2nd Sunday of Lent
As a priest, many people come to us seeking answers to their questions.
Questions that are difficult to answer.
A mother came to me once and said,
Father, I loved my husband and my children with all my heart.
Ibinigay ko naman lahat para sa kanila.
Why is it that after all the things I did,
my husband still left me for another woman?
A young man came to me and said,
Father, all my life, I have never given trouble to my parents.
Mabait naman ako. Hindi naman ako masamang tao. Masipag naman ako.
I have been working hard. Why am I not getting the break that I want?
A father once approached me and said,
Father, my wife and I did all we could to give our child a good education.
Hindi kami nagkulang sa patuturo, sa pagpapaalala, sa pangangaral.
Why is his life a mess now?
It seems we are losing him. Why?
Difficult questions.
And we are not alone in asking these questions.
Abraham, in the first reading today, I’m sure asked the same difficult questions.
Why would God ask that I sacrifice Isaac, my only son, his gift to me? Why?
The disciples of Jesus could have asked the same questions on Calvary.
If Jesus is the Messiah, the savior, why is he crucified on the cross?
If his mission is God-sent why does it seem that he is a failure?
We all have our questions in life.
And the gospel today does not give us a clear answer.
What the Lord gives us is an invitation.
“This is my beloved son, listen to him.”
Open your heart to Jesus.
Believe in him.
Trust him.
Trust in the Lord.
Trust in his love.
St. Paul in the second reading reminds us that
If God can give up his only begotten Son for us
Will He not give everything else to us.
Kung hindi ipinagkait ng Diyos ang kanyang anak sa atin
Ipagkakait ba nang Diyos ang iba pang makabubuti sa aitn.
God is trustworthy.
We may not fully understand how.
We may not find all the answers to our questions.
But we listen to the Lord.
We open our hearts to him.
We trust in him.
