The Truths of Faith

 Reflection on Today’s Readings, 2^nd Sunday of Lent C, March 13^th, 2022

Texts: Genesis 15: 5-12.17-18; Psalm 27: 1.7-9.13-14; Phil. 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36

We are called, today, to examine our faith. What is the truth of my faith in God? What is the truth of your faith in God? Put differently, what do we believe in God? It is always good to examine our faith now and then to purify it. Some of us believe what we tell ourselves, not what God tells us. Some of us believe something that are not true. Genuine faith begins from believing the right things. In today’s first reading, it is said, “God brought Abram outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and number the stars, if you are able to number them’. Then he said, ‘So shall your descendants be’. And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.” If Abram had believed what God had not promised, do we think his faith would have been reckoned to him as righteousness? The faith of Abram was reckoned to him as righteousness because he believed the truth, what God promised him. The truth Abram believed was God’s promise of descendants and land.  If God had said one thing and he believed another thing, his faith would have not been reckoned to him as righteousness. Let us be mindful of what we believe in God.

St. Paul reminds us, today, that what God had promised is heavenly common wealth. He says, “But our common wealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Those whom this glorious state awaits are those who believe that their common wealth is in heaven, not those who seek their common wealth in this world. St. Paul speaks of those who seek their common wealth in this world thus: “For many of whom I have told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” We are on the wrong path when our faith in Jesus Christ aims at gaining this world; righteousness is not reckoned for such faith. St. Paul told the people of Corinth thus: “if for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1Cor. 15:19).

St. Paul also reminds us that the cross of Christ is a truth of Christian which some of us refuse to believe. In his words: “For many of whom I have told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ.” The truth of the Cross of Christ is a truth that some of us often run away from and we do not want to listen to it; it is repulsive to us. We often forget that no glory without the Cross. It is the desire for glory without Cross that has led to so many evils in our society: cybercrimes, robbery, yahoo+, bribery and corruption, kidnapping, lies, to mention but a few. The rejection of the Cross is the rejection of the common wealth in heaven. The quest for earthly common wealth makes us reject the Cross of Christ.

What we hold as the truths of our faith matter a lot, for they inform our conducts, our ways of life, likes and dislikes, disposition and opposition, etc. Hence, it is said of Abram thus: “And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Believing that his inheritance would come from the Lord, his life was oriented towards God, he made himself pleasing to the Lord. If we hold firm the truth that our common wealth is in heaven, we will know that there is nothing for us to lose in this world and as such we will be able to give our heart wholly to God. We only have something to lose in heaven; our hearts should always be in heavenly things.

We see, in today’s gospel reading, the glory that awaits us in Jesus Christ: our appearances will be altered, and our clothing will become dazzling white. Our body will be transformed to the glorious body of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, as St. Paul rightly tells us in the first reading. The gospel reading also shows that it is through the Cross we attain the glorious state. The mystery of the Cross was the subject of Jesus’ talk with Moses and Elijah. It is clear in the words: “And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.” The Cross is the way to glory, we are not to despise the Cross.

Lord our God, we thank You for the gift of faith by which You make us righteous, give us knowledge of the truths of faith and may our actions be inspired by them. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke