5th Sunday of Lent Year C–April 6, 2025.

 5^th Sunday of Lent Year C–April 6, 2025.

Isaiah 43:6-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11

 

Theme: The Lenten Season is a Transition Time from Old to New Lives

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of John 8:1-11

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

Most biblical scholars agree that this Gospel passage is not part of the original Gospel of John; it is a later insertion, and the Catholic Church accepts it as canonical Scripture.^[1] It is inserted between the story regarding the discussion about the origins of the Messiah (Jn 7:40-52) and Jesus’ speech about him being the Light of the World (Jn 8:12-20), interrupting then the theme called “The Tabernacle discourse,’ discussed in chapters 7 and 8. Through this story of a woman caught in adultery, the sacred author intends to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes on the one hand and, on the other hand, teach God’s mercy.

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

This Gospel text is a narrative account structured into four movements. The setting (vv. 1-2), the Pharisees and scribes test Jesus (vv. 3-6a), Jesus’s gestures and response (vv. 6b-9), and Jesus’ conversation with the woman caught in adultery (vv. 10-11).

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

Vv. 1-2. The biblical tradition usually portrays mountains as places of prayer and encounter with God. So, Jesus going to the Mount of Olives (v. 1) and arriving in the temple area early in the morning (v. 2) suggest that Jesus spent the whole night on this mountain in prayer. Jesus taught the people who came to him in the temple. These two verses describe the two dimensions of Jesus’ life: Prayer and Ministry.

Vv. 3-6a. John says nothing about the man involved in this act of adultery. Maybe it is because the woman is a “paid actor” or because John arranged his account to appear like this to support the objective of the Pharisees and Scribes, which is to entrap Jesus. However, the law of Moses also holds the man involved in adultery equally responsible (see Dt 22:22; Lv 20:10). Here is the trap through their question to Jesus. Everybody knew that the authority to apply capital punishment was exclusively reserved for the Roman government. No one was allowed to execute someone in the whole empire. Now, if Jesus tells the Scribes and Pharisees to stone the woman, they will immediately report him to the Roman authorities that he advocates rebellion against the Roman government and laws. On the other hand, if Jesus tells them not to stone her, the Scribes and Pharisees will discredit Jesus to the Jewish community that he is not a true prophet since he defies the law of Moses.

Vv. 6b-9. Jesus suggests that the execution of the woman should be done only by those among them who think they are without sin. The scribes and Pharisees understand that Jesus has turned the trap on them. Jesus’ response means that if they stone the adulterer woman, the responsibility for her death will be on their shoulders. Now, they have two choices to make: either stone the woman and be arrested, condemned, and tortured by the Roman authorities, or not stone her, which will appear in front of the Jewish crowd that they admit publicly they are sinners. They chose the shame of being seen as sinners rather than being incarcerated and tortured in prison by the Roman authorities. So, their decision of not stoning the woman is not because they sincerely admit they are sinners and need forgiveness but because they do not want the Roman authorities to incarcerate them.

John mentioned twice that Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground (vv. 6b and 8) but did not say what Jesus was writing and why on the ground. From the perspective of the law of Moses, Jesus’ gesture of writing on the ground contrasts with how the law of Moses was written and perceived. The Mosaic law was written on a pair of stone tablets. A stone is dense and unyielding, meaning the law is rigid and permanent. In contrast, Jesus’ gesture of writing on the ground reveals that sins are not written on the stone (meaning unforgivable) but on the dirt where God’s gift of mercy washes them away.

Vv. 10-11. The conversation is now between Jesus and the accused woman as all the accusers have walked away. When Jesus straightened up (see v. 10a), he certainly realized that all the accusers had left. Yet he asks the woman a double question, “Woman, where are they?” “Has no one condemned you?” (v. 10b), perhaps to allow her to express her emotion and gratitude. Jesus saves her from the hands of the Pharisees and scribes not to encourage her to continue sinning but to give her a second chance to repent.   

 

4.      Synthesis

After spending the entire night in prayer to God and teaching the people in the temple in the morning, Jesus is tested by the Pharisees and scribes, who are seeking a charge to bring against him. They are ready to execute a woman they caught in adultery by stoning according to the law of Moses. Now, they asked Jesus to give his opinion on the case. The trap is that if Jesus says “Yes,” they will report him to the Roman authorities that he advocates rebellion against the Roman government because the authority to execute someone was reserved exclusively to the Roman government. If he says “No,” they will discredit him to the Jewish community that he defiles the law of Moses. Turning the trap on them, Jesus’ response suggests that the woman should be stoned only by those among them who are without sin. This means that if they execute the woman, the responsibility for the woman’s death will be on their own shoulders, and they will be arrested and incarcerated by the Roman authorities. However, if they do not execute the woman, it will appear they publicly admit that they are sinners. So, they preferred shame in front of the Jewish community than to be arrested and tortured by the Roman authorities. They walked away and did not condemn the woman, not because they sincerely admitted they were sinners and needed forgiveness, but because they were afraid of being condemned by the Roman authorities. Jesus then asks the woman to go and sin no more, giving her a second chance to repent. This explains Jesus’ gesture of writing something on the ground in vv. 6b, 8. He was probably writing the sins on the ground to contrast with the laws of Moses, which were written on stone. A stone means the laws of Moses are rigid and permanent, while ground means sins are not permanent but erasable because God’s gift of mercy washes them away.

 

 B. Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

The liturgy of this fifth Sunday of Lent reminds us that the Lenten season is a time of transition from old to new lives. The first and second readings ask us to “remember our past events no longer.” Instead, we should focus on the new life that Jesus offers us through his gift of forgiveness (Gospel).

 

2.      What the Church Teach Us Today

As we conclude the Lenten journey this week, the Church, in this liturgy, expects us to have already repented and completed our works of penance, which include prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. We are now ready to begin Holy Week this coming Sunday. That is why Jesus tells us today, as he told the accused woman, “[…] Go, [and] from now on do not sin anymore” (Jn 8:11). During these forty days of Lent, God’s gift of forgiveness washes away our sins without judging or condemning us. Let us now resolve to sin no more. Our first and second readings exhort us to set aside our old lives and focus now on the new lives we will begin at Easter.

The prophet Isaiah first reminds the people of Israel of their “old exodus,” how God marvelously guided their ancestors in the wilderness during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land (Is 43:16-17; 20-21). Then, he calls them to no longer remember or consider the events of this old exodus because God promised to do something new (Is 43:18-19). Isaiah talks about the new life with the resurrected Jesus that we will celebrate at Easter. In our second reading, Saint Paul also invites us to be optimistic about the future, forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).

However, since life is a challenge, we should not become discouraged when we fall short of our goals through sin. In our second reading, Saint Paul reminds us that Christ Jesus has indeed taken possession of us. Therefore, we must continue our pursuit toward the goal, which is our new lives with the Resurrected Jesus now in this life and later in the life to come. This means that whenever we sin, we must get up and return to God through the sacrament of reconciliation as soon as possible (see Philippians 3:12-14).

As we have experienced Jesus’ gift of forgiveness during this Lenten season, let us ask for God’s grace in this Eucharistic liturgy so that we may sin no more as we prepare to begin Holy Week, which will lead us to Easter. Amen.  

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

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[1] Urban C. von Wahlde, “John” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1411. See also NABRE, note to John 7:53–8:11.

 

4th Sunday of Lent Year C–March 30, 2025.

4^th Sunday of Lent Year C - March 30, 2025.

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

 

Theme: The Lenten Season is when we Return to Jesus Through Confession and Become a New Creation

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

The context of our Gospel parable is found in the various divisions among the people of Israel. The first division is between the descendants of the northern kingdom, represented by the younger son of the parable, and those of the southern kingdom, represented by the older son of the parable. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and the Israelites were scattered throughout the world. They lost their Jewish tradition and faith in God since then. The Jews are the descendants of the southern kingdom of Judah. They considered themselves the only ones who remained faithful to the Lord because, after their return from the Babylonian exile in 538 BCE, they continued to live in their land of Judah, specifically in Jerusalem, where the Temple, representing God’s presence, was located. They did not accept to associate with the descendants of the northern kingdom as they regarded them as “the lost sheep of Israel.”^[1]

The second division is between the Jews (the older son) and the Gentiles (the younger son). The third division is within the Jewish community: The Jewish religious leaders (the older son) versus the tax collectors, prostitutes, and all sinners (the younger son). The Jewish religious leaders could not associate with their compatriots, such as tax collectors and prostitutes, because they regarded them as the greatest sinners. For instance, the tax collectors were considered traitors to their nation due to their extortion and cooperation with Rome. Also, because the profession of tax collectors required their handling of idolatrous currency, the Jews considered them as pagans themselves.

There are at least two reasons why the Jews complained about Jesus not acting like them in rejecting all sinners. First, in their society, holy and righteous individuals socialize among themselves. Second, the Jews believe that associating with sinners is akin to becoming a sinner oneself. Therefore, the fact that Jesus welcomes sinners makes the Jews wonder whether Jesus’ mission and preaching have any validity according to Jewish tradition and whether Jesus himself is a sinner.

With all these backgrounds, Jesus responds to the Jews through three consecutive parables: the Parable of the Lost Sheep (15:1-7), the Parable of the Lost Coin (15:8-10), and the Parable of the Lost Son (15:11-32). These three parables deal with valuable items that are lost and found, teaching a common lesson: Jesus’ mission is to search for and welcome the “lost sheep” of Israel, reuniting all people of Israel, and extending salvation to Gentiles and sinners who repent.

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel text is a parable account. Vv. 1-3, which the lectionary added, can be considered an introduction. The parable itself is structured into three parts. The first part (vv. 11-20a) focuses on the younger son, the second (vv. 20b-24) emphasizes the father’s mercy, and the third part (vv. 25-32) concentrates on the old son.

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

Vv. 1-3 Jesus tells this parable to the Pharisees and scribes to explain why his mission consists of welcoming the “lost sheep of Israel” and extending salvation to Gentiles and sinners.

Vv. 11-20a. The narrator focuses on the younger son, who represents the “lost sheep of Israel,” Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and all sinners. From Jewish tradition regarding inheritance during Jesus’ time, we derive three key points: (1) An inheritance is viewed as the father’s property. The father divides his property among his sons (see Gen 27), including his daughters (see Num 27:8-11; 36:7-9), through a will before his death. (2) He bestows his inheritance on them as gifts since they do not merit them. (3) The share takes effect only after his death. Thus, by requesting his share while his father is still alive, this younger son regards his father as already dead. The words he uses, “…that should come to me,” indicate that this younger son perceives the share not as a gift he receives due to his father’s grace but as his entitlement. He gathers his belongings, leaves his father’s house, and begins living alone in “a distant country” (v. 13a). Life without God is not successful. This young son begins suffering after he spends all his belongings in a life of dissipation (vv. 13b-16). The only solution to this problem is to return to God through the sacrament of penance (vv. 17-20a).

Vv. 20b-24. These verses speak of God’s mercy. God has not forgotten the “lost sheep of Israel” and all sinners. He waits for them to return to him through the sacrament of confession. When they return and confess their sins, God forgives them and organizes a solemn feast in heaven with the angels because sinners, who were spiritually dead and lost, have been found and come to life again (vv. 21-24).

Vv. 25-32. These verses switch the attention to the older son, who represents the Jews, particularly the Pharisees and Scribes. The older son is angry with his father; he refuses to enter the “house,” which represents the land of Israel because his father has forgiven his younger brother and even organized a solemn feast for him. This is to explain how the Jews refuse to associate with the “lost sheep of Israel” and how they reject Gentiles, tax collectors, and prostitutes, considering them the great sinners. A typical example is the complaint of the Pharisees and Scribes on why Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them (see vv. 1-3). The younger son got lost out of Israel, and the older son got lost inside of Israel. As he did to his younger son, the father extends his mercy to his old son as well (vv. 31-32). Jesus’ mission consists of reuniting all people of Israel and extending eternal salvation to the Gentiles and all sinners who repent.   

 

4.      Synthesis

Through this parable, Jesus responds to the Pharisees and Scribes, who complain why he welcomes and eats with sinners. He tells them that the way the “lost sheep of Israel,” Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and all sinners, get lost out of Israel due to their sins is the same way the Jews, particularly Pharisees and Scribes, get lost “inside Israel” because they do not want Jesus to welcome sinners. He lets them understand that his mission consists of reuniting all children of Israel and extending eternal salvation to the Gentiles and all sinners who repent. 

 

 B. Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

We are now in the fourth week of Lent. We began this forty-day journey on Ash Wednesday with a firm decision to repent and observe the three Lenten disciplines: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. The liturgy of the first Sunday reminded us that the Lenten Season is a time to resist the temptations of the devil. The Scripture readings from the second Sunday taught us that the Lenten Season is our “Journey of Faith” toward Easter and heaven, just as Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem after the Transfiguration, as we heard in the Gospel, and as Abraham did on his way to the Promised Land (first reading). We learned that our “Journey of Faith” involves crosses that we should not avoid but carry with courage, listening to the “Chosen Son of God” to ultimately enjoy the glory of the Transfiguration in Easter and the glory of heaven at the end of our earthly lives. The liturgy of the third Sunday reminded us that the Lenten Season is when God offers us a second chance to repent. We are called to begin our repentance “today and now” because our earthly life is short, and the delay of the end of the age will not be permanent.

The scripture readings for this fourth Sunday of Lent teach us that the Lenten Season is a time for returning to Jesus through the sacrament of confession, allowing us to become a new creation. The people of Israel celebrated their renewed relationship with God upon arriving in the Promised Land (First Reading). Saint Paul states that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, and reconciliation with God is essential to experience this transformation (Second Reading). The parable of the lost son (also known as the parable of the Merciful Father) that we heard in our Gospel illustrates how we are spiritually dead and lost when we sin and how we come to life when we return to Jesus through the sacrament of confession.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches us Today

While the younger son in our parable symbolizes the “lost sheep of Israel,” including Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners, he also represents all Christians today who leave the Church and choose to live a sinful life without God or Church guidance. Likewise, the older son, who symbolizes the Jews, particularly the Pharisees and Scribes, today represents all Christians who remain members of the Church but lack the intention to repent.

Our Holy Mother Church reminds us that, like the young son in our parable, we sin whenever we fail to view God as our Father and protector, choosing to guide our lives according to our own desires rather than in line with God's will. Likewise, like the older son in our parable, we sin when we do not rejoice when sinners repent and join our church communities. Sin separates us from God and leads us to “squander” all God’s graces and live a “life of dissipation.” We are spiritually dead and lost when we live in a sinful state. Just as the younger son did, we should come to our senses, repent of our sins, and confess them to receive God’s forgiveness and reconciliation. Whenever we do so, God forgives our sins and organizes a solemn feast in heaven with the angels to celebrate our return to a relationship with him. In our second reading, Saint Paul also implores us to be reconciled with God through Christ. He says that when we are in Christ, we are a new creation. In Easter, we will celebrate our “new creation” in the same way the people of Israel celebrated their new relationship with God upon arrival in their promised land, as we heard in our first reading.

May the liturgy of this Mass enable us to courageously acknowledge our sins and confess them, thereby obtaining God’s forgiveness and reconciliation as we prepare to enter our promised land in Easter when we celebrate our new relationship with God. Amen.

 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

 

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[1] John Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C (Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Roads, 2021), 101-102. 

3rd Sunday of Lent Year C–March 23, 2025

 3^rd Sunday of Lent Year C - March 23, 2025

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9

 

Theme: The Lenten Season is a Second Chance God Gives us to Repent 

 

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 13:1-9

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

Today’s Gospel account is taken from the extensive section of Lk 9:51–19:27 that most Bible scholars consider the “Travel Narrative: It is Jesus’ long journey toward Jerusalem that commenced shortly after the story of the Transfiguration (9:28-36) and its connected stories (9:37-50). So, our Gospel account is in the context of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem, where his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension will occur. Before our passage, Luke already told his readers some stories, such as Vigilant and Faithful Servants (12:35-48), Jesus: A Cause of Division (12:49-53), Sign of the Times (12:54-56), and Settlement with an Opponent (12:57-59). These stories prepare the readers to understand Jesus’ call for repentance Luke develops in today’s passage. The story of the Cure of a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath immediately follows our account.

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel passage is a narrative story with a parable. It is structured into two parts. In the first part, Jesus calls his audience to repentance (vv. 1-5). In the second part, he extends his call for repentance with a parable to teach God’s patience to those willing to repent and the urgency to repent now because the delay for the end of the age is not permanent (vv. 6-9).

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

Vv. 1-5. Jesus calls his listeners to repentance. He bases his exhortation on two tragedies that occurred in the past and were still fresh in the minds of his audience. The first tragedy is the death of the Galileans at the hands of Pilate, and the second is the eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them. Most Bible scholars agree that these two events are unknown outside Luke. The scholar Patella finds the two incidents that the Jewish historian Josephus includes in his writing similar to the death of the Galileans mentioned in v. 1. The first incident is that of Pilate’s massacre of Samaritans on Mount Gerizim during one of their religious festivals (Ant. 18, 85–7). The second relates a slaughter of Jews who challenged Pilate for expropriating temple money for one of his aqueduct projects in Jerusalem (War 2, 175–7; JA 18, 60–2).^[1] The people of Jesus's time, including his disciples, used to interpret misfortune, like the two tragedies mentioned in our Gospel passage, as God’s judgment on the victims because of their sins. Jesus counters this wrong interpretation. He states that all persons are sinners and all need God’s forgiveness. He then calls his listeners to repent; otherwise, they will all perish, as those of these two incidents did.

Vv. 6-9. Jesus told them the parable of the barren fig tree. This fig tree represents the people of Israel. Orchard is the city of Jerusalem that Jesus, the owner of the fig tree, is about to visit. The gardener stands for the disciples. Jesus' journey will culminate in Jerusalem, where, upon entering it, he will not find the “fruit” of repentance in the people of Israel. The request to cut down the fig tree alludes to the punishment at the end of the age. The gardener requests one additional year, time for him to cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it with the hope that the barren fig tree will bear fruits in the future. If not, then the owner can cut it down. One additional year alludes to the delay of the end of time. Cultivating the ground around the fig tree and fertilizing it represents the disciples’ effort of evangelizing the Israelites, hoping they may bear the “fruits of repentance” in the future. The expression “If not, you can cut it down” explains that the delay for the end of the age will not be permanent, so bearing the fruit of repentance as soon as possible is urgent.  

 The fig tree planted in an orchard represents the city of Israel that Jesus, the owner of the fig tree, is about to visit. The gardener stands for the disciples. Jesus' journey will culminate in Israel, where he will not find the “fruit” of repentance in the people upon entering it. The request to cut down the fig tree alludes to the punishment at the end of the age. The gardener requests one additional year, time for him to cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it with the hope that the barren fig tree will bear fruits in the future. If not, then the owner can cut it down. One additional year explains the delay of the end of time. Cultivating the ground around the fig tree and fertilizing it represents the disciples’ effort of evangelizing the Israelites, hoping that the “barren Israel” may bear the “fruits of repentance” in the future. The expression “If not, you can cut it down” explains that the delay for the end of the age will not be permanent, so the fruit of repentance is urgent.   

 

4.      Synthesis

Jesus rebukes the people of his day who think that they are better than those who die in the tragedies as they interpret the misfortune events as God’s punishment to the victims because of their sins. Referring to the death of the Galileans at the hands of Pilate and the people who were killed accidentally by the tower that fell on them, the two tragedies that occurred in the past and were still fresh in the minds of his contemporaries, Jesus states that the victims of these two incidents cannot be considered outstanding sinners whom God singled out for chastisement. Instead, he uses these incidents as timely reminders of the need for everyone to repent, as all are sinners and need God’s forgiveness.

After calling them to repentance, Jesus tells them the parable of the barren fig tree. This parable teaches them some lessons: (1) God's continuing patience with those who work on their repentance, (2) the urgency to work to produce the fruit of repentance now, not postponing for tomorrow because the delay of the end of the age is not permanent.

 

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

Today is the third Sunday of our Forty-Day Lenten Journey. The liturgy of the first Sunday reminded us that the Lenten Season is the time to resist the devil with his temptations. The Scripture readings of the second Sunday taught us that the Lenten season is our “Journey of Faith” toward Easter and heaven, as Jesus did toward Jerusalem right after the Transfiguration event, we heard in the Gospel, and as Abraham did toward the promised land (first reading). We learned that our “Journey of Faith” implies carrying our crosses and listening to the “chosen Son of God” to permanently enjoy the glory of the Transfiguration in Easter and heaven at the end of our earthly lives. This third Sunday tells us that the Lenten Season is a second chance God gives us to repent. The Gospel and the first reading teach us how God is patient with those willing to repent. However, we cannot abuse his patience because our earthly life is short. So, the work to bear the fruit of repentance must be done now and today because the delay of the end of the age will not be permanent (Gospel and the second reading.)

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today

The people of Jesus's time, including his disciples, used to interpret misfortune, like the two tragedies mentioned in our Gospel passage, as God’s judgment on the victims because of their sins. Jesus counters this wrong interpretation by stating that we all are sinners and need God’s forgiveness. He then strongly warns us to repent to avoid perishing like the victims of these two incidents. Notice how he uses two times the expression “By no means! But I tell you.” This shows us how seriously we should consider his warnings. Lenten season is when we must challenge ourselves, work on our weaknesses, and seek repentance with God’s grace.

Through the parable of the Barren tree, Jesus teaches us two lessons. The first lesson we learn is that God is patient with those who work on their repentance. When we are willing to work on our sins, God sees our willingness and comes to rescue us as He did with the people of Israel in Egypt in the story we heard in our first reading. This story tells us that God called Moses and gave him a mission to free the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Note what he told Moses in a burning bush: “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians...” (Ex 3:7-8, NABRE). The devil always tries to keep us in the slavery of sins, but God is ready to come to our aid if we cry out to him through prayer and the sacrament of confession. Our Lord is kind and merciful, as we sang in our responsorial Psalm.

The second lesson our Gospel parable teaches us is that we should not abuse God’s patience; we need to start the work of repentance today and now. This is what Saint Paul exhorts us in our second reading. He reflects on the journey of the people of Israel in the desert from Egypt to the promised land. He mentions how God came to their aid whenever they needed. Yet, when Moses went up to the mountain to meet God and receive God’s commandments, the people interpreted Moses’ delay as a sign that he would no longer return. They decided to turn away from God. They made for themselves an image of god (the golden calf) and considered it their god to lead them to the rest of their journey (see Ex 32: 1-11). Because of their sin, God struck them down in the desert. Likewise, many of us misinterpret the delay of Jesus’ second coming. We continue sinning and do not realize that our earthly life is short. Saint Paul is telling this story to his people of Corinth and us today not to entertain us but to warn us. He says: “These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Cor 10:11, NABRE). Let us take advantage of the opportunity that the Lenten season offers us. We must take the opportunity of this Lenten Season the Church gives us to start working on our weaknesses and seek repentance today and now because the delay of the end of the age is not permanent.

The Lenten Season is a second chance God gives us to repent. May the liturgy of this Mass strengthen us while we work on our repentance. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

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[1] Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1331.

 

2nd Sunday of Lent–March 16, 2025

2^nd Sunday of Lent–March 16, 2025

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17 – 4:1; Luke 9:28b-36

 

Theme: The Lenten Season is a Journey of Faith

 

A.   A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 9:28b-36

 

1. Historical and Literary Contexts

Like Matthew and Mark, Luke situates the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration in the context of Peter’s confession about Jesus being the Messiah, Jesus' prediction of his Passion to his disciples for the first time, and Jesus’ teaching about the conditions for discipleship. These stories immediately precede the account of Jesus’ Transfiguration. Also, like for Matthew and Mark, the Transfiguration of Jesus, for Luke, marks the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life. After Jesus’ Transfiguration and its connected stories (Lk 9:37-50), Luke starts a long narrative about Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem, covering the next ten chapters (Luke 10-19). This journey will culminate in Jesus’s Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. So, Jesus is about to start a crucial phase of his earthly life (his journey to Jerusalem). Yet, his disciples are perturbed, discouraged, and ready to give up their discipleship due to the prediction of his Passion he announced to them previously. Hence, the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus intends to strengthen the disciples’ faith so they might not quit their discipleship but be ready to follow him on the road to Jerusalem if they want to enjoy God’s glory one day like what they experienced in this Transfiguration event. 

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

The passage of Jesus's Transfiguration is a narrative story. V. 28 introduces the account with the setting, showing Jesus and three of his disciples went to a mountain to pray. The body of the text (vv. 29-35) can be divided into two parts. The first part describes Jesus’ transfiguration and his conversation with Moses and Elijah (vv. 29-31). The second part involves the three disciples and God in the scene (vv. 32-35). V. 36 concludes the story with the narrator depicting Jesus alone without Moses and Elijah at the end of the event and the three disciples keeping silent, not telling anyone what they experienced.

 

3. Detailed Analysis

V. 28. Luke opens his account by saying, About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.  “After [Jesus said this]” refers to the first time Jesus announced his Passion to his friends (see Lk 9:22) and the stories of Peter’s Confession about Jesus that comes before that (9:18-21) and Jesus’ Teaching about the Condition of Discipleship that follows (9:23-27). So, Luke reports that the Transfiguration occurred about eight days after these three preceding stories that form its background. Was it precisely eight days? It looks like Luke is not sure that is why he employs “about” next to “eight days.” Matthew and Mark talked about six days instead (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2). The scholar Michael Patella sees a significant meaning in Luke’s use of the period of eight days. He argues that throughout the Old Testament, this period of eight days generally signifies a change or a new beginning. For instance, the Jews circumcised infant boys on the eighth day (see Gen 17:12; Lev 12:3). Because of all the blessings God has given to his servant David and his people Israel, Salomon celebrates the temple dedication with a special blessing and dismissal on the eighth day (see 1 Kgs 8:66). Patella states that by constructing the transfiguration within this time frame of “eight days,” the evangelist uke is emphasizing the glorification inherent in the resurrection, which the whole event foreshadows.^[1]

“Peter, John, and James”: The Bible does not say why Jesus chose these three disciples as his inner circle. Jesus made them witness special events such as the resuscitation of Jairus’ daughter (Lk 8:49-56), the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28-36), and Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-38). “The mountain,” in the biblical context, usually indicates the place of prayer and the encounter with God. Tradition identifies the mountain of our text with the mountains Tabor or Hermon, but Luke, Matthew, and Mark do not tell the name of this mountain. They probably do not intend a specific mountain, which indicates that its meaning is theological rather than geographical. If so, this mountain of the Transfiguration’s story recalls Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:12-18) and Elijah on Horeb (1 Kgs 19:8-18). Horeb is another name of Sinai.^[2] “To pray”: Luke is the only synoptic evangelist who mentions prayer here. He regularly portrays Jesus in prayer or encouraging his followers to pray (see Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 29; 11:1-4; 18:1; 21:36, and 22:32).

Vv. 29-31 describe the first part of the scene. The saying, While [Jesus] was praying, means that the three disciples were not praying with Jesus. Maybe because they were sleeping, as v.32 describes them, or because, at that time, they did not know how to pray. Jesus taught all his disciples how to pray later in Luke 11:1-4. Luke indicates that the transfiguration occurred “while Jesus was praying.” This emphasizes the importance of prayer in Jesus’ life. Luke does not clearly say that Jesus was transfigured, as Matthew and Mark do. He simply signals that Jesus’ face changed in appearance, and his clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah joined Jesus in this glorious moment and conversed with him. Luke is the only one who reveals the topic of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. The topic is Jesus’ exodus, which Jesus is going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The word “exodus” alludes to the Jewish Passover and signifies deliverance, life, and freedom. It also means “death” based on the Greek term exodos used in Wisdom 3:2, which Luke utilizes in the passion narrative. Thus, by mentioning the exodus that Jesus is going to accomplish in Jerusalem as the topic of Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah, Luke informs his readers that there is a connection between God’s primary act of salvation toward the Jews in the Old Covenant and Jesus’ act of salvation through his death toward the whole world in the New Covenant. The bond of these two acts of salvation (the Old and New Covenants) is strengthened by the presence of Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and Prophets, respectively. ^[3]

Vv. 32-35 involve the three disciples and God in the scene. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep. All disciples will act the same on the Mount of Olives when Jesus instructs them to pray in order to avoid falling into temptation (see Luke 22:39-46). Being overcome by sleep shows the disciples’ failure as Jesus’ disciples. They saw his glory. God’s glory is here attributed to Jesus. Peter’s request to make three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, illustrates how they are overly happy to remain in that glorious state for good. The narrator comments that Peter did not know what he was saying. What did Peter do not know? (1) He did not know that to enjoy this glorious moment, which alludes to the resurrection, they must first accept to accompany Jesus on his way to the cross because Passion and death precede Resurrection. (2) Peter did not know that the Transfiguration experience was simply a foretaste of heavenly glory aiming to fortify their discipleship commitment. God gets himself involved in this scene through the presence of the cloud that casts a shadow over them. The three disciples became frightened when they entered the cloud. In the Old Testament, the cloud indicated God’s presence among his people (see Ex 40:34-35; 1 Kgs 8:10). In this context, God’s presence enveloped these disciples and made them experience the mystery of Jesus’ glorification.

From the cloud came a voice. This is the voice of God. “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” At Jesus’ baptism, this “voice” identified Jesus to be “my beloved Son; with you I am well please.” (Lk 3:22). The difference is that the “voice in 3:22 spoke directly to Jesus in the second person singular while here in 9:35, it refers to Jesus in the third person. Another difference is the second-person plural imperative: “listen to him” found here in 9:35 that is not in 3:22. “Listen to him” is an order addressed to all disciples, through Peter, John, and James, to clear all the doubts, shocks, and discouragements that arose in them due to Jesus’ announcement of his Passion previously. The “voice” confirms to them that Jesus is “my chosen Son” to convince them to listen to Jesus when he reveals to them that he is not the “army conqueror Messiah as they expect him to be but the suffering Messiah.

V. 36 concludes the account with two comments. (1) At the end of the event, the disciples found Jesus alone, meaning without Moses and Elijah. (2) At that time, the disciples did not tell anyone about their Transfiguration experience. “At that time” means before the resurrection.  

 

4. Synthesis

All the disciples were disappointed, shocked, and ready to abandon their discipleship when, in the previous stories, they heard Jesus predict his Passion for the first time and tell them that self-denial and accepting one’s cross are the conditions for being his disciples (see Lk 9:22-27). Then, in our Gospel passage, Jesus used the experience of his Transfiguration to increase their hope and trust in him and encourage them not to give up their discipleship because the glory of the Transfiguration they experienced is awaiting those who would follow him until the end. These three disciples heard God’s voice confirming that Jesus was his beloved Son, with whom God is well pleased. God’s voice also ordered them to listen to Jesus. 

 

B.    Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

Today is the Second Sunday of our forty-day penitential journey called Lent. The liturgy of the first Sunday reminded us that the Lenten Season is the time to resist the devil with his temptations, who intends to prevent us from celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord well in Easter and from entering the kingdom of God at the end of the age. The liturgy of this second Sunday reminds us that the Lenten season is our “journey of faith” toward Easter and heaven, as Jesus did toward Jerusalem right after the Transfiguration event (Gospel) and as Abraham did toward the promised land (first reading). From the Gospel, we learn that all the disciples were disappointed, shocked, and ready to abandon their discipleship when, in the previous stories, they heard Jesus predict his Passion for the first time and tell them that self-denial and accepting one’s cross are the conditions for being his disciples (see Lk 9:22-27). You and I sometimes act like these disciples when we do not observe the three Lenten Works of Penance (Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving). Then, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus used the experience of his Transfiguration to increase the disciples’ and our faith, hope, and trust in him. It encourages them and us not to give up our discipleship because the glory of the Transfiguration they experienced and that we, too, experience at each Mass we attend awaits those who would follow him until the end. Our journey of faith entails crosses that we should not avoid but carry with courage. Let us stand firm in the Lord and put our faith in him as the first and second readings teach us.

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today

Luke begins his Gospel story by telling us that Jesus selects you and me to be in his inner circle the way he chose Peter, John, and James. He leads us up to our “mountain,” which is our local Churches and families, where we encounter God for prayer (v. 28).

The evangelist informs us that Jesus’s Transfiguration occurred while he was praying (v. 29). Our souls transfigure when we pray to God, especially in the Eucharistic celebration. Prayer is a special moment when our souls enter into contact with their Creator God and experience the glory of heaven. Luke tells us that Peter and his companions fell asleep while Jesus was praying (v.32). This is because perhaps they did not know how to pray. We should overcome sleep and other distractions that prevent us from experiencing the heavenly glory through prayer. Let us imitate Jesus and put prayer in the center of our lives.

Peter enjoys the divine glory of Transfiguration. He requests three tents be built there: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. The narrator comments that Peter did not know what he was saying (v.33). There are three interpretations here. (1) Through his request, Peter desires to remain in this divine glory for good, meaning he wants to enjoy Jesus’ glorification without passing through his Passion and Death. Many of us sometimes act like Peter here. We like to celebrate Easter but do not like Lent because we do not want to observe the works of repentance: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, which prepare and lead us to Easter. There is no Easter without Good Friday. There is no glory in God’s kingdom without accepting to die with Christ through our resolution to repent every time we sin. 

(2) Through his request to build three tents, Peter expressed his desire to remain there because he enjoyed this glorious moment. Since the Eucharistic celebration is the moment of the Transfiguration of our souls, on the one hand, like Peter, we should enjoy every moment we spend with Jesus at each Mass we attend. The Eucharistic liturgy is the mystical moment when heaven and earth unite. When we sing with the choir, we join the angels of heaven and praise God. When we listen to the Scripture readings, we listen to God. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Jesus. So, we experience the Transfiguration at each Mass we attend. Thus, like Peter, we should enjoy that experience and wish to stay here for good. On the other hand, however, we cannot “build three tents in our Churches” and stay here for good, enjoying the “Transfiguration moment” while many people are still in the darkness of this world. Instead, Jesus expects us to go out at the end of each Mass to share our experience of the Transfiguration with our brothers and sisters so that they, too, follow Jesus and come to do the same experience.

(3) The narrator commented that Peter did not know what he was saying. What do Peter and we do not know?  First, we do not know, and now we should know, that the Transfiguration experience, as a foretaste of heavenly glory, aims to fortify our discipleship commitment so that we may not quit following Jesus. Second, we do not know, and now we should know, that we cannot enjoy Jesus’ Resurrection at Easter unless we first accept to accompany Jesus on his way to the cross during this Lenten season because Jesus’ Passion and Death precede his Resurrection. Third, we do not know, and now we should know that to enjoy Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter and our “Transfiguration” at the end of the age, we should start the works of penance (Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving) now.    

God gets himself involved in the scene of the Transfiguration through the presence of the cloud that casts a shadow over the three disciples. He first confirms that Jesus is his beloved Son, with whom he is well pleased. Second, he orders them to listen to him (vv. 34-35). This part of the Gospel teaches us that prayer, especially the liturgy of the Mass, allows us to enter God's presence and experience the mystery of Jesus’ glorification. We hear God’s voice through the Sacred Scriptures and the homilies. The Word of God tells us that Jesus is the Son of God and invites us to listen to him. Listening to Jesus means we should not abandon our faith in God, especially when things do not go how we want. It means that we should not quit coming to Church or stop serving the Church and our brothers and sisters when we encounter obstacles. Listening to Jesus is to observe the Lenten works of penance (Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.) It is following faithfully God’s commandments and the Church’s teachings even when they challenge us. In our second reading, Saint Paul calls those who do not listen to Jesus “the enemies of the cross of Christ.” He says that their minds are occupied with earthly things. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is their ‘shame.’ (Philippians 3:18-19). Let us listen to the chosen Son of God.

Luke ends our Gospel story with two comments: The disciples find Jesus alone, meaning without Moses and Elijah, and they keep silent, not telling anyone about their experience of the Transfiguration (v. 36). The Transfiguration experience is over. Jesus is alone now. It is time to come down from the mountain and accompany him on his “journey of faith” toward Jerusalem. Our first reading tells us the story of the “journey of faith” of Abraham, which started in chap. 12 of the Book of Genesis, when God called him to leave his land and go to an unknown land that God himself would show him. He promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation (Gn 12:1-3). Then, in our first reading passage, God says again that Abraham’s descendants will be as many as the stars of the sky. We, too, are on our “Lenten “Journey of Faith” toward Easter, which prefigures our “Journey of Faith” toward our heavenly home. Indeed, our citizenship is not in this world but in heaven, as Saint Paul confirms in our second reading (Philippians 3:20). As we continue our “journey of faith,” our first and second readings exhort us to stand firm in the Lord and put our faith in him (Philippians 4:1; Gen 15:6).

 The three disciples of our Gospel keep silent because it is not time yet to share their experience with the people. The time will come when their Lord resurrects from the dead with glory and when they are empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; that time, they will proclaim what they themselves have experienced. Let us strengthen our relationship with Jesus during this Lenten “journey of faith” so that in Easter, we might share this resurrection experience with our brothers and sisters.  

May the liturgy of this Mass enable us to become the men and women of prayer, to listen to the Chosen Son of God, and to stand firm in the Lord so that at the end of our Lenten “journey of faith,” we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord well and at the end of our earthly “journey of faith,” we inherit the promised land in God’s kingdom. Amen.   

Fr. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

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[1] Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1323.

[2] See NABRE, note to Matthew 17:1.

[3] Michael Patella, “Luke” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, 1323.