Second Sunday of Lent
[In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen]. One of the great blessings of friendship consists in having someone who can urge you on when you’re being a wimp, or console you when things are legitimately difficult. Sometimes, on our own, we don’t recognize how much we can do, until someone pushes us beyond our comfort zone. Sometimes, on our own, we don’t realize that we don’t have to carry a burden alone; others stand by to assist us.
When we look at Moses, we see someone who carries the entire Chosen People in their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, from slavery to freedom. Moses’ experience shows that, while the goal is good, people don’t always move towards what is in their best interest, and do not always trust in God. From the very beginning, as Moses tells Pharaoh to let God’s people go, the people grumble against Moses because the change isn’t happening quick enough or easy enough. Even after they leave Egypt because God had struck down the firstborn, they still doubt God’s ability to save them as they come to the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptians pursuing them behind. And even after God saves them through the waters of the Red Sea, and destroys the Egyptian army by the same waters, the Chosen People still doubt that God will provide food and water for them. As much as Moses shows the people God’s fidelity, they still doubt. And Moses ends up interceding for the people numerous times as God threatens to start over just with Moses.
When we look at Elijah, we see a prophet zealous for the Lord who works mighty deeds. And yet, the political leadership, King Ahaz and Queen Jezebel, still promote foreign deities for the Chosen People to worship. We think of the great religious showdown on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the prophets of Ba’al, the pagan god. While the prophets of Ba’al fail to get the pagan deity to consume their sacrifice, Elijah pours water on his sacrifice, but fire from heaven still consumes the sacrifice and evaporates the water around the altar that Elijah had built. Elijah then destroys the foreign prophets, but has to flee because the monarchs seek Elijah to kill him. Elijah runs first to a broom tree and hides there, but an angel encourages him to eat so that he has enough strength for the mission. Elijah then goes to Mount Horeb, and experiences God, not in the powerful phenomena of thunder or earthquake or fire, but in the silence of a whisper. He feels alone, since he was the last remaining prophet of the true God at the time.
Christ has similarities in His mission to Moses and Elijah. Like Moses, Christ carries the entire people, not just the Jews, who trust when they see amazing signs and miracles, but then doubt shortly after the miracles come to an end. Christ is the one Mediator between God and men, whose blood saves not just the firstborn, but all those born of water and the Spirit through Holy Baptism. He takes death upon Himself, in order that God’s justice against sin might be satisfied. Like Elijah, Christ is also zealous for the Lord, and puts to death not the false prophets, but the false gods themselves, the kingdom of Satan and his minions. Still, as the only-Begotten Son of God, He, like Elijah, stands alone as the local political leaders, like King Herod and the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, will seek to put the Lord to death, like King Ahaz and Queen Jezebel before them sought Elijah.
So who are our friends who push us on and console us with their experience? Who are our Moses and Elijah? In one sense, we can look towards good friends we have who can push us onwards despite our trials and tribulations. These are the true friends who see the virtue we want, who see how much we might have to struggle for that virtue, but don’t let us give up on ourselves. Or they might be the friends who see the pain and the suffering we endure, and help us to know that we’re not alone, and that others do truly care for us. We may not have many friends like this, but even just one or two can make all the difference in the world.
But, also important to consider are our friends who are saints. Maybe it’s the saints from the Scriptures, who stories remind us of how God works with those who struggle for righteousness, and how God consoles those who struggle through difficult times, saints like Moses, Elijah, Job, the Apostles, the Holy Women, and others. If we read Scripture regularly we can understand more adeptly how God works and how we can make it through difficult times. But we also have the saints who have come after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus who help us by their example and their intercession. When we’re struggling, do we pray to our patron saints like our name saint, our Confirmation saint, or a saint associated with our vocation or profession? When we’re sad and feel the weight of the world, do we turn to our Blessed Mother or other saints whose lives inspire us to persevere in the midst of difficulties and struggles?
God made us for communion: with Him and with others. God Himself said about Adam that it was not good to be alone. Especially during Lent, but even during the entire year, may we rely on good friends, both those on earth and those in heaven, who will push on on when the times get tough, and comfort us when we feel down and out. May we recognize that we are not alone, but that myriad of witnesses surround us, encouraging us towards the heavenly homeland to which we hope to return. [Where Christ reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.].
