(Stock Photo – Canva)
By Jose Argerami
I was offered a full-time job before I finished my degree. It was a good job with benefits; I already had experience working there, and it was in a field I hoped to stay in. About seven or eight months into this job, I was fortunate to be offered three additional job opportunities.
Option One was staying where I was. Though it was not perfect, there were many reasons to stay. Option Two was a job that I had been dreaming about for years. It meant moving to a different city, but I was more than happy to go as I was already quite connected to that community. Option Three was a job in which I had no experience (or interest).
As I discerned these options over the next few months, option three continued to float to the surface. I reluctantly attended a meeting to discuss what the job would look like and found that the job description suited me quite well. The meeting ended with a copy of the “surrender novena” being slid across the table for me to pray over the coming days.
Our first reading today is a very familiar one. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, his one and only beloved son, Isaac, born to him and his wife, Sarah, in their old age. Isaac represents God’s covenant with Abraham and the promise that he would become the father of nations. We share in Abraham’s confusion at this request. It seems unfathomable to us. For those with children, this story likely hits a very particular spot in your heart. Why would God ask someone to kill their child? How could a loving God demand such a sacrifice? Is this request not contradictory to the Lord’s promise to Abraham?
Yet this story is not about some demanding God making an unreasonable request. This story is a testament to the depth of Abraham’s faith and his unwavering trust in God’s providence. It is a clear example for us of just how faithful, trusting, and obedient we ought to be. Abraham’s willingness to follow the Lord’s command demonstrates his profound trust in God’s plan, even in the face of unimaginable sacrifice.
Similarly, in the gospel today, Jesus instructs the disciples to keep the revelation of His transfiguration to themselves until after His resurrection. Despite their confusion and lack of understanding, Peter, James, and John obey. Their willingness to trust and be obedient to our Lord, even in the absence of complete comprehension, highlights the essence of authentic discipleship and faith.
Like Peter, we have a desire to “build tents” so we can remain in those mountaintop moments of spiritual consolation and revelation for as long as possible. However, Jesus calls us to come back down the mountain and return to our ordinary lives. Lent reminds us that our faith is not sustained solely by these mountaintop experiences but is challenged and deepened in the desert; in the often dry, ordinary routines of our everyday lives. It is in the midst of our often-monotonous daily responsibilities and relationships that our faith is tested and strengthened.
The readings this weekend challenge us to check our willingness to trust and be obedient to our Lord, even (maybe especially) when His plans seem mysterious or difficult to understand. We pray that, like Abraham, we would surrender ourselves, our will, and our desires to God’s providence, confident that His plans are far beyond our understanding, and that, like the disciples, we would follow Jesus, trusting and obeying even when His plans don’t make sense to us or seem difficult to accept.
It took well over a year for me to accept and begin to understand why the Lord had called me to this job that I did not want. I tried to be grateful; I tried to trust. I had been obedient and gone where He had called me, even when it did not make sense. Looking back, I see the trail of the Lord’s abundant providence in every part of this journey. “I will bless you abundantly,” says the Lord, “all this because you obeyed my command.” (Gn 22:15-18)
May we emerge from this season of reflection and repentance with a deeper trust in God’s unfailing love and a renewed commitment to follow Him faithfully, wherever He may lead.
