A Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent

+ Not everybody is ready to see Christ transfigured. Nor can all yet hear those words of the Father, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” Those select apostles who were taken up the mountain to witness this great event were carefully instructed not to tell the others what they had witnessed until Christ had risen from the dead. Thus, it is with the graces we receive. Whilst they are a great gift, they are not easily sharable, nor should we try to do so without due consideration. The desert fathers, moreover, compare the mouth that is ever speaking of the graces that person has received to a dam with the floodgate open: it can never store up a reserve to be used in due season.

Speech, nonetheless, is necessary. Evil must be combatted, error corrected. Above all, God must be glorified. At the heart of so doing is the missionary imperative, to go out, convert the nations baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). This obligation rests on all Christians. Indeed, so strong is the obligation that Christ commands us to shout it from the rooftops (Matthew 10:27), whilst St Paul speaks of preaching at both opportune and inopportune moments (II Timothy 4:2).

Yet we live in a society very different from that of the first century. No longer is the Gospel received as good news. Rather, it is treated as old news that has lost its vigour. It is treated as no news, but as hearsay which has been heard and dismissed before. Its silent transformation of society has occurred, yet the devolution away from the Gospel is led by the mob, not content with a version of Christianity which is merely cultural, which lacks the power of God. Moreover, truth, they have convinced themselves, does not exist.

But even they accept that truth does exist when it suits them. Anything which expresses legitimate or illegitimate difference between peoples and cultures is reprehended as erroneous. Likewise, truth is claimed to be found in the laws of science, politically manipulated to appear to contradict the Gospel. Yet the truth of nature is to be found first in God: no scientific theory can invert that. Rather, natural science can, and in itself does, point to God as Creator. It does prove the reality of truth to any who doubt its existence. We could go on...

It is now very rare to find a time that is opportune for proclaiming the salvation of Christ... It is rare for people to search for truth. Before they can do so, they must accept that truth exists. Such an acceptance would call into question much, if not all, upon which they currently depend. Yet this is precisely what we need. To face truth and allow it to unsettle each and every vice that has not been completely uprooted. To allow truth to transform every aspect of our social structures which are built on ambition, jealousy, lies, or ideology.

The Church's Tradition has given us the Lenten fast to reexamine that we are truly seeking God and to serve His Church. Only then can we start to find opportune times for the direct preaching of Christ.

Christ is the Truth Himself. Only in Him does anything make sense. Only in Him can we live in full freedom. Peace can only come from Him. It is not a matter of awaiting the right opportunity to preach His name, but of creating the opportunity. If the transfigured Christ is going to be imprinted onto hearts everywhere, we must first renew our own wonder of God. The Incarnation must truly be good news. It must excite and animate us. Then shall the power of God show forth in the world. +