The Blessing of Obedient Movement!

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Second Sunday of Lent

Gen 12:1-4a; 2 Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

The Second Sunday of Lent highlights heart-level movement as an indication of real conversion. 

The three readings of the day invite us to concentrate on such beneficial movement.

The first reading describes Abram’s movement from his native place. What happens because of such movement? We must note that until he moved from his place to God-assigned destination, Abram was just Abram. It is after this movement that God raises him to be Abraham, one of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Before moving out of his comfort zone, he was a person unknown to many. But because he subjected himself to God-inspired movement, Abraham was exalted above and beyond his generation. The former Abram must have been very comfortable in his place and probably wondering why God would want him to desert the comfort of his home. However, Abraham’s obedient movement leads him to abundant blessings. Abram had to abandon his place and embrace the movement to secure his new identity and reward from God. 

In the second reading, Paul talks of movement in a figurative sense. At first, Paul wants Timothy to willingly embrace hardship for the sake of the Gospel. Here, Paul underlines that participation in God’s mission is possible only through God-given strength, not personal determination alone. Closely connected to this is Paul’s second point on humanity’s salvation flowing from God’s grace without depending on our personal merit. Thirdly, Paul highlights Jesus’ ‘sacrificial descent’ to live with us, suffer for us, and win us salvation without holding on to his privilege as the Son of God. If not for Jesus’ generous and selfless movement, humanity’s redemption would not have been realized. Finally, Paul dwells on Christ’s victory over death as offering hope to humanity. For Paul, Christ’s voluntary initiative and sacrifice for our sake must facilitate our attitudinal movement.

The Gospel text on Jesus’ transfiguration continues the reflection on the idea of movement. At first, the fact that Jesus ‘led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves’ signifies an intentional movement upward to receive divine revelation. Secondly, at the moment of transfiguration, the disciples are called to understand that Jesus of history becomes Christ of faith and glory only through his death and resurrection. If not for Jesus’ uncomfortable journey through passion and death, the glory of resurrection and the hope of redemption for humanity would have been unrealistic. Thirdly, the transfiguration experience demands a movement from the apostles to become witnesses to it. Though for a brief time, Peter wanted to freeze the moment, exclaiming, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here,’ he later understood the meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice so that he not only proclaimed it but also underwent the very sacrifice that his master became an example of. 

The three readings inspire us with insightful thoughts about the discipleship movement. 

1. Movement is both physical and attitudinal. Abraham became an example of geographical movement. Paul urges the interior movement of Timothy. Christ’s movement towards Jerusalem is redemptive. They all manifest that it is commitment that fuels such movement. 

2. Our spiritual experiences must lead to witnessing. For this reason, spiritual experiences are meant to be shared with others with a view of enriching them. Nothing can match that evangelization that is born of our experience of Christ for others to credibly imitate. 

3. Strength for mission comes from God. Abraham experienced it when he had to abandon his hometown. Jesus drew his strength from his intimate communion with his Father. God works through us when we submit ourselves as useful instruments in His hands. 

Let us pray that we may discover the blessings of Christian life through our obedient movement. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar