In the first reading, God commanded Abraham to leave his land of birth; while in the second reading, Paul encourages Timothy to bear whatever hardship he meets on the way with the strength that comes from God. From these two readings, filial trust in God amidst the hardships of life is emphasized.
Dearest sisters and brothers, it is important to remind ourselves that absolute trust in God is what we are meant to build in this time of Lent. We to are to imitate Christ’s filial trust in his father which enabled him to defeat the devil when tempted in the desert. Today, we live in a world that wants us to trust only in our personal power, success, or science rather than in God.
A few days ago, a friend sent me a note which says, “where do you keep your problems? Is it in your head? If you do so, you will go mad. Is it in your heart? If you do so, you will have heart attack. If in your mouth, you will talk always about them and get more depressed. If in your house, you will have a broken home. If to yourself, you will die soon with them.
If with your neighbors, you become the object of their gossip. If with relatives, they will mock you. If you ignore them, you prolong the evil day. If with your friends, your trust may be betrayed. If you carry them in your face, you will look ugly. If you disclose them in the office, co-workers may avoid you. If in your bed, you will have nightmares without sleep. If to school, you will fail. If to Satan, it will become worse. He suggested that the only solution is to put them in a bag and hang them on the cross of Jesus Christ since he is the only one who can solve them.
That is what we saw in the Gospel story today at Christ’s Transfiguration where God directed us to listen to His beloved Son. Just like Jesus told his disciples today in the Gospel, he tells us now, do not be afraid, trust in me. Can we begin to trust in him? Remember, Lent is not meant “to test the strength or the weakness of our will, but rather to allow the glory of God to shine forth from us into the world”. It can only happen when we entrust ourselves into Jesus hand and allow him to work through us.