Sisters of St. Mary of Namur

Reflections on the Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent - February 28, 2010

Sometimes we can find clues to help us understand Scripture in the most unlikely places.  I recently came across a medieval warfare computer game that has a rather haunting theme song titled "Lift Thine Eyes."  A voice sings,

Lift thine eyes

to see thy God

       . . .

On the darkest rim

You will see . . .

. . .see Him

beckon you in

        . . .

Steady thy might

lift thine eyes

And thou step . . .

And thou step shall follow.

This song is all about hope, about hoping in God while battling the forces of evil.  This same song could be the theme for this Sunday's readings.  Abram, in the first reading, is enveloped by a terrifying darkness.  In the second reading, the Philippians are living among those Paul describes as "enemies of the cross of Christ."  And in St. Luke's gospel, the story of the Transfiguration follows Jesus' prediction of his passion and death, and his admonition to his disciples that they, too, must take up their cross and follow him.  And, after the disciples witnessed the Transfiguration, a cloud came and cast a shadow, and the disciples were frightened.  Each of these readings, however, also sends a message of hope.  "Look up at the sky and count the stars" (Genesis); "Wait for the Lord with courage" (Psalm 27); "stand firm in the Lord" (Philippians); and from the cloud came the voice of God (Luke).   Lift your eyes.

In every age since Jesus' time, humanity has been engaged in the never-ending struggle between good and evil.  So often evil seems to triumph:  war, crime, natural disasters . . . all sorts of bad things happening to good people.  How do we respond?  I think one of the most amazing news accounts of the Haiti disaster was a report of Haitians dancing in the streets and praising God for allowing them to survive.  Even amid such a terrible disaster, they were able to lift their eyes.  Hope and gratitude conquered despair. 

All of the readings this Sunday give us the same message, a message about hope, about lifting our eyes and looking up.  The Transfiguration was a glimpse of God's glory, a reason to hope.  For the disciples this glimpse of glory took place on Mt. Tabor.  For us, that glimpse of glory might be found in a loving encounter, in a moment of deep personal prayer, or in the song of a Haitian survivor.  Be attentive for it.  Lift your eyes.          

                                                                        Sr. Regina Murphy