Second Sunday of Lent 2024
Mountains provide the setting for the events of today’s readings. We hear only a little about the journeys to reach these isolated places. Rather, the focus is on the words God delivers in the solitude there.
In one of the readings, God promises Abraham that the nations of the world will find blessing through his descendants. In the other, the Father reiterates Christ’s identity as the Son and commands Peter, James, and John to listen to Jesus.
While they journeyed up the mountains, our ancestors probably didn’t exactly anticipate the events that awaited them. Abraham, who had been commanded to give his beloved son as an offering, was prepared to follow through and only stopped after receiving a new command at the last moment. For the apostles, a glimpse of Christ’s divinity was given, leaving them fumbling for words.
This Lent, are we allowing the Lord to surprise us with His love? Or are we journeying with a preconceived notion about what God will (or will not) do, resigning ourselves to see only what we’re looking for?
In the complete story from Genesis, on the way up the mountain Isaac asks his father where the animal for the sacrifice is. Abraham replies that God will provide the lamb. It’s an answer that can be truly understood only in light of Christ’s saving sacrifice. Yet, it displays the utmost trust in the Lord’s provision: whatever God has planned is all we need.
Ultimately, God’s plan for our salvation has made it possible for us to enjoy everlasting life with Him in heaven. This is the inspiration for our ministry here at Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis: to offer a testament to our hope in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
As we continue our Lenten journey together, we pray for the desire to see and receive all that the Lord wants to give.
