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    Second Sunday of Lent – March 8, 2020

      Second Sunday in Lent (A) 2020

      INTRO:

      I know people who climb mountains.

      They explain that depending on the
      1. MOUNTAIN HEIGHT,
      2. THE TRAIL YOU FOLLOW, and your
      3. PHYSICAL ENDURANCE it can be a hard trek!

      They also admit you see God’s creation at its most magnificence along the way! For most of them that’s why they do it!!

      How many of you have climbed a mountain?
      (Raise hands, if so)
      I am sure you all have stories to tell about your “climb”!

      I haven’t climbed a mountain-mountain, but I have climbed a MOUNTAIN and so have all of you in one way or another!

      Early on in my seminary days, I climbed one mountain…. The MOUNTAIN of FEAR.

      Believe me, when I was thinking of becoming a priest, I was trying to figure out if I can do it, without having to PREACH and get up in front of PEOPLE! I was frightened to be in front of a crowd…..even in a classroom.

      TRUE STORY

      I was frightened by the whole prospect of preaching each day, but, I worked on this for months during my last years with a great priest friend who helped me CLIMB OUT OF THIS FEAR!

      LOL… now I can just about do anything in a CROWD!!!

      But, truly ALL OF US CLIMB CERTAIN MOUNTAINS……..
      Some of you climb the MOUNTAIN of:
      Dealing with your children
      Dealing with finding peace after a loved-one dies
      Or even
      Dealing with a CRAZY WORLD and a CRAZY coronavirus!!!

      We are all DAILY in a mountain-climbing mode. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s tricky, sometimes we go right along, or sometimes we fall!

      The MOUNTAIN of the TRANSFIGURATION could be an interesting example for you and me in our mountain-climbing mode.

      I have been to the HOLY LAND and visited this MOUNTAIN TOP and climbed it almost like JESUS, Peter, James, and John.

      To begin this climb you take this open air bus …. It begins to take you up and the drive has all these harrowing turns, right and left across the mountain…

      It’s a bit scary to ascend and then it lets you off to walk the remaining way ascending a pretty steep hill.

      So, getting to the top (which has this fabulous basilica)
      is quite unusual, but, I see that mountain climb as setting the stage for all of us…..

      CONCLUSION

      YES, there are harrowing turns in our lives, but, JUST LIKE PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN who was with them???
      Jesus Christ –
      And when we put our faith into his hands we can experience His love, mercy, and glory and climb the mountain, dealing with whatever comes our way!

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