{"id":693,"date":"2015-03-01T10:14:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T15:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/?p=693"},"modified":"2015-03-20T10:17:01","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T15:17:01","slug":"we-are-all-being-put-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/?p=693","title":{"rendered":"We Are All Being Put to the Test"},"content":{"rendered":"

Second Sunday of Lent<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gn 22: 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Rom 8: 31b-34; Mk 9: 2-10<\/span><\/h2>\n

Deacon Larry Brockman<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We are all being put to the test.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just like Abraham in the first reading, and just like Peter, James and John in the Gospel, your faith is being put to the test constantly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And what better time than Lent for you to reflect on that test: how you are being tested in your faith and what can you do to pass God\u2019s test for you.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

You know, the story in first reading is so familiar to us, that we may not appreciate the whole meaning.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Did you know, for example, that the land of Moriah to which Abraham brought Isaac, meant the hills above Jerusalem- the exact same place where Jesus was crucified?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And that a little math will resolve the fact that when Isaac was brought by Abraham to Moriah, he was virtually the same age as Jesus when he suffered and died on the Cross- in his early 30\u2019s.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He wasn\u2019t some young lad, virtually helpless against an older parent.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

How much more vivid do these two factors make the comparison between Isaac and Abraham versus <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jesus and God the Father.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son because God challenged him, put him to the test, to show his loyalty.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And God intended that we draw the parallel- a son the same age; and a sacrifice to take place in the precise location of Calvary.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Yes, it is necessary to give up that which is the most precious to us in order to show our loyalty and faith in God.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Why was it so important that Abraham pass this test?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Because faith means everything- ultimately without faith in God, we are reduced to nothing.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We have no firm ground, no basis; we don\u2019t have the stamina and fortitude to survive the trials in this world; and we have no future beyond this life.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Real faith in God not only means knowledge of God, but a healthy fear of God; a humility that recognizes we are always subject to God, and not in control; and trust in the fact that God loves each one of us so much that he will always help us to be the best version of ourselves.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s why it is important for us to have faith, and faith that has been put to the test.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Abraham passed his test; he believed God, even if it meant sacrificing his only son.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And as a reward, God gave him descendants as numerous as the stars from his one son Isaac.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>God extended the promise to maintain Abraham\u2019s legacy symbolically \u201cforever\u201d through his descendants.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Similarly, the Apostles faith is being tested in the Gospel reading.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They had left everything to follow Jesus.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But they didn\u2019t really know what that meant.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus miracles and charisma and teaching authority were beyond question in their minds.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But when Jesus told them, following the 40 days in the desert that we heard about last week, that he was going to suffer much, die, and then be resurrected, well, that was too much for them; Jesus words to them had fallen on deaf ears.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And so, Jesus took them on Mt. Tabor for an unforgettable encounter.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Right in front of their eyes, Jesus was transfigured, meaning that he became dazzling in brightness.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Clearly, this was a brightness that emanated from within him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And there were Moses and Elijah as well in similar brilliance and reality- Moses representing the Law; and Elijah representing the prophets.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesus had been accused by the Pharisees of violating the law and misrepresenting the prophets.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>So, Moses and Elijah\u2019s presence validated that Jesus was on the right track.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He was the fulfillment of the law and the prophecies.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Amazingly, the three Apostles recognized Moses and Elijah- their eyes were opened.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Then, God the Father spoke from the cloud: \u201cThis is my beloved Son\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What an encounter!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>If ever they had doubts about who Jesus was, this should have removed them. <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But even as they left the mountain, Jesus repeats the prophecy of his on suffering and death.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Indeed, the Faith the Apostles had was being called into test.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They had seen; but to really believe, they had to believe in all of it, trusting that even that which seemed unlikely or counterintuitive, was true.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They needed to have faith in Jesus 100 percent, and then act accordingly.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each year, we are brought into the season of Lent to prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It is a good time for us to stop what we are doing for a while and reflect on our lives.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>How are we being put to the test?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And do we really believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Do we trust that no matter what the world throws at us, we still need to live the Gospel message, and trust God?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what are some of the ways that we can establish that our faith is genuine as we reflect on our lives?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>St. Paul tells us this morning that we should not be ashamed of our testimony to the Lord.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Today, that means we should stand tall for our Christian moral values- <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>values such as Respect for Life, concern for the Poor, the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman; and honesty in business to name a few.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Paul also tells us that God has:<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c\u2026Called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>First, we are called to a holy life. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Are we living holy lives?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And then, we are called, not according to our own works that is our own interpretation about what is right for us and how to do things, but rather through God\u2019s will for us, His design.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s a whole lot to reflect on.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I am sure all of us are being tested, and we have this opportunity to strengthen our faith.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I go to a local hospital twice a week to visit the Catholics there.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s probably accurate to say that many of them experience a sort of wake up call.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I see People who are losing a leg because of diabetes; or suddenly find themselves with cancer; or any of a number of other life threatening diseases.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I hear a lot of \u201cWhy me? And I see a lot of denial.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Some of them are in panic because they know their lives are not in harmony with God.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Their faith is weak; and they are struggling with the consequences.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Each of us has the opportunity right now to face the test of our faith, and not be caught by surprise.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>So, examine your life; and then make whatever change you need to strengthen your faith now.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Make ready for the promise of the Resurrection!<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Second Sunday of Lent Gn 22: 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Rom 8: 31b-34; Mk 9: 2-10 Deacon Larry Brockman \u00a0 You know what?\u00a0 We are all being put to the test.\u00a0 Just like Abraham in the first reading, and just like Peter, James and John in the Gospel, your faith is being put to the test […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[334],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=693"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":694,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693\/revisions\/694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.deaconlarry.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}