The readings today all speak of looking to the future and relying on God's promise. Abram is given the promise of a land which will belong to his innumerable descendants even though, at this time, he does not as yet have a son (Gen 15: 5). In the Gospel Jesus, on the Mount of Transfiguration, speaks with Moses and Elijah: "of his departure (Geek. exodos) which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Lk 9: 31) This exodus means that he will have to pass through the agony of the Passion and Crucifixion in order to arrive at the Promised Land of the Resurrection. It is to heavenly realities that the Early Christians turned so that they could withstand the persecutions and trials they faced: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Phil 3: 20). Our Lenten penances, prayer and acts of charity, likewise, orient us not just to the celebration of Easter but also to our ultimate destination as Christians. We consciously act against the temptation to indulge our appetites through instant gratification and look to remedy our selfishness so that we may be fit for a Kingdom that endures: "For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him (Jesus), then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Heb 13: 15-16)
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