This is My Chosen Son; Listen to Him

03-13-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

No one desires slavery, yet we often find ourselves enslaved by other people or even things. We find ourselves being slaves of sin, drugs, sexual inpurities, social media, money and other material things. When this happens, we stand in need of a redeemer who will return us to our natural and desirable state of freedom and peace. Scripture shows us that we have never been alone in our need for a savior. When humanity embraced darkness and became enslaved to sin, one of God’s initial responses was to establish a covenant relationship with a chosen individual, his name was Abram. The ritual that authenticated the establishment of the old covenant is described in the first reading at the liturgy this Sunday.

The sacrificial animals are “clean” species, they are split into halves and the covenant parties (Abraham and God, represented by the smoking fire pot and a flaming torch) pass between the carcasses to indicate the death consequence of breaking the solemnly sealed covenant. God promised Abraham and his descendants a Father/son relationship, the promised land, and that numerous descendants would evolve into nations if they would embrace, wholeheartedly, the covenant and worship only Yahweh as their God. Israel inherited this covenant which was renewed in the desert as redeemed Israel journeyed towards the Land of Promise with Moses, the lawgiver, as custodian of the terms of the covenant. When Israel’s nationality became more defined, prophets emerged as God’s mouth pieces revealing His will and assessing, quite frequently, Israel’s fidelity to the terms of the covenant. Clearly, Elijah distinguished himself as the greatest of such prophets in the old dispensation.

This is the same Elijah who, together with Moses, appeared and conversed with Jesus at the event of the transfiguration, symbolizing the convergence of the law and prophesy in the person and mission of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God through whom the second and universally inclusive covenant was to be established between God and humanity. By their presence, Moses and Elijah confirmed the messiahship of Jesus indicating that He would, under the new dispensation, be the lawgiver and, by His name alone, would men prophesy.

This Theophany awed Simon Peter to the extent that he suggested making three tents for Jesus and His patriarchal guests so they would remain in glory forever. This, however, was not God’s will and God revealed His will when He spoke from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” God’s will is never for us to just intellectualize our faith and to bask in the glorious experience of His presence only when we come to Church, but for us to listen to His beloved Son, allowing His teaching to penetrate and permeate our hearts and transform us into prophets of the new dispensation.

As we seek, through faithful practice of our Lenten observance, spiritual renewal, may God grant us the grace to share the fruits of this renewal to all. May this renewal help us to keep the law of love made mandatory for us by Jesus and may we be true prophets in His name, especially to those who are weak and vulnerable in our community.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh