Lenten Penance with the Strengths That Comes from God.

Deacon Serj Harutunian

2nd Sunday of Lent Transfiguration • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Mass (Title of the Eucharistic Service)

Transfiguration

Repentance

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Is our Lenten penance done with the Strength that Comes from God? What is keeping us keep us from that transforming fullness of joy and abundant of life that we can have through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Is there an important decision, a necessary change that must be made now.? Don’t be afraid, Jesus is present here in the Eucharist to touch us strengthen and to raise us so that we may worship and serve the Lord our God with the strength that comes from God.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

“TRANS” trans a five letter Latin prefix, when attached to a word means “on the opposite side”, “or going beyond”, Transport, Transform, Transmit.”

Recall in last Sunday’s Gospel the Devil took Jesus up to a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and said all these I shall give you if your prostrate yourself and worship me! Jesus rejecting the proposition said “Get Away Satan, it is written The Lord your God shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”

Body

In our Gospel Jesus takes Peter, James and John by themselves to a high mountain where he is? ..TRANSFIGURED…“TRANS” trans a five letter Latin prefix, when attached to a word means “on the opposite side”, “or going beyond”, Transport, Transform,” Jesus went beyond the physical limitation of his human body as we know in time and space. His face shone like the Sun, and his body lit up through his cloths, he was glowing from inside out, while Moses and Elijah were conversing with him, Luke in his Gospel tells us they were talking to Jesus about his exodus, he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The Transfiguration was like a foreshadowing of his resurrection, sort of a practice run; God was strengthening Jesus for the horrific mission that was waiting for him on the cross for the salvation of the world. Now James is said to be the first Martyr in the Church, Peter crucified upside down, and John exiled to the island of Patmos, left to die, helps understand why Jesus may have taken them on this trip, to strengthen them for their journey and through their witness and writings strengthen us in our journey. And when all was done on top of that high mountain, the disciples were prostrate worshiping God, seeing Jesus alone.

In our Gospel Jesus takes Peter, James and John by themselves to a high mountain where he is? ..TRANSFIGURED… before them, while Moses and Elijah were conversing with Jesus, Luke in the Gospel says they were talking to Jesus about his exodus, he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Jesus in Transfiguration went beyond the physical limitation of his human body as we know in time and space. His face shone like the Sun, and his body lit up through his cloths, he was glowing form inside out. This Transfiguration was like foreshadowing of his resurrection, sort of a practice run; God was strengthening Jesus for the horrific mission that was waiting for him on the cross for the salvation of the world. Now James is said to be the first Martyr in the Church, Peter crucified upside down, and John exiled to the island of Patmos, left to die, helps understand why Jesus may have taken them on this trip, to strengthen them for their journey and through their witness and writings strengthen us in our journey.

The Apostle Paul in our second reading says, “Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” Hardship, dealing with our own sinful weaknesses, hardship living the Gospel in a post Christian secular humanistic culture, hardship in our family relationships, finances and health, hardship trying not to conform to this world but transforming it “with the Strength that Comes from God.

In our first reading Abram left behind his familiar homeland of polytheism and temple cultic practices, and transitioned to a new land, where he worshiped and served the Lord his God alone.

Conclusion

Is our Lenten penance empowered with the Strength that Comes from God? What is keeping us keep us from that transforming fullness of joy and abundant of life that comes through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Is there an important decision, a necessary change that must be made now.? Don’t be afraid, Jesus is present here in the Eucharist to touch us to raise us to that higher ground, so that we can transpose ourselves prostate ourselves before almighty God, worshiping and serving the Lord our God and him alone. with the strength that comes from God.

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