1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP - 2nd Sunday of Lent
2. -- Dennis Keller OP - 2nd Sunday of Lent
3. -- Dennis Keller OP - 3rd Sunday of Lent
4. -- Dennis Keller OP - 4th Sunday of Lent
5. --(Your reflection can be here!)

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Lent 2 C 2025

This Sunday’s readings provide us with both encouragement and caution. Both are much needed in our times, just as when they were written long ago. Actually, although life is normally a series of ups and downs, it seems that this present age might even seem to have much more significant challenges to “keep on keeping on” in the matter of faith than ever before!

The images or text that come to mind as well as phrases that are heard very often in our daily conversation are evidence of the constancy of our present up and down feelings and world. They include comparing life to a roller coaster or revolving door, escalation and reduction, uncertainty, burnout, and wanting balance. In addition to all that the ancients have dealt with, we have instant media and news as ways to communicate the positive and the negative, in real time, often before any facts are known.

Each of us can list those mountain top moments when everything, even for a brief time, was wonderful. We can also remember when we were lower than low. Where was God in each of these times? Right there in the smiles, but also in the sadness, even if we could not “feel” the Presence or comfort.

God told Abram that there was a Plan well beyond his sight. The Letter to the Philippians cautions us to find like-minded people who trust the Word and act that way to help us on our way. Our Gospel reading reminds us “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

Certainly, doubt and discouragement might enter our mind, just as it did Jesus’s as Jesus hung on the Cross. Reflecting on our own ups and downs then aligning them to some Scriptural references to those Jesus faced might help us find a comradery of “blessed assurance”. God is faithful and God’s promises are true!

Blessings,
Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP
Southern Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one

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Second Sunday of Lent

March 16, 2025

Genesis 15:5-12 & 17-18; Responsorial
Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1;
Gospel Acclamation 17:5; Luke 9:28-36

Last Sunday was about the Temptation of Jesus. It revealed to us the influence of the evil one against the will of the Ancient One. The Ancient One is a common title for God found in the visions of the prophet Daniel. This Sunday is an antithesis to those temptations. The first reading from Genesis provides us with an historic matter that affects us some thousands of years later. Abram is called by God for a continuing and active role of God in human history. Abram said yes to the stepping away from all that he and Sara knew about living and how the world works. The time intervening between Abram and the Transfiguration are an era of God actively influencing humanity. Abram is renamed Abraham. The meaning is that Abram, now Abraham is the father of an incomprehensible multitude, uncountable. We can say this call of Abram is a call to discipleship.

The Transfiguration is the start of a new phase, a new era in God’s influence. Prophetic details of the Transfiguration are found in the Hebrew Prophet, Daniel, chapter 7. The image of the Ancient One is described there. “… his clothing was snow bright and the hair on his head as white as wool…” The four beasts in this vision are a winged lion (Babylon), a bear (Median Empire, current day Iran), a leopard (Cyrus of Persia) and a beast of iron feet, and feet that crushed what remained after its destructive campaigns. This last refers to the wars of Alexander the Great. It denotes a shift of power from the East to the West. The beast is not identified with any known animal. So, as in the non-naming of Pharoah, this beast continues in nations engaged in warfare. Weapons even today are of metal. Though there is a new weapon that is technologically based.

Daniel’s vision perceived another being in battle with the beasts and the iron one. “One like a son of man coming on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, he received dominion, glory, and kingship.” Luke is certainly aware of the visions of Daniel and in presenting the Transfiguration of Jesus, he sees Jesus as the Son of Man, coming mysteriously on the clouds of heaven. The clouds of heaven are where God is dwelling. This Son of Man is portrayed as the fire Daniel emanating from God’s throne. The implication is that Jesus comes directly from the Ancient One. And his presence is like a fire - a power that enlivens, stirs up action, purifies.

As Jesus’ face and clothing became dazzling white, there appear with him two of the greats of Hebrew Scripture – Moses, representing the law (the guides for a long life and happiness), and Elijah, the great prophet whose life did not end in death but disappeared into the clouds in a fiery chariot. The similarities between Moses, Elijah, Jesus are these. First each had an experience of God – always on a mountain top, in a cloud and for Elijah in a gentle breeze. Moses met God in a cloud; Elijah met God on a mountain top at the entrance of a cave. Jesus is endorsed by God as the “chosen son.” This anointing by word of God is the anointing of kingship. The anointing in the Greek of Matthew is the word “messiah.” This anointing initiates the Kingdom of God. The word “begun” is chosen deliberately as this beginning is just the beginning not the completion of the Kingdom. That work is left to others. In the case of Moses, Joshua is chosen to complete the work of the promised land. In the case of Elijah, Elisha is chosen to continue the work of building up the chosen people. In the case of Jesus, Peter, James, and John and the other apostles and disciples are chosen to continue the work of growing the Kingdom of God.

The vision of Daniel in the prophet’s chapter seven is brought to a close as the great forever beast, personified in the person of Alexander, makes war against the holy ones and assails the holy ones ----- UNTIL the Ancient One comes in judgment in favor of the holy ones and the time came when the holy ones possess the kingdom. Sounds like the completion of the Kingdom of God.

Scholars interpret this Transfiguration as Jesus seeking encouragement from Moses and Elijah for establishing the Kingdom of God. The message and their encouragement strengthen Jesus to undergo the terrible physical, mental, and spiritual pain of Gethsemane, torture, and crucifixion. The combatants are Jesus, the anointed King contending with the hypocrisy and use of the Law to control the people and profit for themselves. Their religion is less about faith in God and more about the temptations Jesus endured. The High Priests and Sadducees were not faithful to the covenant. The other complicit and willing combatant against the Kingdom is Rome. That empire’s domination and violence and enslavement of the chosen people through unfair taxation was also the kingdom of the evil one, on par with the four beasts of Daniel’s writing.

Moses fought the evil of Pharoah, the enslavement of the chosen people. Elijah fought the fertility rites of Baal and Astarte as promoted by Jezabel. Both Moses and Elijah suffered from those persecutions.

In the coming weeks, we’ll revisit Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as King, the anointed one. His first actions were to preach in the temple and to cleanse it of corruption. As we remember during our holy week services, he leaves us with a sacrament of his continued presence and unity with all his followers, both living and those who have passed the portal of death. His pain, suffering, and abandonment by his followers is the battle against the evil one who was horrific. Jesus’ example in those last days is for us as well. To be a member of the Kingdom established and continuing to grow and combat the evil one’s influence will cause us pain. We look forward to the completion of that Kingdom. How we live, how we love creation, how we relate to each other is critical. In Matthew’s gospel chapter twenty-five we learn how it is we combat the evil one. It's those we care for and love that gives us the avenue to love God. From that chapter we learn how it is we grow the Kingdom Jesus established on the mount of transfiguration. All of this makes sense. All of this is intended to provide us the avenue of ascendance to God and to full union with our ancestors, our friends, and creation as it was meant to be. Lent is part of strategizing our footsteps on the trail on which we are led by the Good Shepherd, our King. We should recall that the ancient meaning of kingship is based on the work of shepherds. All is for the good of the sheep.
contact with himself as well as the perverted focus of civil authority bent on control over the lives of the Holy Ones, intent on theft of the resources that have been given by God to all humanity, and robbing persons of their liberty to grow into the fullness of the Kingdom.

The temptations of Jesus in last week’s gospel were about Jesus’ establishing the Kingdom of which Daniel prophesizes. Hopefully, we who heard it realize these temptations apply to each of us as we live and grow into the fullness of the Kingdom. This Sunday we are given the goal of the Kingdom and the revelation that this Kingdom isn’t going to come for us individually and us collectively without suffering. Jesus is about to enter the City of Jerusalem where he cleans up the Temple, has a last supper with his disciples, and suffers mentally and spiritually in a garden, reminiscent of Eden where the first parents suffered from their temptation to bring evil into their hearts. It’s like a full circle. So, it is with each of us. It is necessary we understand we are a community and share in the temptations and sufferings and will certainly share in the resurrection.

Dennis Keller Dennis@PreacherExchange.com

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Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 30, 2025

Joshua 5:9 & 10-12; Responsorial Psalm 34; 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21; Gospel Acclamation Luke15:13; Luke 15:1-3 & 11-32

During these Sundays of Lent, we have been pointing out the continuing message, the story of Jesus working toward the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. Last Sunday taught us teaching about sin in the message of the Galileans slaughtered in the temple while making sacrifice to God. It was about eighteen construction workers killed when an aqueduct tower collapsed on them. Did they die because they were sinners and deserving of death? With those two references of tragedy Jesus told the story of a sterile fig tree. For three years that tree had not borne fruit. The master wished it cut down. The caretaker of fig trees asked for one more chance for that tree. The owner granted it. The message is that sin gets in the way of the Kingdom coming to fullness and completion. However, repentance is not a once and done encouragement. The caretaker of spirits continues to work to lead us individually to repentance into the ways of our Creator.

This Sunday Jesus is accused of consorting with publicans, tax collectors. The Scribes and Pharisees sought to isolate those public sinners as infectious. In effect sinners were outside the practice of faith of the Jews. Yet Jesus spoke with them, ate meals with them, stayed with them. How to let those Pharisees and Scribes their focus was on the wrong track. This is not an effort of Jesus to reject their complaints, but to point out they did not understand God’s loving kindness and hope for all, including sinners. There is certainly hope for us when we come to realize our sin. It is impossible for anyone to repent until they understand how they are missing the mark of God’s plan for us and rejecting calls by God to understand the need for change.

The Prodigal Son, the Compliant Son, and the forgiving, loving Dad is a parable widely known and appreciated. It provides us with the thought that we will always be welcomed back no matter our turning away from God’s way of flourishing. The younger son of a wealthy landowner wanted his inheritance now so he could live independently, away from what he imagined was a stifling family relationship. By custom he would inherit one third of the father’s estate. The first-born son could expect to inherit two thirds of the estate. The story in the parable is well known. The younger son used up his inheritance in wild parties and extravagant living. His older brother added the charge that he used it up with prostitutes. The kid had to find work. In the force of a famine all he could find to support himself was taking care of a herd of pigs. For a Jew to take on that abhorrent job was a horror of horrors. In this son’s desperation he wanted to eat the pods of the Carob Tree which were fed for the swine.

The father of this parable is cast in the role of the creator. He looks like a push-over. When he sees the prodigal coming down the road, he runs to him and embraces him, welcoming him home. What a surprise for this son! He expected to be rejected and be the victim of a lot of yelling and “I told you so’s.” But none of that. A party, a bath, new clothing, former friends called in to celebrate. What an indulgent father. Is Jesus telling us this is how our heavenly Dad behaves?

Then there is the elder brother. He has borne the burden of maintaining the land and its crops. How surprised he was to hear the joyful celebration. He finds out from another servant the prodigal has come home. What kind of justice is this? The elder has sweat on the land making it productive and fruitful for his father. He refused to join in the celebration. It is not a stretch to apply his attitude to ourselves. The father comes out to him – the younger came to the father. The elder has no joy in his brother’s return. He enters the dome of self-pity, not finding join in a brother’s return. Yet he enjoyed the father’s company all the time his brother was absent. He ate well, was clothed, and had the run of the place.

The question hangs out there. What became of this family? Did the elder brother repent of his anger? Did the father convince the elder of his love and compassion? Did the younger son continue in his repentance? Jesus does not answer these questions. So, it is our responsibility to answer them as we place ourselves in the shoes of the younger son, the elder son, and the father. What do we say to ourselves?

Dennis Keller Dennis@PreacherExchange.com

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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections, and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the preaching you hear. Send them to preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.
-- Fr. John