Lk 9:28-36 2nd Sunday of Lent (C-2013) 24-02-13
Last Friday evening there was a big event happening for the Catholic Church in Singapore.
Of course we should know what this big event was. It was covered by the media and also there were announcements made over the weekends before that.
Yes, it’s the ordination of the Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh, who will be the future archbishop of Singapore.
Yes, it was a big event, a joyful occasion and a grand celebration for the Church.
There were about 12,000 people at the Singapore Expo, and also present were dignitaries, representatives from other religions, bishops and priests from neighbouring countries and also Catholics from all over Singapore.
If we were there, then we would also have witnessed the newly ordained archbishop walking down the aisles of the two halls of the Singapore Expo, and giving his blessing to all who were present.
Well, the blessing of the newly ordained archbishop was certainly very heart-warming, and also we get a close-up look of him as he walked along the aisle. He was like “transfigured”.
Certainly we would have liked to shake hands with him, or at least touch his vestments if possible.
Yes, people were clapping and cheering and taking photos and videos as the newly ordained archbishop walked along.
That somehow reminded me, that it was not that long ago, that there was this practice, but it was discontinued.
That practice was when a newly ordained bishop walked down the aisle to bless the people, walking just ahead of him would be a priest carrying a burning torch.
And that priest would be putting pieces of paper into the torch and chanting : All glory belongs to God. All this shall pass; from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
Of course this practice has been discontinued, because it was like a wet blanket on a joyful celebration.
But it does have its purpose and meaning.
Because in the midst of all the applause and euphoria, with all that attention and limelight, the bishop was reminded that all glory belongs to God, and he too must give glory to God in his ministry as a bishop.
Also he is reminded that whatever praise and applause and attention and limelight that he is surrounded with will also pass, and then it’s from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
But of course, this practice was discontinued, maybe because it sounded rather morbid and not apt for the occasion.
Yet the fact that the ordination of the future archbishop happening in the season of Lent is good enough a reminder for him that it is God whom he serves, and it is to God that all glory must be given and it is to God alone that glory belongs.
If that is so for the newly ordained archbishop, then so it is for us too.
Because we too are reminded of our mortality, that we too are from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
Hence, all our penance and fasting and prayer is to reduce our pride and humble our hearts, so that we will realize that when all has passed, we are mere ashes and dust.
Yet we are also reminded in Ps 113:7 that God raises the poor from the dust, and from the ash-heap he lifts up the lowly.
As we come to the 2nd Sunday of Lent, we heard about the glory of Jesus in His Transfiguration.
Jesus wants to share the glory of His Transfiguration with us; He wants us to be “transfigured”.
But before that can happen, we need to see what is in our heart that needs to be cleansed and purified.
The season of Lent is a time for purification and enlightenment.
The spiritual preparation of prayer, fasting and penance is to help us cleanse our heart of pride and greed and selfishness.
Our hearts that are tainted with sin must be burned with penance and reduced to ashes and dust.
Then with the glory of God, our hearts will be filled and made new and rise to a new life in Christ and be “transfigured”.
Let us ask the Lord for a gentle and humble and lowly heart, so that we will give glory to God always.
All glory belongs to God alone. Yes everything will come to pass, from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
But in God alone must our hearts trust, as we give glory to God.