四旬期第二主日

Fr. Fernando Cortz

每年四旬期的第二主日都以主耶穌顯聖容為中心。每部福音以不同的方式敘述這個事件。聖馬爾谷的叙述是最早也是最舊的，再加上聖伯多祿的經驗。

人們很難想像自己一生中從未經歷過或從未見過的事情。在主耶穌出現之前，大多數人無法想像死後的生命。當門徒們與耶穌一起生活時，他們確實看到人復活了，但是死亡的人去了哪裡呢？他們不再存在了嗎？主耶穌有能力讓他們再次生存嗎？生與死是我們無法控制的奧秘。

只有天主是永遠活著的。人對天主的經歷感到害怕或困惑。雲彩日夜來到梅瑟身邊。天主在烈火中降臨，要把厄里亞帶走。

耶穌的門徒經歷天主乘雲彩降臨。對他們來說，雲彩就是天主本身！如果天主離你很近，你可能會死。你可能會停止生存。這是一個堅定的信念，可能在梅瑟之前。

亞巴郎早在梅瑟之前，就相信與天主會面是安全的。很少人能接受同神成為朋友。亞巴郎選擇相信天主是朋友，天主不會傷害他。這就是天主想要的朋友。一個會再次信任他的人。這就是亞當和夏娃在失去對天主的信任之前所過的生活。他們遠離天主。亞巴郎沒有躲避天主。

當天主要求亞巴郎犧牲他的兒子時，他並沒有逃跑。但亞巴郎並不知道這是一個考驗。他相信天主，甚至可以使死人復活。天主的天使救了依撒格。聖保祿告訴我們，依撒格成為天主拯救我們、使我們成為祂的朋友的記號。藉著為我們而死的主耶穌，我們將永遠與天主一齊生活。今天，聖保祿告訴我們，沒有任何事物可以阻擋我們和天主的愛。

成為天主的朋友，與主耶穌成為朋友從來都不是一件容易的事。他說奇怪的既話、講奇怪的故事，做更奇怪的事。今天的福音就是其中之一。請記住，門徒相信拜訪天主可能會為我們帶來死亡。在顯聖容時，没有發生。雲彩帶來新體驗。探訪者是梅瑟、厄里亞和雲彩中天主的聲音。門徒們都害怕。但伯多祿選擇與主耶穌說話。他幾乎不知道自己在說什麼。

我們對四旬期的經歷可以好像伯多祿、雅各伯和約望一樣。透過主耶穌與天主同在。體驗那些早已死去的人，例如梅瑟、厄里亞。我們的信仰告訴我們，所有這些人都在耶穌基督內活著。我們的信德可以幫助我們學習向主耶穌祈求：「主耶穌與你同在是多麼美好，讓我們建造一個永遠與你同在的家！

享受四旬期。這是祈禱、慷慨服務和相信天主友誼的時刻。

II Sunday of Lent (Cycle B)

Fr. Fernando Cortz

 This Second Sunday in Lent centers each year on the Transfiguration of Jesus. It is told in different ways. This is the first and oldest way of telling the story. Mark builds on the knowledge of Saint Peter.

It is difficult for people to imagine things they have never experienced or seen before in their lives. Until Jesus appeared, most people could not image life after death. The disciples did see people come back to life when they lived with Jesus, but where did people go? Did they stop existing? Did Jesus have power to make them exist again? Life and death were mysteries we cannot control.

Only God seemed to live forever. They were frightened or confused by an experience of God. The cloud came to Moses, day and night. God came in fire to carry Elijah away with him.

The disciples of Jesus experienced God coming down in a cloud. For them, the cloud was God himself! If God is near, you might die. You might stop existing. That was a strong belief going back to Moses, maybe even before Moses.

Abraham, long before Moses, had to believe that meeting God is safe. Very few people could accept that a god could be a friend. Abraham chose to believe that God was a friend who meant him no harm. This was the kind of friend God wanted. Someone who would trust him again. This was the life Adam and Eve lived before they lost their trust in God. They ran away from him. Abraham did not hide from God.

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, he did not run away. It was a test, but Abraham did not know that. He trusted that God could even raise the dead. God’s angel rescued Isaac. St. Paul tells us that Isaac become a sign of how God would save us, make us his friends. Through Jesus, who will died for us, we will live with God forever. Today, Saint Paul tells us that nothing will stand between us and the love of God.

It was never easy to be God’s friends. It was not always easy to be friends with Jesus. He spoke strange words and stories and did even stranger things. Today’s Gospel story is one of those experiences. Remember, the disciples believed to visit God with could bring us death. At the transfiguration that does not happen. The cloud brings a new experience. The visitors are Moses, Elijah and the voice of God in the cloud. The disciples were terrified. Yet Peter chose to speak to Jesus. He hardly knew what he was saying.

Our experience of Lent can be like Peter, James and John. To be with God through Jesus. To experience people long dead, like Moses and Elijah. Our faith tells us that all these people are alive in Jesus Christ. Our faith can help learn to ask Jesus, “How wonderful it is to be with you, let us build a home to be with you forever!

Enjoy Lent. It is a time for prayer, generous service and trusting in God’s friendship.