Sunday, February 28, 2010: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9: 28b-36 – Second Sunday of Lent

In today’s second reading, St. Paul speaks of how Christians should behave. Christians must distinguish themselves from those who do not believe in Jesus Christ because their citizenship is not of this world but of heaven. Paul understands that in the world, there are many who do not believe in Jesus Christ and they have set themselves as enemies of the cross. Christians must not follow these people or live like them. The important question we must ask ourselves is this, who are the enemies of the cross?

The enemies of the cross are those whose lives are contrary to the life of Christ. They do not try in their lives to conform themselves to the life of Christ. A Christian is an imitator of Christ. A Christian strives everyday to be Christ-like. Those who are enemies of the cross see religion as rules and regulations. It is not what comes from one’s whole being but it is paying lip services and performing outward acts that people may see them to be righteous. For them, Christianity does not flow from the graces poured out through the event of Christ in the cross, but it is about the external practices they must carry out to look justified in the eyes of the world. They make themselves the center of religion and not Jesus Christ.

Enemies of the cross live as if there is no world beyond here. St. Paul says they are occupied with earthly things. They are carried away by the things of the world and they crave for worldly power and glory. God is not at the center of their lives. What is their priority in life is not God or their Christian faith but wealth and their own personal or family’s well being. The enemies of the cross do not acknowledge the life-giving power of the cross. For them, the cross is a sign of weakness, shame and folly. They refuse to come to Jesus Christ for reconciliation with the father. By their refusal to ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness, they are undermining the power of the cross and making vain that great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross for our reconciliation and salvation.

Those who have made themselves enemies of the cross live a lifestyle that is opposed to the values of the gospel. The gospel values that Christians must embrace are love for God and neighbor, forgiveness of others, sharing our resources with those who are in need and acknowledging Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives. We, like the Philippians who are citizens of heaven, must be friends of the cross. The cross here symbolizes the victory that Jesus Christ has won for us. As friends of the cross, we must be imitators of Jesus, the apostles and our forefathers in the faith, the saints. These are our models of what it means to be in relationship with God and to embrace the reconciliation he offers us in the cross. The apostles and the saints have lived in this world and have gone through the challenges that we face. They did not allow the world to change them but they changed the world, establishing a civilization of love in a world that is marked by selfishness. What can we learn from the apostles and saints?

The apostles and saints loved Jesus Christ and they were willing to give their lives for his kingdom. They also loved the church. They saw the church as the visible body of Christ. They did not pick and choose what they believed. They were not cafeteria Christians. They were not half-baked. They were not microwaved Christians. By this I mean Christians who are only Christians so long as it is convenient and they do just the minimum that is required of them. They accepted all the teachings of the church in faith even when they found them difficult to accept. They were zealous for the Lord. Their faith was not lukewarm. They were ready to proclaim their faith fearlessly even when they risked being killed or imprisoned. Above all, they were men and women of prayer. They understood that they cannot succeed in their Christian journey by themselves. They recognized that they needed help and power from above. Prayer was an important key for them to unlock their power from above and to get timely help to overcome the challenges they faced. That is how they succeeded and that is the only way we too can succeed.

During this season of Lent, St. Paul reminds us once more of our identity as “citizens of heaven.” We do not belong to this world. We are citizens of heaven. We are on exile here in this world. Let us intensify our prayer lives during this season and beyond, that we may continue to get timely help to face our challenges. As citizens of heaven, every time of the year must be a time to be imitators of the apostles and the saints and a time to be friends of the cross. Lent is an opportunity for us to begin this new relationship with Jesus Christ. I challenge you to ten minutes of prayer every day. Five minutes at the beginning of your day and five minutes at the end of the day. My prayer for you is that God will open your eyes that you may experience his glory in your life and acknowledge him as the savior of the world.