Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year A

Over the past several years, I’ve been doing fire tower challenges in the Catskills.  The challenge is not so much about the number of towers but the limited amount of time to get it done.  One of the first towers I climbed left an impression.  It gets windy on the towers, and I was focusing on my grip on the handrails.  Just before I reached the top, a sharp pain stopped me in my tracks.  I clocked my head hard on the tower door.  My head hurts every time I think about it.  God certainly got my attention that day, and I learned the hard way to look up more.  Despite the headache, the trip was memorable, and the view was worth the climb.

            Abram is called by the Lord to a view of what’s to come through God’s promise to him.  This comes right after another tower challenge, at Babel, which doesn’t end well.  The Tower was all about seeing excessive pride.  What we can’t see are promises, which is what makes faith challenging.  Yet, the promise of a great nation, a great name, and abundant blessings gets his attention, but not without a challenge. His view up the mountain comes later with his son Issac and proves how faithful he is to God’s call.  His first challenge comes from gathering his family and all the things they own and setting off to a new and unfamiliar place. 

Anyone who’s had to move can relate to that challenge.  Lent calls us to move away from what’s comfortable too.

            St. Paul goes on to echo the message found early in Genesis.  The tower of Babel represents what can happen when we rely exclusively on our own works and design.  Strength that comes from God calls us to respect the Divine Architect.  The covenant with Abraham restores the right relationship, moving past human pride that overshadows or even seeks to replace God’s guiding hand.  Building our relationship with God is our primary concern.  Bearing hardship comes with resisting the temptation to impress anyone.  That comes with humility, but also the longer view of faith in immortality that far exceeds any human achievement.

                        The Gospel brings us back to the mountaintop.  A place for teaching and encountering the Divine. Jesus shares a brief glimpse of his glorified body.  Peter, James and John have a personal revelation of the divine, but not without limitations.  Moses and Elijah make an appearance, too, limited to only a moment.  The law and the prophets they represent are seen in the light of their fleeting human nature, too, far surpassed by the unfolding Paschal Mystery. 

Peter, with the best of intentions, tries to contain what can’t be contained in a tent.  Tents are temporary.  Eternity is endless.  Transfiguration points to the brilliance from beyond any mountain view, eternal life.  Transfiguration points to the core of our faith, the transubstantiation celebrated at every Mass, a brief unseen moment that transforms what's seen as bread and wine into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

            Lent is meant to transform us, and we only have a limited amount of time to meet this challenge.  The brilliant display on Mount Tabor challenges us not to focus solely on what we see up close.  We also need to look up for inspiration and look out to see any obstacles or limitations in our spiritual progress.  Now’s the time to focus on how the Spirit is getting our attention, with a gentle touch or a whack in the head.  This week, find one thing in your life that needs to be transformed, and ask for God’s help.  Thank God for showing us our limitations and the help to move beyond them.  May we all be transformed this Lent to allow the brilliance of God shine through us in how we move each other closer to the glory of heaven.