God provides – Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

Second Sunday of Lent, Year B; Holy Infant parish.

We hear this reading of the Transfiguration every Second Sunday of Lent. It’s the reminder we need before we enter into the darker parts of Lent of Jesus’ glory. It helps us remember that Jesus’ shiny glory is never actually extinguished even when human sin threatens to dim it. But, the story of Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son, Isaac, at Mount Moriah, a story called the Akedah (which means ‘binding’ in Hebrew), we only hear that once every three years. So, this week, I looked back on what I’d preached 2^nd Sunday of Lent 2015, and I was kind of disappointed with it. I’d started with a cute story, which I’ll probably tell again at some point, then I’d talked about the gospel reasonably competently, and it’s certainly an important gospel, but I left the Akedah hanging. I don’t know if I was hoping people would just have forgotten about the first reading by the time we got to the homily, but I don’t think we have. Or at least I hope we haven’t. Because a story about God telling someone to offer their child as a sacrifice isn’t something we should just gloss over, even if the slaughter never actually happens. Recall that God had promised Abraham a great line of descendants, but Abraham and his wife Sarah thought themselves too old to naturally create life, then God gives them Isaac. And, then, God says to Abraham, “take your son, your only son, your beloved son… and sacrifice him.”

God commits to us – Mark 1:12-15, Gen 9:8-15

1st Sunday of Lent, Year B; Holy Infant parish.

I have to admit that I’ve never really understood why Noah’s ark is included in every abbreviated children’s bible going. I mean, I guess it’s cute to have all those animals. But, at is heart, the flood story is about the unrepentant wickedness of humans, a level of wickedness that drove God to destroy almost the entire world. What we heard as our first reading is God’s promise to never to do that again. And, I have to admit, that sometimes when I read the news, I wonder if God gets tempted to break that promise sometimes. But, he won’t, because God is ever faithful.

Jesus loves us to loving intimacy with the Father – Mark 1:29-39

5th Sunday of OT, Year B; Holy Infant parish.

Jesus seems to be having a pretty good day.  Today’s reading picks up right where last week’s left off, and maybe we should have preceded it by a “previously, on ‘the Gospel according to Mark.’”  He showed up in Capernaum, preached in their synagogue, freed someone from a demon and everything was amazed at him, and marveled at his teaching.  And the day goes on.  Now, he heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, gets a good meal out of it, casts out more demon, cures many more sick people.  The whole town turns up at his door, seeking his help.  People are responding to the call!  It appears he’s up half the night with these people.  And then he leaves, quietly, when no-one’s watching.