The gospel of this second week of Lent, Year B (Mark 9:2-10), tells the story of the transfiguration—the manifestation of the divinity of Christ. In that story, we read, “Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Then Scripture says, “Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.” My friends, life can change in a split second. As the Bible says, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Just a few years back, we battled with the destructive power of COVID-19, as it claimed thousands of lives in seconds. With things getting better and returning to normal, we may have easily forgotten the lessons learned from that unfortunate pandemic—the uncertainty of life and the meaninglessness of material things. The bottom line is that we are a people on a time-limited mission for whom every minute should count. We are perishable items and highly expendable beings, and life needs to be lived accordingly.
During this lent, therefore, let us live our lives as people who have learned a lesson. We can no longer live life on the sidelines but embrace life fully. It is no longer enough for us to care but to do all we can to give a helping hand. We can no longer believe but need to put our beliefs into practice. Being fair is no longer enough; we need to become very generous. We can no longer forgive but must let go and forget. Dreaming and procrastinating are no longer enough; we must act and get going. This is not a time to be spent worrying because it makes us use our imaginations to create things that we don’t really want, nor is it a time to be spent being angry, for that only adds more wrinkles, not dimples, to our faces. This lent invites us to let go of unforgiveness because we do not want God to remember our own sins in detail, as He has promised to do if we do not forgive.
My friends, time is too short to be wasted on bearing grudges, hating, criticizing, and hurting others, or being spent in regrets and misery. These things mitigate our journey to our own God-given destinies. It is important for us to close all doors to bitterness, envy, and jealousy because we cannot attract what we attack. Because we do not know what tomorrow will bring, because we are living on borrowed time, this lent is a good opportunity to abort every tendency to live in fear because it creates paralysis for what needs to be done today.
Folks, let us not forget the lessons of COVID-19 simply because it has been ameliorated. The truth remains that life is too short and we need to live it fully while we can. Let our eyes see the best in us and in others. Let our words be edifying to those who hear it. Let our hearts and minds learn to forgive the worst and forget the bad. Let us Stand up for what is right, fair, and just. Let us stay reconciled with our God, neighbor, and ourselves. May our spirit never lose hope or faith in God as we must always try to let go, let God, and keep going, for a greater tomorrow may await us. I wish all of us a good Lenten season!
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