To listen to this homily, click here.
One of the central themes in so many stories revolves around a simple concept; an authority figure: a parent, or wise elder tells someone an important truth to keep them safe or enable them to enjoy something wonderful. This pearl of wisdom is often repeated and emphasized with lines like, “make sure you never…” or “listen to what I tell you and don’t forget to…” In these stories, even as this sage advice is being offered, you just know the listener is going to be a knucklehead and ignore it! For example, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the winners of the contest are given a tour of this magical place and are told, “no touching, no meddling, no tasting” Which is exactly what Augustus, Violet, and Veruca do and trouble soon comes. In Gremlins, the cute creature Gizmo is given with the warning to keep him dry, shielded from bright light, and never feed him after midnight. All three of these rules are disregarded and mayhem follows. Lastly, in Finding Nemo, a young clownfish is warned by his fish father not to wander from the safety of the reef. In an attempt to impress his friends, Nemo does just that and wouldn’t you know it! He is scooped up and taken far from home as part of a dangerous saga that nearly destroys him.
This theme of hearing but not listening is nothing new to humanity. Last week we heard the disobedience that started them all, as Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and given just one rule. Stay away from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil! After their refusal to listen to God, the danger and destruction of sin escalates quickly. In short order, Cain kills Abel, the tower of Babel is constructed in defiance of God, and the great flood is unleashed to cleanse the world, wiping out everyone and everything except for Noah and the occupants of the Ark. Sin spreads quickly like a spiritual cancer and there is a terrible price to pay for not listening to God! We humans tend to resent this message of obedience to God and the commands he gives. If there is one thing scripture and Tradition show us, it’s that obedience to God is seldom easy or free, but it’s always in our best interests.
In the first reading, God speaks to Abraham and asks him to do something incredibly difficult. God asks him to leave behind his extended family, his ancestral land, his previous gods, in short, everything he has come to know and rely on. Keep in mind that Abraham is no spring chicken. He is seventy-five years old and he and his wife have been unable to have children. So, what does God promise to Abraham if he listens? He says, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”
Imagine how difficult this must have been for Abraham; God is asking him to let go of everything that provided security and comfort. How easy and reasonable it would have been for Abraham to say “no thanks, things are pretty good here and I am reaching the end of my life. No need to start something new!” Yet he obeyed God and becomes the first link in a human chain of those who show us how to listen to God and follow his will instead of our own. In return, the Lord makes this 75 year-old man and his wife the beginning of a great nation, the parents of his chosen people.
The same theme of obedience is at work in our gospel. Jesus goes up the mountain and takes three of his closest apostles with him. They see Jesus transfigured, glorified before their very eyes. They hear the voice of God, the same voice that instructed Abraham, saying to them, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” God is asking the apostles to do something that seems humanely insane; trust in his Son who will soon suffer and die in the worst way possible. God wants them to do whatever his Son tells them, even though he is going to be treated like a criminal on the cross. We know the apostles struggle in their obedience to Christ. But in the end they will listen to him, offering their lives in a glorious witness to God. And for their obedience they receive honor in the Church and most importantly, eternal life in heaven.
This theme of obedience is not something reserved simply for Abraham or the apostles! God is calling each of us to obey his plan and law in our own lives. He continues to speak to us in prayer and through the Church, asking us to draw closer to his beloved Son and listen to him. He is inviting us to leave behind our old way of life, those things of the world in which we place our trust, and to put our faith in his divine promises. He wants to make us a part of that great nation of believers and to make our lives a blessing. But we can only experience these blessings if we first embrace obedience to his will. We can take comfort knowing that God never breaks his promises, he makes the impossible, possible, and the more we trust him, the more he blesses us. We have today’s readings as a reminder of this powerful truth.
So how is God calling you to listen to him like Abraham and apostles? Is he asking a greater fidelity to the Catholic teaching on difficult topics? Could he be asking you to consider the possibility of expanding your family? Is it by being more generous in sharing the blessings you have received with those who are less fortunate? Could he be calling you to leave behind the ways you waste time or talent so you can give him more of yourself in prayer and good works? Perhaps he wants you to be more present and respectful to your family, to your spouse, children, or parents? Maybe, God is trying to show you that obedience to your parents, teachers, and lawful authority is how you will demonstrate your obedience to Him! One thing is certain: obedience to God never goes unnoticed or unrewarded by the Lord. So ask God to help you listen to his Son and let your heart echo the words of our psalm: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
