What Does Jesus Command Us To Do?

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Today we consider one of the astonishing events in the story of our faith. The man the Apostles knew as friend and rabbi was suddenly revealed to a privileged three as the Son of God. Jesus had chosen, from among his twelve friends, Peter, James and John, and took them to the mountain to pray. The mountain is a natural place for encountering God. It was on Mount Sinai that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It was on Mount Horeb that Elijah encountered God. People encountered God through Jesus’ great sermon on the Mount. Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet. As Jesus was praying, something amazing happened: His face changed in appearance and his clothes became dazzling white, radiating with heavenly light. Then two great figures of the Old Testament: Moses— the man whom God used to deliver the Jews from slavery, and Elijah— the great prophet of Israel who boldly stood up for God at a time when idolatry had swept his land and fought hard against it, appeared and were chatting with Jesus. 

While Jesus was in deep communion with the Father, his three friends were sleeping and probably snoring. And guess what? They almost missed a remarkable event because of sleep. Among us, there are some folks who just can’t keep their eyes open during Mass and at family prayers. When the Mass is going on, they are sleeping away as if they came to Mass to continue their sleep. At family prayers, they are sleeping also. But during meals, they are the talking ones. When the family is watching a movie, their attention is rapt. But once it is prayer time, the “demon” of sleep takes over them. Prayer time is blessing time, not sleeping time. Peter, James and John almost missed a glorious event because of sleep. But somehow, they managed to shake off their sleepiness and then saw Jesus talking with two men who were long dead and gone—Moses and Elijah, (representatives of the Law and the Prophets). What were they talking about? His Exodus! The word “exodus” brings to mind the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian enslavement and also anticipates the freedom Jesus will win, through his suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. The three apostles did not know what to make out of the appearance of Moses and Elijah. They were confused! Then the impetuous Peter interrupted their shock and awe and said, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Luke 9:33). He did not count himself and the other two apostles. If it was good to be where they were, they too should have a place to stay. He was still confused, because the Gospel said “he did not know what he was saying.” As Peter was still talking, the voice of the Father sounded from the cloud and said to them, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him” (Luke 9:35).

Beloved in Christ, just as the Father commanded Peter, James and John to listen to his chosen Son, so we are commanded. By definition, a Christian is a person who follows  and listens to Jesus because you cannot follow someone you are unwilling to listen to. But what does Jesus command us to do? Love, forgive, repent, witness, and be in solidarity with the most vulnerable, the poor, the sick, the dying, the grieving. There are some folks in our community who suffer due to their race, nationality, creed, etc. Jesus asks us to be mindful of them, to see them as one of us— brothers and sisters. He asks us to be his ambassadors to the sick, the hungry, the rejected people in our community. He commands us to welcome and treat with respect prostitutes, tax collectors, foreigners, lepers, drug addicts etc. He commands us to welcome newcomers to our church, community and nation. 

The season of Lent is the season that prayer, fasting and alms-giving are more emphasized. In the Gospel of Matthew 6:1-6, Jesus teaches us not to blow our trumpet when we give alms as the hypocrites do. He does not want us to make a public spectacle of our prayer. He also does not want us to appear gloomy when we fast so that it would be known only by our heavenly Father. Fasting, prayer and alms-giving are not the goal or the end. They are means to the end. When we talk about prayer, many of us know what we are talking about. In fact, many of us do pray. When we talk about almsgiving, we know it is the sharing of our resources with the less fortunate ones in our midst. But when the topic of fasting is mentioned, many of us narrowly think it entails abstaining from food or drinks only. But besides fasting from food and drinks, there are also attitudes and behaviors that we need to fast from. At the transfiguration of Jesus, the Father revealed his Son to us and also asked us to listen to him. During this Lent, the Son is definitely asking us to do the following: 

Fast from judging others; feast on God that lives in them

Fast from emphasizing our differences, instead feast on our oneness

Fast from the darkness around us; feast on the light of Christ

Fast from thoughts of illness, feast on the healing power of God

Fast from words that pollute; feast on words that purify

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude

Fast from deep seated anger; feast on the joy of the Lord that is our strength 

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism

Fast from worry; feast on trust and confidence in God

Fast from guilt; feast on God’s forgiveness and mercy

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation

Fast from stress and from working without rest; feast on self-care

Fast from hostility; feast on letting go and on friendship

Fast from bitterness; feast on pardon

Fast from selfishness; feast on compassion for others

Fast from discouragement; feast on seeing the good

Fast from religious indifference; feast on enthusiasm and passion for the Lord

Fast from suspicion; feast on goodness

Fast from gossip; feast on spreading the good news

Fast from seeing evil everywhere; feast on the ever presence of God 

Fast from noise; feast on quiet silence

Fast from talking too much; feast on listening

Fast from hate; feast on love

Fast from always trying to be in control; feast on involving others

Fast from sin; feast on righteousness and upright