Second Sunday of Lent

We are calling this weekend faith Sunday by placing special emphasis on the supernatural virtue of Faith.

The angel instructed Abram to sacrifice his son to God and Abram complied with the instructions and was ready, regardless of the pain and suffering it would cause Abram. God saw how obedient Abram has been and sent a messenger to stop the sacrifice of his son. God rewarded Abram, who now became Abraham, by making a covenant with Abraham that his descendants would be more numerous that the stars in the heavens and the sand on the beaches and they would be blessed by the Lord. Abraham is called our father in faith because of his trust in the Lord.

The Lord took the three apostles, Peter, James, and John, to the mountain with him and Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah in a glorified body. The apostles were so in awe, that they suggested memorializing the event by erecting a structure. The apostles did not understand the significance of the event because they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Bishop Sheen suggest that the three apostles were chosen for a specific reason; namely, James would be the first apostle to be martyred, Peter would face crucifixion in Rome, and John would be the only apostle not to be martyred. Bishop Sheen concluded that their faith needed to be reinforced to complete the task that God had called them too.

How is our faith being tested today? Anxiety and depression are the greatest mental health issues facing our country and the world today. Anti-anxiety and anti-depressants flood the pharmaceutical market.

Anxiety is caused by fear, a belief or perception that the object of fear is a mortal threat to the persons well being and existence. Yet, faith tells us, be not afraid. Paul tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”. We may be asked in our lifetime to make sacrifices which are not easy. But the sacrifices we make are insignificant in comparison to all we gain. Peter and James went to their deaths with a clear vision of the transfiguration and what they would become through death of the body.

How is our faith reinforced today? Our faith is reinforced by prayer, the sacraments, and community. In prayer, we come into the presence of God in a special way. God becomes our safe place, and we get in touch with a place within that the world can never touch. In the sacraments, we encounter Christ personally and the sacraments provide actual grace to achieve our station in life, what God calls us to be, and sanctifying grace that washes away our sins in the blood of the Lamb and makes us holy. In community, God provides companions on the journey united to the head of the body or community of believers, Jesus Christ.

How do I know if I am growing in faith? There are two means to determine if we are growing in faith. Firstly, are moving away from past sins or are we constantly falling backwards. Faith is never stagnant. We are either going forward or falling back. Secondly, are our thoughts, words, and actions reflective of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives, faithfulness, self-control, patience, goodness, gentleness, joy, kindness, peace, and love. None of us possesses the fullness of the fruits of the Spirit but the Body, as a whole, will exhibit the fruits for all to see. James says in his letter to show me your good works, fruits of the Spirit, and I will show you your faith. Faith without good works is lip service and not true discipleship.

During this Lenten season, let us keep our eyes on Christ. May we remember and meditate on His passion and death and remember He knew the sacrifice was worth it because of His great love for each of us.

May God continue to bless,

Deacon Phil