Bridging Good Friday’s Lockdown and Easter Sunday’s Open-up 

Easter Sunday – April 12, 2020
Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9 

‘We are witnesses to all that he did ... They put him to death, but God raised him ’ (Acts) 

Prologue: With the national lockdown, this is probably the first time in our lifespan that we’re celebrating Easter indoors. It would therefore help if we were to highlight the experience of Jesus’ disciples on Good Friday, locked behind doors at Jesus’ death [Jn 20:19], in sharp contrast to their lives opening up, Easter Sunday, after seeing the empty tomb signifying the Risen Lord. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. The lockdowns in all three readings can be seen as representing the lockdowns that we are experiencing firsthand, today. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles—a continuation of the Jesus narrative as retold in the gospel according to Luke—is part of the sermon that Peter delivers in the house of the Roman centurion, Cornelius, which is a prelude to Luke’s ‘Gentile Pentecost’ [10:44-48]. The next paragraph tells us that Peter’s speech was so effective that, assisted by God’s Spirit, even the so-called ‘Gentiles’ wanted to become followers of Christ and to be baptized. The important point here is Peter’s role as a ‘witness’ who, on account of his personal experience basically preaches: The same crucified Jesus of Nazareth is now raised by God. He is, indeed, the risen Christ. By narrating the story of Jesus Christ—with a past and a present—Peter is opening up a future for all of creation. Since no one will have attended the Easter Vigil, it might be fruitful to point out that all the readings, as well as the symbols like the Easter candle, blessing of the water and renewal of the baptismal vows, etc., are narratives of Life and stories of our salvation. Through the stories of Creation (Genesis) and liberation from slavery (Exodus) with ‘faith-full’ heroes like Abraham and Moses, the faithful are reminded that God is faithful. God promotes Life. Indeed, the same Crucified-Risen Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will live and reign as the God of the universe, the God of history. 

2. The passage from John’s gospel has three diverse reactions to the empty tomb of three disciples: Mary Magdalene, Peter and “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved”, John (vv.2,8). Mary comes to Jesus’ tomb “while it was still dark” (v.1). The darkness is not simply physical but symbolic. Besides Mary being in the dark about what is going to happen to the disciples, the darkness evokes the dark void of Genesis (1:1). This suggests that Jesus’ death is a curtain-raiser to the greatest event of human history: his resurrection! First, having no precedent experience of anyone rising from the dead, Mary anxiously runs to Peter and John with the only explanation logically possible: “They [some human beings] have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” (v.2). But, the neat arrangement of the burial cloths (v.7) does not validate such a conclusion. Second, Peter and John run to the tomb; and though John outruns Peter and reaches the tomb first, he sees the linen cloths but does not go in. Out of deference to Peter, the leader, he allows Peter to enter the tomb first, who sees the neat arrangement of the burial cloths. However, nothing is said about Peter’s response. Third, John writes of himself: “the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed” (v.8). In the gospel of John, which is the book of ‘signs’, all three disciples see the same sign, i.e., the 

empty tomb and the burial cloths neatly arranged. However, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, holds pride of place here since his love makes him believe in the resurrection, more than any ‘proof’. Of course, all three will undoubtedly be witnesses of the resurrection. 

3. In these days of lockdown, the opened up, empty tomb will have considerable significance. Later in the same gospel (20:19-23), the disciples will be seen as locked up behind closed doors and fearful on account of the Jews. But Jesus will break in with his greeting: “Peace be to you!” (vv.19,21) and will send them out on mission: the ‘Johannine Pentecost’. It’s said: “An empty tomb proves the truth of Christianity; an empty church denies it.” Ironically, this year, all the church-buildings will be empty. Thus, there will be the added responsibility for all Christians to renew their baptismal vows in the ‘domestic church’, at home, and to become aware of their role as witnesses to both, Jesus’ death and resurrection. A word of caution is in place: the empty tomb is not a ‘proof’ of the resurrection but a ‘sign’; meaning, the disciples do not believe that Jesus is risen because they have ‘proof’ of the empty tomb; rather, they believe because of their experience. As a result, they become ‘witnesses’ to this unprecedented event. Proofs coerce, but signs evoke the free decision either to believe or not. In this regard, Jesus’ choice of Mary as a witness to the resurrection is surprising; for, in the Palestine of Jesus’ time, women witnesses were ignored in law-courts since they were considered fickle-minded. And yet, although the witnessing would sound weightier if the Gospel-writers mentioned only male disciples as heralds of resurrection-news, why did they retain women-witnesses? Was it because they were sure that it was God’s good news—not man’s—and could thus never be silenced? 

Linking the 2nd Reading and the Psalm to the Resurrection Theme: This short reading gives the essence of the paschal mystery: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (v.2). Baptism signifies the dying (down) and the rising (up). Jesus’ death and resurrection harmoniously marry earth and heaven, death and life, victim and victor, cross and empty tomb, lockdown and open up, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Indeed, as St Pope John Paul II had said: ‘We are an Easter people! Alleluia is our song!’ 

In Lighter Vein: A fictitious and imaginative fable goes like this: It’s said that the Risen Lord appeared to his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee while they were out, fishing in the deep. Thrilled at seeing Jesus risen after the crucifixion and death, Peter & co. called out to him, “Master! Come across to our boat!” The Crucified-Risen Jesus began walking on the water towards the boat. However, midway, he began to sink. Shocked, the disciples rowed towards him and pulled him out of the sea. Jesus was gasping for breath. “What happened to you?” Peter asked in disbelief, and added, “Before your death you walked on the water so easily.” Jesus shook his head and said, “Now I’ve got holes in my feet!” Funny though this fable sounds, it has a profound message: The Risen Lord always bears the marks of his passion.” No good Friday, no Easter Sunday! 

Reflection: Too many of us focus on suffering, darkness and death; rather than on joy, light and new life. Covid-19 has brought us face-to-face with suffering and death like never before. How will you and I be ‘witness’ of Jesus’ resurrection? May this lockdown make us creative in opening up in new ways. He was dead, but He is alive. Happy Easter! Alleluia! 

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‘Part-taking’ in His Passion with Open Palms 

Passion (Palm) Sunday – Cycle A – April 5, 2020
Mt 21:1-11 (blessing of palms); Isa 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14 – 27:66 

“Though he was in the form of God, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil) 

Prologue: The celebration of this year’s Passion/Palm Sunday will be muted and homebound due to the national lockdown. The public procession after the blessing and distribution of the palms will not be possible. Thus, while the official liturgy and Mass will be telecast/broadcast via electronic media, it will help the family—the ‘domestic church’—to enter more deeply and personally into the Lord’s passion not waving palms, but with ‘open palms’ symbolizing surrender and solidarity to the Lord with the whole world that is, for the first time, suffering through Covid-19. A meditative family reading and reflection of the Passion from the gospel according to St Matthew is advised. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. All the readings, homilies and liturgies of Holy Week can be viewed from the prism of LOVE. More than just being God’s response to sin and suffering, Jesus’ mission, entry into Jerusalem, passion, death and resurrection are a reflection, revelation and culmination of the deep love that God has for you and for me. The mystery of love is not to be listened to or learnt as one would a lesson in class or college, but it is Divine Drama where God’s love unfolds upon the stage of human history. Hence, it’s important not to be a mere spectator in the events of Holy Week, but to be a ‘part-taker’ an actor, imagining as if one were acting in any popular ‘passion play’. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and his subsequent passion and death, narrates ‘the greatest love-story ever told’. So, let’s strive to not only read with our eyes, hear with our ears, grasp with our minds, but, most importantly, experience in our hearts. Just as today’s second reading says: “Jesus emptied himself to assume the form of a slave” (Phil 2:7), let’s empty ourselves and be filled with Jesus alone. Behold the man! Behold your king! Matthew’s passion narrative places us face-to-face with Christ, the king: a ‘foolish king’ by worldly standards who wanted disciples to be ‘fools for the kingdom! The ‘kingly’ focus of Matthew’s Passion narrative is seen in: (a) Jesus’ royal reception in Jerusalem, (b) the trial scene between Pilate and Jesus, (c) the soldiers’ taunts, (d) the signboard over the cross and (e) the mocking of the bystanders. But Jesus’ kingly character is paradoxical since his exaltation is humiliation, his kingship is kenosis (self-emptying) and his coronation is the crucifixion. German theologian Jürgen Moltmann calls Jesus: ‘The Crucified God’! The God who grieves and weeps with/in Jesus (last Sunday’s gospel) now enters from action → into his passion → and to his crucifixion. 

2. Jesus’ ‘Passion’—Latin, patior, meaning, enduring or suffering or undergoing—marks the culmination of Jesus’ ‘action’ and is obvious outcome of his ‘com-passion’ (suffering with). In all the gospels, Jesus is God’s ‘suffering servant’ (see today’s first reading from Isa 50:4-7), who came into the world for the missio Dei, his Abba-Father’s mission to be God’s Word, and to speak God’s prophetic word. His options for the poor (i.e., for the sick, suffering, lepers, tax-collectors, harlots, sinners, Samaritans, etc.) and his actions born out of compassion for them, lead him inescapably to his passion. During this week, we will see the active Jesus enduring his passion (his ‘suffering with’ those he loved). He will surrender to God’s will. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he is sadly ‘palmed off’ by his closest 

friends. He will be ‘handed over’. No longer will he be in control of his life, but the vilest of tortures will be heaped upon him as he trudges through the ‘stations of the cross’, so to say. Despite enduring all insults and injuries—like being spat upon, giving his back to those who scourge him and pull out his beard (see Isa 50:6)—he “does not feel disgraced” because he believes that his victimization will be vindicated by the God of justice. 

3. While reading the Passion of our Lord, it will help to see the sequence of Jesus ‘being handed over’: from Judas → to chief priests and elders → to Caiaphas → to the Sanhedrin (council) → to Pilate → to the executioners to crucify him. Rather than standing uninvolved and ‘apart’ from the ‘action of the passion’, become ‘a part’ of every scene: look and see, listen and hear, shout and be silent, touch the thorns, smell the blood, taste the wine mixed with gall. Enter the sandals of Judas, Peter-James-John, Pharisees and Pilate, Barabbas and soldiers, Simon of Cyrene or Mary Magdalene, and, most of all, Mother Mary: Jesus’ and our mother. Let Mary lead you into the pierced heart of Jesus. Each of these characters is an actor in the Jesus’ passion-scene, as well as undergoes the passion, since things get out of control and lose meaning in the sudden arrest, passion and death of Jesus, their Master. 

Linking the 2nd Reading and the Psalm to the Passion Theme: Paul’s well-known ‘kenotic hymn’ of Jesus’ self-emptying measures the infinite height and depth of God’s selfless, sacrificial love that marks his descent from being “in the form of God” (kyrios) to not only becoming man, but a servant (doulous) who embraces the most shameful death on a cross. But, this downward kenosis-descent is paralleled by a plerosis-ascent where God raises and exalts Jesus above all of creation, that everyone might worship him as Lord. The response to the psalm (22) expresses the cry of Jesus stripped and naked, crowned and crucified: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It also appears in Matthew’s passion narrative (27:46). This is the Passion-psalm par excellence which is also shot through with hope, for the forsaken one will also reveal and proclaim God’s deliverance (see v.31). 

Three ‘Part-takers’ in Jesus’ Passion Today: Victims of Covid-19: Thousands today, worldwide, are wallowing in the depths of human misery, Today, the psalmist says: “I am a worm and no man” (Ps 22:6) echoing the cry of the ‘no- man’, the ‘no-woman’, the victims of Covid-19 crowned [corona] with thorns and crucified with respirators and ventilators, not knowing what awaits them. With the current national lockdown, thousands have been ‘handed over’ to fend for themselves, and thousands have washed their hands (like Pilate) of their social responsibility. There are the victims and there are also the victimizers who seek to profit even from human tragedies. Caregivers to Victims of Covid-19: Hundreds of doctors, nurses, caregivers, priests, nuns and even a bishop, Angelo Moreschi, SDB, have sacrificed their lives in striving to provide medical aid and spiritual sustenance to those struck by the pandemic. They have been ‘part-taking’ in our Lord’s passion, and they challenge us to do likewise. Believers without Palms, but with Open Palms: While there are no palm-branches to move in procession and sing aloud praises of the King, we can sit silently at home with ‘open palms’ in a posture of prayer and trustful surrender to God’s will, saying, “Abba, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what You want” (Mt 26:39). 

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God grieves and opens our graves 

Fifth Sunday of Lent – Cycle A – 29 March 2020
Ezek 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45 

“I’m going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people” (Ezek 37:12) 

Prologue: Today, we could reflect upon two powerful Biblical images: (a) grief and (b) the grave. These days, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, while the whole world is grieving and experiencing unprecedented disease and unimaginable death, we have Jesus weeping at the death of Lazarus, too, while also commanding the mourners: “Take away the stone!” and crying out: “Lazarus, come out!” Our God weeps with us, but calls us to new life, too. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. Ezekiel—whose name means ‘God strengthens’—was a prophet and priest of the temple of Jerusalem and was among those deported to Babylon in 597 BC. On the one hand, he was a firm denouncer of the sin and evil of his people, predicting that they would be sent into exile; and, on the other, he was also a great consoler, pointing to the light at the end of the tunnel with God’s assurance: “My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (37:27). The punchline in today’s passage is God’s promise, “I am going to open your graves!” (v.12). Just prior to this passage we have Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (37:1-11), referring not to people who are physically dead, but who endure a metaphorical death since everything they revere—their identity, sense of community, covenantal security, king, temple, land, etc.—is totally destroyed during the exile. They were living in graves, so to say, and were longing for a revival of all that was destroyed. God promises them revival, renewal and restoration by way of God’s Spirit, new life, and land, respectively (v.14). Contrary to popular interpretation, this passage does not speak of the resurrection of the body but may be said to prepare providentially for later revelation on the resurrection of the dead. 

2. Obviously, the gospel reading throws light on one of the most powerful “signs” which Jesus gives, namely, of opening Lazarus’s grave, thereby not merely indicating that he has divine power to bring back the dead to normal, physical life, but, more importantly, that those who believe in him will be raised to eternal life. “I am the resurrection and the life” (v.25) is the central revelation, which unfolds at two levels: (a) human—in the interactions of Jesus with Martha and Mary, and (b) divine—in Jesus’ words and actions at the tomb, which reveal his divine sonship. At the human level, by restoring dead Lazarus to life, Jesus is signing his own death warrant; for, this sensational miracle will lead to his final journey to Judea and Jerusalem to be crucified. Thus, John, the evangelist, places the resuscitation of Lazarus’s miracle just before the narratives of Jesus’ death and resurrection for theological reasons. ‘Lazarus’ is the Greek from the Hebrew ‘El-azar’, meaning ‘whom God helps’ (See Lk 16:19-31), while ‘Bethany’ means ‘the house of the afflicted’. In sum, God is going to help those in the house of the afflicted. The sisters send a message to Jesus: “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (v.4). The scene is illumined by the light of love. In the shorter version, when Jesus arrives at Bethany, “Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days” (v.17). As in their meal-encounter in Luke’s gospel (10:38-42), Martha seems more ‘active’ than Mary. On hearing about Jesus’ arrival, “Martha went and met him, while 

Mary stayed at home” (v.20). Martha believes and trusts in Jesus—she knows the Jewish teachings about death and resurrection, and also knows that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God” (v.27). Practical as she is, she warns about the “stench because he has been dead four days” (v.39). Martha’s focus is on Lazarus’s dead body, decaying, and his tomb. Not so, Mary! Her focus is Jesus. While the Jewish mourners thought that “she was going to the tomb to weep there,” Mary rather went to Jesus, knelt before him, and wept (vv.31-33). Mary assumes a stance of worship, total trust and surrender. Now, everything is entrusted to Jesus. In sensitive solidarity with the grieving family of his loved ones, “Jesus wept” (v.35). The shortest sentence in the Bible tells us that God grieves with a suffering people. 

3. After weeping, Jesus leads the mourners to the tomb—the grave of tears, stench, death. Jesus soon reveals his oneness with Abba, his Father. His prayer does not intend to change God’s mind by only bringing Lazarus back to life (for he will die again!); but Jesus knows that the God of Life is revealing Godself in him and through him. Thus, his cry “with a loud voice” (v.43): “Lazarus, come out!” echoes and signifies God’s power and presence. His next command, “Unbind him, and let him go” (v.44) is reminiscent of his God-sent mission to unbind the fettered and set prisoners free. He is truly Lord and Master over death. Many Jews who witness this unprecedented event “believed in him” (v.45). 

Linking the 2nd Reading to the Theme: Paul’s letter to the Romans too implicitly promises, “I am going to open your graves” by revealing that: “God, who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit.” God’s Spirit is the guarantee that we too, like Christ, will rise from the dead. However, before that final resurrection of our bodies, we fight the fierce battle between spirit and flesh. For Paul ‘flesh’ almost always has a pejorative meaning, namely, the human tendency towards sin. Thus, Paul writes, “your bodies are dead because of sin!” 

Today’s Psalm: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!” is one of the ‘Penitential’ psalms. It does not so much lament over the sinner’s fate as much as it expresses confidence in God’s mercy and forgiveness. It also expresses every human’s longing for God “more than a watchman for daybreak.” The ‘depths’ referred to are not those of hell or purgatory—though the psalm is often used to pray for souls in purgatory—but of a helpless person being stuck in mud, sinking. 

Global Grief and Grave Concerns: With the unmitigated onslaught of Covid-19, the electronic and print media is full of news about fears, threats, cures, sacrifices, deaths, mass burials and so on. To remind themselves constantly of their fragile existence and inevitable death, monks of old built ossuaries in their basements where human skeletons and bones were preserved. Visitors to the Capuchin monastery at Via Veneto, Rome, or Palermo, Italy, can still see such ossuaries. In the midst of sickness, grief and death, let us not forget that Jesus weeps with us and wants us to continue the mission he has begun. It is heartwarming to see the so many Catholic priests, as well as doctors and nurses—especially in Italy—have sacrificed their lives for others, thereby becoming models of Christ-like love, service and sacrifice. We must help God to open graves, even now. 

Prayer: While last Sunday our prayer was, “From darkness Lord, lead us to Light”, we can pray 

today, “From death, Lord, lead us to the fullness of Life!” 

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From darkness, Lord, lead us to lights ! 

Fourth Sunday of Lent – March 22, 2020
1 Sam 16:16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 

Jesus said: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (Jn 9:5) 

Prologue: Light is a rich symbol not only in Christianity, but in almost all religious traditions. The title has ‘lights’ in the plural because we can reflect upon many lights, which we are either aware or unaware of: (a) daylight; (b) sunlight; (c) natural lights like moonlight and starlight; (d) other physical lights like bulbs, lamps and torches; (e) light of knowledge and insight; (f) light of goodness; (g) Christ, the Light; (h) God as Light. The readings can give us insights into what, really, is darkness and what/who is/are light(s). The 2nd and 3rd readings are particularly rich for reflection upon this. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. Scene One: The gospel begins with Jesus seeing “a man blind from birth”: a natural blindness/darkness, very similar to that at the start of creation [Gen 1:1] when “darkness covered” the earth. A drama begins to unfold—with the disciples, true to the Hebraic tradition of Jesus’ time—asking: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus rubbishes this karma-like ‘theory of retribution’ (which was widely held in those times) by not engaging into theological speculation but rather by telling his disciples: “Neither! .... but that God’s works might be revealed in him” (v.4). With this answer, Jesus locates the whole event onto the larger landscape of a worker-God “who sent me, [Jesus],” and adds, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (v.5). Darkness will soon be dispelled with God’s ‘Son-light’ in and through whom, things will be illumined. Interestingly, Jesus does not work the miracle with some sleight-of-the hand trick; but, just as the worker-God of Genesis [chapter 2] moulds Adam out of mud, Jesus “made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means ‘Sent’). Then he went and washed and came back able to see” (vv.6-7). Through divine intervention and human cooperation, the congenital blindness of a beggar is cured. He sees light. Having been ‘sent’ by ‘The One Sent by God’ [Jn 3:17,34; 5:36], the once-blind beggar is ‘sent’ to evangelize those who believe that they can see, but who, in due time, Jesus proves to be blind guides wallowing in darkness. 

2. Scene Two: From Jesus, the disciples and the blind beggar, the spotlight now moves over to the Pharisees. Obviously amazed at the miraculous healing of the blind beggar, friends, neighbours and family jump into the fray to discuss matters—very much like you and I— curious to know the Who, When, Where and How of things. Rather than spending time for gratitude and celebration, the beggar is forced to answer a barrage of questions. When he says, “I do not know” he is brought before the Pharisees, the holiest and wisest of the flock! Sadly, rather than move forward from attesting a miraculous healing to giving praise to God, they move backward, seeking answers in their laws, rules and traditions. The Pharisees condemn Jesus’ healing-miracle on several counts: (a) it was done on a Sabbath; (b) by making paste from saliva Jesus was ‘making medicine’ since spittle was considered medicinal; (c) they wondered ‘how’ anyone could get healed in the Pool of Siloam since the Jews refused its water [see Isa 8:6]; and, most importantly, (d) they were afraid that this miracle would draw the masses towards Jesus, thereby weakening their influence over 

them. Consequently, they threaten the blind-man’s parents who “fear the Jews who had agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the Christ” (v.22). This ‘excommunication’ could reflect the situation around 90 AD when Christians were formally excommunicated from synagogues [see Jn 12:42; 16:2]. Thus, John would be exhorting them to follow Jesus faithfully. Such hypotheses notwithstanding, towards the end of this episode, the Pharisees seem blinder than they ever were before. 

3. Scene Three: runs like a thread throughout the long gospel passage with the blind beggar as a hero. He progresses not only from physical darkness (blindness) to light, but his ‘eyes of faith’ too are opened in his progressive declaration of who the miraculous healer is. He first refers to him as: “The man called Jesus” (v.11). Second, he comes to greater clarity and insight as he declares that, “He is a prophet” (v.17). Finally, third, he says: “Lord, I believe,” in answer to Jesus’ query: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”. This is followed by a supreme act of adoration: “And he worshiped him” (v.38). From his congenital blindness and darkness, he is re-created into a new creature, a disciple of Christ, with his physical and spiritual blindness totally cured. 

From darkness to light in the 2nd reading: Paul’s letter to the Ephesians again highlights the symbolism of light-darkness suggestive of a baptismal context (see 1:13-14; 2:1-6; 4:22-24). The popular Judaic symbol of light is Christianized with a verse from an early Christian hymn: “Awake from your sleep, arise from the dead, Christ will give you light” (v.14). 

From darkness to light in the 1st reading: Though it is usually easier to find a link between the 1st reading and the gospel, today’s first reading from the First Book of Samuel does not easily provide such a link. However, the line “The Lord sees not as man; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” can be used to stress quite literally the Divine ‘in- sight’ which runs deep. Further, Samuel’s anointing of David as king with oil can be seen as signifying a new life, which has baptismal overtones in the later traditions. Also note that the washing at the Pool of Siloam could have baptismal references since in the early Church, baptism was known as ‘illumination’ (photismos). 

An Insight from Church Tradition in Times of the Corona Virus Threat: St Corona (died approx. 170 AD) was martyred because of her faith in Christ. When her brother-in-law St Victor was being tortured for professing his love for Christ and his eyes were being gouged out, Corona was beside him, encouraging him to remain faithful to Christ. He did. Corona literally became Victor’s eyes, so to say, telling him to keep his sight on Christ. She was later arrested and martyred, her body being ripped apart by untying two bent palm trees to which she was fastened. 

A Guiding Light: Seeking to be of assistance to a blind woman who prayed for long hours in his church, a priest once asked her: “Ma’am, can I be of some help to you to see something?” Very politely, the blind woman replied, “No, thank you, Father, I have enough of light within me to see the things that are most important to me and to life, at large.” ......May we look at reality with the God’s eyes, as we pray, “From darkness, Lord, lead us to You, The Light!” 

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Leave the plains! Climb the mountains! 

Second Sunday of Lent – 8 March 2020 – Year A Gen 12:1-4a; 2 Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9 

“Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart” (Mt) 

Prologue: Mountains evoke many meanings: geographic, historic, sacral, symbolic, sites of divine darshan. God’s call to Abram to “Go!” can be understood as a Lenten invitation to desist from mediocrity (the familiar, comfort zone, plains), while the gospel passage of the Transfiguration can be seen as Christ calling us to go higher and further in our daily life. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. Abraham is regarded as the ‘father’ and exemplar of the Judeo-Christian faith (Rom 3:27– 4:25) with many biblical narratives of his unbounded trust in God’s providence. His name appears some 230 times in the Bible, preceding Jesus by some two thousand years. Originally Abram came from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 11:28). Abram’s father Terah took him and Lot as far as Haran where they settled. In today’s passage, God instructs Abram: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1). Along with the call comes God’s promise and blessings to make Abram’s offspring a great nation and to ensure that he experiences blessings in abundance (vv.2-3). The reading ends with a simple assertion: “So Abram went as the Lord told him” (v.4). It’s not easy for a 75-year old man to leave his familiar surroundings, his kith and kin, and begin life anew in a totally alien, unnamed territory. However, since it is God who promises, Abram listens to God. He believes God’s words and the divine promises. He leaves what today we would call his ‘comfort-zone’ and ventures out along a path mapped by God. What follows in his life are many ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies. In all these events, it is always God and God alone whom he chooses to follow. 

2. The events of the gospel passage unfold when “Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves” (Mt 17:1). Two points are significant here. First, last week’s gospel reading culminates with Jesus being victorious over the tempter-devil who took him to “a very high mountain” to look upon “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour” (Mt 4:8). Jesus resists this temptation for power. Second, this passage appears soon after Jesus has renamed Simon as ‘Peter’ and appointed him as ‘rock’ of his new community, the church (Mt 16:13-20). However, when Jesus predicts his own suffering and death in Jerusalem, Peter remonstrates and Jesus surprisingly calls him ‘Satan’! (v.23) since he is doing the same work as the tempter-devil to dissuade Jesus from walking the way of the cross to Calvary. Hence, the Transfiguration is significant for what it teaches his closest disciples: Peter, James, John. 

3. Transfiguration is a dazzling darshan or glimpse of Jesus’ future glory. Note that the details of the Transfiguration coincide with the Garden of Gethsemane—the same three disciples on a hill, asleep, and awakened. Exegetes doubt whether the Transfiguration took place on Mount Tabor at all. 4th-century Christian piety persisted in specifically locating every event of Christ’s life; thus, Tabor got transmitted through Tradition. However, the mountain in 

question is more likely to be Mount Hermon. Be that as it may, Moses and Elijah—who also received a darshan of God on holy mountains (Ex 31:18 and 1 Kings 19:11-13)— symbolize the Law and the Prophets. They find fulfillment in the final affirmation of God, the Father: “This my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Peter’s suggestion, “If you wish, I will make three tents here” (v.4) is suggestive of the Jewish ‘Feast of Tents’ (Deut 16:13-15), which was a joyful communitarian celebration where everyone lived in tents for a week livened by lamps and illuminations. But, against the preceding context of Jesus’ prediction of his sufferings and death (Mt 16:21-23), the Transfiguration is but a brief glimpse of glory before the disciples will flee from seeing the gory face of Jesus atop another mount: Calvary. There, they will forsake him. 

Linking the 2nd Reading to the Theme of Suffering and Surrendering to Christ: Paul exhorts his co-worker, Timothy, quite plainly: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling” (2 Tim 1:8-9). Timothy—who was the son of a pagan father and a Jewish mother—became a Christian along with his mother, Eunice and grandmother, Lois (vv.5). He was a faithful companion to Paul all through his second and third missionary journeys and was requested by Paul to be a missionary in Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3). Paul reminds Timothy that Christ has “abolished death and brought life”; thus, he too must strive to proclaim the gospel of life, but only with the readiness to risk his life, suffer and die. 

The Psalm Expressing Abrahamic Faith and Trust: Like Abram, the trusting attitude of the (wo)man of faith is effectively expressed in today’s responsorial refrain from psalm 33—the only one from psalms 3 to 41 not attributed to David— namely: “May your [steadfast] love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you!” (v.22). 

Pope Francis’ Constant Call to ‘Go forth’ — In his very first homily to the elector-cardinals on March 14, 2013, he said: “This is the first thing that God said to Abraham: Walk in my presence and live blamelessly. Journeying: our life is a journey, and when we stop moving, things go wrong. Always journeying, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with the blamelessness that God asked of Abraham in his promise.” 

Food for Thought: 

1. An old man was trudging towards the Himalayan heights when a rainstorm forced him to rest awhile in an inn. “How will you reach the peak with this weather?” asked a native. The old man replied cheerfully: “My heart got there first, so the rest of me will easily follow.” 2. Of his record-setting May 29, 1953-ascent to Mount Everest, mountaineer Edmund Hillary wrote, “As we started reaching closer and closer, I had to leave more and more things behind. At the last moment, I had to leave almost everything, because everything became such a burden.” 3. Nelson Mandela said, “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” May we ready for both, Tabor’s transfiguration and Calvary’s disfiguration. 

During Lent, let’s go forth from our comfort-zones .... Climb the mountain .... Distance ourselves from the din of daily life .... Listen to the Lord. 

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