Citizenship is in Heaven

March 4, 2007

Second Sunday of Lent

By the Peace and Justice Commission, Diocese of Arlington

Rev. Gerry Creedon, Chair

Anne Murphy, Consultor

(Additional Resources at http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/peacejustice/)

The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. Genesis 15:5

But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself. Philippians 3:20-21

While he was praying his face changed in appearance. Luke 9:29

Piety

Placing their trust in God, Abraham and his wife Sarah, left all that was familiar to travel to foreign lands. Like many of the immigrants today, they were seeking a place to call home where they could get a living form the land and raise their future family. This week say this prayer for all immigrants:

O Lord, I pray for those who wander far from their homeland and live the lives of migrants. They are our brothers and sisters: refugees who flee from violence, families on the road because of poverty. None of them know where to arrive. All of them need your help. Defend them from danger. Make strong their faith to seek justice not only in this world, but also for eternal life. Amen. (Catholic Relief Services Educators' Guide, 2007.)

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/030407.shtml

The theme for this Sunday's readings may be summed up in one word, transformation. Abram, trusting in God's call, leaves all that is familiar and moves his entire household and all their belongings a new land that God has given him. God also promises that his progeny would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Now, Abram and his wife are getting older and as yet they have no children. Speaking to God, Abram asks how he is to know that all of what God promises will be accomplished. It is at this point that God seals his covenant with Abram when he passes through the middle of the sacrificial fire and Abram becomes Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites.

Saint Paul is transformed on his way to Damascus from being a persecutor of the disciples of Jesus to being one of the Church’s greatest evangelists. In today's reading, he warns the Philippians not to have their eyes on earthly concerns, but to take their place as citizens of heaven and keep their mind on Christ. In all the gospels, the transfiguration follows a prediction of Jesus’ passion and death. In this Lucan account, Peter, James and John are witnesses to Jesus' transformation upon the mountain. Right in front of their eyes, Jesus appears in glory with Moses and Elijah, the Old Testament representatives of the law and the prophets. Encased in a cloud, they hear the voice of God saying, "This is my chosen Son, listen to him." Although the Apostles are with Jesus every day, they fail to see him as he really is.

We are called by Paul to concern ourselves with the things of heaven rather than the things of the world through prayer, fasting and almsgiving because we can only come into our own glory after we die to the world. Lent is a time for our transformation. What occupies so much of our attention that we fail to see the glory of God in our midst? Are we more concerned with our stomachs than with our souls? Are the gospel stories so familiar that we fail to take the time to delve beneath the surface?

Question: Is there something in your life that you would like to be transformed by Christ? What keeps you from asking God for help in your prayers and trusting in his mercy and love? How can you use this Lenten journey to be an imitator of Christ?

Fasting:

As Lent is about transformation, think about how you would like to simplify your life. We tend to think that there are many things we cannot live without and dread giving them up. However, we often find that when we let go of things, we are happier with our simplified lives. In the movie, About Schmidt, the hero played by Jack Nicholson finds joy in sponsoring a child through Save the Children. Use this opportunity to simplify your life and use the money to help someone else buy necessities.

· Sponsor a child through a worthwhile organization.

· Find ways to help or sponsor immigrants with some of your new spare time. Perhaps helping them financially, orienting them to their new home, or teaching ESOL classes.

· Welcome a newcomer to your parish or local community by inviting them to dinner or to an event with other members of the community.

Almsgiving:

· Make a donation to an organization that helps immigrants get established.

· Contact your local homeless shelters or emergency assistance organizations (Arlington Diocese Migration and Refugee Services, (http://www.arlingtonrefugeeservices.com) or Catholic Charities (www.ccda.net). If you have time, consider volunteering at one of these organizations.

· Help refugees in camps elsewhere by donating to Doctor’s Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org) or help refugees in Darfur by donating to www.worldvision.org

· Join with the Virginia Catholic Conference (www.vacatholic.org) in protesting legislation that would harm immigrants and that make it difficult for refugees to come to America. Go to their Action Alerts page for information.