Sunday Homily, February 24, 2013, 2nd Lent C
Readings:
Genesis 15, 5-12, 17-18, To your descendents I give this land.
Psalm 27, The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Philippians 3, 17 -4, 1, Therefore, stand firm in the Lord
Luke 9, 28-36, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain.
INTRODUCTION
You probably have heard the figure of speech, ‘They cut a deal.’ The origin of the Hebrew word for covenant was the Hebrew word cut. As you listen to our First Reading from the Book of Genesis it will become apparent that God and Abraham have entered into a covenant. A covenant was accompanied by sacrifices that were cut, halved. [They were ultimately fulfilled for us by the Lamb of God.]
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, encourages this early church to continue to be guided by the words of Christ, the Lamb of God.
HOMILY with Mike
Instead of Sarah being barren, the Luke gospel begins with the barren Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah. They too are symbols, to teach the gentiles, the audience of the Luke gospel, about Judaism in what we call Luke’s Infancy Narrative. [Recall that later she gave birth to John the Baptist, who prepares the way for the Lamb of God.]
The Levite and priest, were the ruling classes of Judaism. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, both pass by the man who has been beaten, robbed and left to die along side the road. Zachariah, who is a priest, symbolizes the priest.
Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron from the tribe of the Levites, symbolizes the Levite. The story teaches us why Judaism is barren. Remember the Jewish law, ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself.’ Within Judaism, the word neighbor referred only to one’s fellow Jew. The Religious leaders of Judaism could claim that they were still righteous [God-like], for they had not broken their law, when they passed by the gentile who had been left to die.
The words of Christ are not barren; they pour forth the Holy Spirit, the grace given by God to those who live Christ’s words. The voice from heaven to Peter, James and John in today’s transfiguration event is for them to live Christ’s words.
Immediately following the transfiguration there is a story in Matthew, Mark and Luke of a Father who brings his Son to Jesus to be healed from a sickness that has existed since the boy’s infancy. The sickness began to take root with the father’s lack of faith in Christ’s words when he chose instead to have his son circumcised after his birth. The father and his son are to live the words of Christ that do not abolish but fulfill the Law and Prophets. What is it that we can take away from today’s gospel? As parents or grandparents we are to teach our children and grandchildren to live the words of Christ by the way we live them. Young children can do wonders when they receive a little guidance and encouragement.
I shared a fond memory about our youngest child, who will be 40 this summer, with Judy a few weeks ago. Judy had been assigned to take communion to a small nursing home when our youngest son was somewhere around the age of seven or eight. The older children would often find reasons for not joining Paul when we went to the nursing home with Judy late Sunday mornings.
At that time there were six Catholics for her to visit and give communion. One was an elderly man who certainly seemed depressed about being there, and he didn’t look forward to us, or anyone else, coming to visit. One day Paul, who loved to go fishing with his older brother and me, noticed a small picture on a bulletin board in his room. I saw him looking at it. The two men, one younger than the other, had poles in hand and had definitely been fishing.
I gave Paul a little push and he asked the man about the picture. A short time later Paul told him about an aquarium that was in the hallway at the entrance of the nursing home. The next week when Judy came to bring communion, we were surprised to find the man in a wheel chair waiting for us. From then on after receiving communion, Paul would push him down to the aquarium where they would talk about fishing. The word of the Lord.