12 March 2020
Thursday of the Second Week in Lent
On Mount Tabor, the mount of the Transfiguration, Jesus is seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. There the apostles had a strong presentation of the unity of God’s message. The Word sent to us, who takes on our bodily human existence, who dies for us, who rises to give us life, this Word has been spoken for quite some time. Jeremiah listened so attentively to the Lord speaking in the psalms that the words of the psalms shaped his thoughts and became his prayer and prophecy. (see Jer 17 and Ps 1) The man of luxury in today’s Gospel, thought that obstinancy to God’s Word in the past would be externally changed by God’s Word in the present. “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
[The man of luxury] said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’” (Lk 16:29-30) The One who is risen from the dead has no message contradicting the Law and Prophets through whom He has already spoken. What we require is an interior change of heart to hear what God has been saying all along. Let us ask for the grace of a heart open to hearing God’s Word, especially when He calls us to give freely to others in need.