2ND SUNDAY OF LENT - C

NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT

GENESIS 15: 5 - 12, 17-18 That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river to Egypt even to the great river Euphrates.

It is the Promise of (1) Descendants, and (2) Land. Regarding the first, God wants to begin anew: it is a promise of re-creation of a new people. From an old stock and a barren land; Abram and Sarai become the symbol of God’s power over the humanly impossible. It must be seen that ‘out of nothing,’ once again - the new people will arise from the debris of the old people of Noah. The second promise - the Land has reference to ‘dwelling,’ or a sense of ‘rest,’ and ‘peace,’ in the midst of the hassle-bustle of a passing world. But first, the preparatory stage must be “this-worldly.”

The Covenantal Species are of two kinds: the Earthly - heifer, goat and ram; all of which are three years old. the Heavenly - turtle dove and a pigeon. The Earthly produce are ‘cut in halves’ while the heavenly are ‘left whole.’ The number five, in groups of three and two are significant. The first group of three has ‘spatial’ significance. They are co-ordinates of space: length, breadth and height. The Covenant covers the entirety of the Universe. The second group of two covers two realms: the ‘ascent of the Earthly’ to the Heavenly, and ‘the heavenly.’ The notion of ‘ascent’ is a phenomenon of ‘time’ (motion); and the heavenly is ‘completeness.’ Since ‘time’ as motion toward the heavenly is already heavenly as process, it is akin to the heavenly as the ‘dove’ is to the pigeon. Hence, the Abrahamic Covenant already points at the universality of God’s Plan and the ‘Eternity’ as the ‘Fullness of Time.’

The ‘age factor’ - three-year reference - is a perfection that points to God Himself. It is in rudimentary stages of a build up to Trinity (Eternity) and a reference, prophetic in nature of the Messianic Time. The earthly creatures are divisible just like spacetime; the heavenly are holistic. The fighting of ‘birds of prey’ points to Satanic active interference and the need for vigilance in guarding the covenantal species. The desecration of the holy species is the ultimate sacrilege the devil is up to. Vigilance must be absolute: and Abraham fails, for out of fatigue, he falls asleep. It is the our of darkness, but even then - it is the time of re-creation. Like the Old Adam, in his sleep, Eve is to be fashioned: the People of God.

Fiery Furnace smoking like incense and passing between the halves and the wholes binds the spatiotemporal with ‘being’ (the Eternal) and the gap or the divide between the profane and the sacred is sealed. Heaven permeates the earthly, and the earthly is sacramentally heavenly. Abraham must remain in sleep because there is nothing he can promise God except his total and full disposal in obedience to God’s Will, which will be unfolded in time through his descendants.

THE GOSPEL: Luke 9: 28-36

Luke 9:28–36 D-R

And it came to pass, about eight days after these words, that he took Peter and James and John and went up into a mountain to pray. And whilst he prayed, the shape of his countenance was altered and his raiment became white and glittering. And behold two men were talking with him. And they were Moses and Elias, Appearing in majesty. And they spoke of his decease that he should accomplish in Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep. And waking, they saw his glory and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass that, as they were departing from him, Peter saith to Jesus: Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses; and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. And as he spoke these things, there came a cloud and overshadowed them. And they were afraid when they entered into the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud; saying: This is my beloved son. Hear him. And whilst the voice was uttered Jesus was found alone. And they held their peace and told no man in those days any of these things which they had seen.