A lo que Jesús respondió con bastante severidad: “apártate de mí Satanás”. Jesús incluso fue más allá y les dijo a sus seguidores que ellos también tendrían que sufrir como él. Porque “el que quiera venir en pos de mí, niéguese a sí mismo, tome su cruz y sígame”.

Y así, habiendo propuesto esta imagen bastante difícil de lo que significa ser un discípulo, Jesús necesitaba dar a sus discípulos un impulso moral. Se podría decir que hizo lo que hacen los expertos en marketing y les dio una vista previa o un anticipo. Por ejemplo, la industria del cine nos brinda un adelanto o una vista previa de una película, para que luego podamos ir y verla completa.

Y entonces Jesús toma este grupo interior de tres para mostrarles que este sufrimiento, tanto de su parte como de la parte de los discípulos, no es en vano. Es el medio por el cual compartirán la gloria del Padre. Y así en el monte, experimentan la transfiguración de Jesús y así tienen un adelanto de esa gloria, a la que deben aspirar, por la que deben trabajar duro.

Quizás una imagen aún mejor es la del cirujano plástico, que le muestra al paciente cómo se verá después de todos los cortes, pliegues y suturas, para que pueda soportar el dolor y el sufrimiento. De manera similar, en su Transfiguración, Jesús les muestra a estos discípulos un anticipo de cómo se verá después de la Cruz.

·        Vieron el rostro de Jesús resplandeciente como el sol y sus vestidos blancos como la luz.

·        Vieron a Moisés y Elías, dos héroes del Antiguo Testamento, apareciendo en gloria, parados allí y charlando con Jesús.

·        Pero lo mejor de todo, una gran nube los envolvió y una gran voz clamó: "Éste es mi Hijo muy amado, en quien tengo puestas mis complacencias; escúchenlo"

Cualquiera de nosotros habría quedado impresionado, no solo por el lavado de cara y el cambio de vestuario de Jesús, sino especialmente por la apariencia de los muertos venerados y la voz del mismo Dios Padre.

Y así, esta experiencia de transfiguración les dio una vista previa de quién es realmente Jesús, el Hijo de Dios, y cómo será vivir con él en el cielo. Es una experiencia que les permitirá comprender el sufrimiento y la muerte de Jesús y les dará esperanza en la resurrección que él les prometió.

Aplicación cristiana

Nosotros los cristianos también necesitamos este estímulo que Jesús dio a sus discípulos. Nosotros también necesitamos estas experiencias en la cima de la montaña como la Transfiguración para darnos un adelanto, una vista previa o una muestra de cómo es el cielo, para animarnos en nuestro camino de fe, especialmente, el difícil camino de la penitencia de Cuaresma.

Y ciertamente el Señor no nos ha dejado sin aliento; nos ha proporcionado varias experiencias de la cima de la montaña.

·        A veces, este adelanto de las cosas celestiales es nuestra experiencia de la naturaleza, como una hermosa puesta de sol, una montaña impresionante o incluso una noche refrescante en la playa. En las maravillosas obras de la naturaleza vemos la mano de Dios que creó un mundo ordenado y hermoso. Vemos un poco de lo que Adán y Eva renunciaron, lo que Jesús ganó para nosotros.

·        A veces, este adelanto de las cosas celestiales es nuestra experiencia de la bondad de los demás, de la inocencia de los niños, o incluso de enamorarnos profundamente. En todas estas cosas vemos a Dios obrando.

Pero la experiencia más convincente en la cima de la montaña debería ser nuestra oración y la celebración de la liturgia, especialmente la Misa. Pensativo como siempre, Jesús nos dejó esta experiencia semanal en la cima de la montaña que llamamos la Eucaristía.  Al igual que los tres discípulos que subieron a la montaña, venimos a la Iglesia todas las semanas y dejamos atrás temporalmente las preocupaciones cotidianas del mundo, para tener un anticipo de cómo será la vida con Dios. La Eucaristía semanal es para nosotros el monte del Señor, donde experimentamos y recibimos de manera muy especial al mismo Jesús, en su Palabra y en su Cuerpo y Sangre.

Pero luego, habiendo experimentado esta comunión especial con el Señor, debemos bajar de la montaña y vivir la vida en plenitud. No podemos hacer como Pedro, que quiere construir tres tiendas y quedarse en la montaña; más bien debemos traer nuestra experiencia desde la cima de la montaña hasta los valles de la vida cotidiana. Así como no podemos seguir comiendo las muestras en Costco o Sam's Club sin comprar nada, o mirar solo avances de películas sin ver ninguna de ellas, debemos dejar que nuestras experiencias espirituales en la cima de la montaña informen nuestra vida diaria.

Para Pedro eso significó descender y soportar el sufrimiento y la muerte de su Señor y Maestro, así como la suya propia; para nosotros esto significa que debemos regresar al mundo listos para enfrentar la lucha diaria de la vida de la familiar y del trabajo. Y, en efecto, si nos permitimos entrar plenamente en la experiencia de la Misa, podemos salir de la Misa con orgullo, seguros de que las cruces de nuestra vida cotidiana no son en vano; Hay luz al final del túnel. Por eso cuando el diácono o el sacerdote nos despide: “Glorifiquen al Señor con su vida; pueden ir en paz” nos está pidiendo que bajemos del monte y nos pongamos manos a la obra.

El día antes de ser asesinado, Martin Luther King, pronunció palabras ominosas en las que habló de la cima de la montaña, diciendo:

Bueno, no sé qué pasará ahora. Tenemos algunos días difíciles por delante. Pero no me importa ahora. Porque he estado en la cima de la montaña. Y no me importa. Como cualquiera, me gustaría vivir una vida larga. La longevidad tiene su lugar. Pero no estoy preocupado por eso ahora. Solo quiero hacer la voluntad de Dios. Y Él me ha permitido subir a la montaña. Y he mirado por encima. Y he visto la tierra prometida. Puede que no llegue allí con ustedes. Pero quiero que sepan esta noche, que nosotros, como pueblo, llegaremos a la tierra prometida. Y estoy feliz, esta noche. No estoy preocupado por nada. No le tengo miedo a ningún hombre. Mis ojos han visto la gloria de la venida del Señor.

Martin Luther King subió al monte del Señor, vio la gloria del Señor y decidió bajar y continuar a hacer la voluntad de Dios, trabajando por la justicia racial.

Conclusión

Nosotros también hemos estado en la cima de la montaña del Señor muchas veces. En la Misa, en el confesionario, en la capilla de adoración; allí nuestros ojos han visto la gloria del Señor. ¿Estas experiencias en la cima de la montaña como nos han inspirado y fortalecido esta Cuaresma para orar más, renunciar más al ayuno y la abstinencia, y dar más a los demás en la limosna?