Encouraging the heart

Podcast

• Listen to this homily

Scripture references

• Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
• Romans 8:31-35, 37
• Mark 9:2-10

Reflection

We’ve all had the experience of setting out on a new adventure, or starting a new job, or facing a new reality in life which calls us to be the best we can be.  Some of these journeys are short-lived, and have tangible and visible results that warm the heart, but others are not so immediate.  In fact, some experiences take entire lifetimes to live, and even longer to understand.

Long-term commitments can be among the most challenging, not because they call us to any particular task that is beyond our range of possibility, but because they invite us to test our stamina.  Even the most convinced among us will sometimes question the wisdom of such a decision, and at times such as these, it’s helpful to have someone who keeps us focused on the big picture, who reminds us of the reason why we made the commitment in the first place, in short, someone who is capable of encouraging our hearts and helping us to see value in our actions and words.

The period Lent can sometimes seem long and tedious, and sometimes the disciplines we impose upon ourselves can seem to truly test our resolve.  The first reading we heard today tells the story of such a test, when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac (Gn 22:1-2).  We know the story; we’ve heard its outcome.  In the end, God did not follow through with this request, but he wanted to see if Abraham truly believed that he would never be left alone, if he truly trusted the promise that had been made to him.

Lent is an annual opportunity for each of us to be tested, for each of us to remember this promise and to deepen our trust that God will always walk by our side.  Like Abraham, the apostle Paul also knew what it was like to be tested, and because of his faith, he was able to encourage the hearts of others, calling them to believe that God too is willing to give everything he has, even his only Son, to prove his love for us (Rom 8:31).

Encouraging the heart was something that Jesus took great pains to demonstrate, especially in the lives of his disciples when they too faced the challenges of doubt and fear.  The gospel passage tells us of the ultimate encouragement, when he called Peter, James and John and gave them the privileged experience of seeing him in all his glory (Mk 9:2-5) and of hearing the voice of the Father himself as he explained his love for his own Son, and encouraged them to heed the instruction that Jesus would share with them (Mk 9:7).

Parents know how to encourage the hearts of their children when they are learning the sometimes difficult lessons of life.  Spouses demonstrate their ability to encourage the heart when they help each other to face the challenges of economic hardship, or of difficult but necessary parental decisions.  Friends learn how to encourage the hearts of those who must live through the experience of helping loved ones who are living with incurable diseases, or of picking up the pieces of broken relationships.

Lent presents us with a privileged moment, if we come face to face with some difficult questions.  It allows us to seek ways to encourage the hearts of those we love, and if we are truly blessed, allows us to identify the people in our lives who are sent by God to remind us that we are all the beloved of God.