Homily for February 28

Dear Parish Family:

As I listen to the Word of God for this Second Sunday of Lent, very different and conflicting images converge. There was a boy who excitedly trudged up a hill with his Dad to encounter God. I have recollections of going to early Mass on Lenten mornings with my Dad. There was a sense of intimacy and privilege about the opportunity. The boy carried the wood; the Dad had the fire and a knife. The other image is that of a mountain where close friends enjoyed for a split second an unforgettable vision. They were both consoled and challenged because almost immediately they were enveloped in a cloud and heard a voice about a “beloved son.”

During the journey through the desert of Lent, not only are we to be tempted or tested, but, quite possibly, we are to encounter the living God who assures us that we are loved and invites us to accept the consequences of being loved. One word that clearly emerges from both stories is “sacrifice.” The questions that are asked in all three readings are profound, and the answers are to be revealed throughout the course of Lent and the rest of our lives:
 

1. What does resurrection from the dead mean?
2. Where is the sheep for the sacrifice?
3. If God is for us, who can be against us?

May God, who has begun the good work in you, bring it to completion!

Blessed Lent,
Fr. Bill Foley