Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

In her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen tells the story of a married couple. Throughout their life together, the husband was the strong, outgoing one who made the major decisions, while the wife was painfully shy, retiring, and somewhat fragile. They eloped because she could not face having a public ceremony.

One day, however, the husband was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and he grew concerned about how his wife would handle his illness and the possibility of his death. Given her fragility over the years, he could not imagine how she would manage the needs of their children and oversee the business he had built.

As he struggled with brutal chemotherapy and continued to lose ground, she underwent a remarkable transformation. It was she who encouraged him to take risks; she dealt with doctors and specialists, took over more of the business, and supported and comforted their children.

Her courage was both impressive and unexpected. After he passed away, she continued successfully managing and growing the business while being a loving and nurturing single parent to their children.

Sometime later, the doctor expressed admiration for what the woman had accomplished. She asked the woman if she had known she would be capable of all she had done since her husband first fell ill.

The woman admitted she did not realize this. She explained that she had been shy as a little girl and labeled as such throughout her life. As a result, no one challenged her, and she never challenged herself.

She shared that her shyness was so profound that she had to muster courage just to say hello to someone. Simple tasks, like going to the supermarket or answering the phone, felt like significant risks. 

She told the doctor, "I guess over the years, my courage grew from being used so often. When the time came that Jim needed me desperately, and I could no longer afford to be shy, I found that I was ready."

In her deep love for her husband and family, this woman discovered the strength and courage to care for her husband and keep her family together. In what we've come to call Jesus' "Transfiguration," the three disciples recognized the divinity—the very life and love of God—within Jesus.

That same touch of divinity exists within each of us as well. God is present within us, inspiring us to do wonderful, holy things; guiding us to walk humbly and justly according to God's ways; enlightening our vision with wisdom and selflessness to bring justice and mercy to our world.

The challenge of discipleship is to allow the love of God within us to "transfigure" despair into hope, sadness into joy, anguish into healing, and separation into community.