Homily: Second Sunday of Lent (A)
Genesis 12:1–4a | 2 Timothy 1:8b–10 | Matthew 17:1–9
1 March 2026
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
Is there anyone here from Nueva Vizcaya or Quezon Province? Travelling to and through these provinces requires traversing a long stretch of winding roads with sharp turns and hairpin curves that can be treacherous, especially at night or during the rainy season. The roads have no street lighting and are pitch black at night. They are also prone to landslides, so sometimes guardrails have been washed away and boulders, earth, and fallen trees block the inner lane. When we look ahead, we cannot see the whole road. We cannot see the turns far ahead. We do not know what is beyond the next bend. All we see is what our headlights can reach. Even with those road conditions, travellers still reach their destination.
Brothers and sisters, sometimes on life’s journey we cannot really see the path we tread, but we just keep going. Sometimes the little light we have is enough to bring us to the next stretch. In the First Reading, God tells Abram, “Go forth from your land… to a land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). God does not give a map. He does not explain the timeline. He does not describe the terrain. Paul, in the Second Reading, tells Timothy to bear his share of hardship for the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:8), because our salvation has been designed by God even before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). In our Gospel, Peter, James, and John witness the Transfiguration and see Jesus in glory (Matthew 17:1–2). It is beautiful and overwhelming. Peter even wants to build tents and remain there (Matthew 17:4), but Jesus does not consent, nor does He explain what just happened. Jesus simply says to them, “Rise, and do not be afraid” (Matthew 17:7), and then they go back down the mountain to journey toward Jerusalem.
In all three (3) readings, God does not allow everything to be explained. He reveals just enough. Abram is merely given a promise — but not the details (Genesis 12:2–3). Paul does not specify to Timothy what hardships lie ahead, but he consoles him, saying that God gives strength and that grace has been bestowed in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:7, 9). The three disciples were simply given the privilege of a glimpse of what lay far ahead (Matthew 17:2). They did not have a clear vision of how God’s plan would unfold, but they were given just enough light to sustain them when the darkness of the Cross came.
Perhaps that is really how God works in our lives. We want clarity. We want the full picture. “Lord, tell me what will happen to my health. Tell me what will happen to my family. Tell me how this problem will end. Tell me where this new assignment will lead.” More often than not, God withholds the whole roadmap. Instead, He gives a promise. He gives His presence. He gives enough light for the next step. Faith, after all, is not about seeing the entire highway. Faith is trusting the One who travels with us in the dark.
Perhaps, some of us are on a road where our vision does not stretch very far. The future feels uncertain, our plans unclear, and the path ahead is unfamiliar. Perhaps you have received a serious health diagnosis and do not know what treatment to take, how you will afford it, or whether your body will be able to endure it. Maybe you are graduating from school in the next months and are daunted by the numerous applications you must go through before you land a job. Or maybe you are experiencing more frequent misunderstandings with your spouse and are worried whether these will be resolved or lead to separation. Often, we find that life is like that — curious, mysterious, difficult to explain, and unpredictable. Perhaps we need to be reminded that we do not have full control over our lives. We cannot completely direct them where we want them to go, for we do not know what the future holds.
Today the Lord is saying to us what He said to Abram: “Go” (Genesis 12:1). He is repeating what He says to the disciples: “Rise, and do not be afraid” (Matthew 17:7). He is echoing what He says through Paul: rely on the grace of God (cf. 2 Timothy 1:9). We simply have to be attentive to God speaking to us and leading us through the dark, winding roads of our earthly journey.
We do not need to see everything. We must trust in the One who created everything and is Master of everything. We need only enough light for today — and that light is Christ!
Empty Road at Nigh Time by Vitaly Kushnir
Sunday Gospel Reflections 