WORD ALIVE in Manila Bulletin by Fr Bel San Luis SVD
2nd Sunday of Lent
March 17 2019
A patient, who was being wheeled into the operating room, pleaded with the young doctor: “Doc, ple…please be gentle with me; this…this is my first time to be operated on!”
The surgeon, who also looked nervous, glanced at her and blurted out: “Do…don’t worry, madam, this…this is also my first time to do an operation!” She almost passed out of nervous breakdown.
Entrusting ourselves in the hands of a surgeon, especially a greenhorn, is human faith. Spiritual faith is trusting in Jesus who said, “Don’t worry. Have faith in me; have faith in my Father.”
The theme of the 2nd Sunday of Lent is faith. The Lord’s glorious transfiguration in this Sunday’s gospel (Mk 9,2-10) served as a spiritual booster to strengthen the faith of his disciples in the days to come when he would suffer terribly, nailed to the cross, and die in Jerusalem.
Faith is such that no matter how staunchly we live Christ’s teachings, there will be times when it flickers or even gets extinguished.
Faith has mountain peak as well as low or valley moments in life. Peak experiences are moments of joy and fulfillment, like passing a bar or board exam, a long-awaited marriage, a visa to work abroad, a priestly ordination, or profession of religious vows.
The low points of life may be misfortunes like the sudden death of a loved one, a financial crisis, a serious sickness, a failed marriage.
When such adversities hit us, we can feel discouraged and even cop out. However, that should not be the attitude of a true follower of Christ. A good Christian should have the resilience to rise from trials, trusting in God’s help and providence.
Éditions Verbum Bible 