Joke: Transformation in old age: A grandfather has difficulty remembering what he tried to say, so his grandson sent him to a memory class to help him. The instructor used famous sayings or poems to help students remember what they try to say. After a month of study, the grandson asked, “Grandpa, what is the name of your wife?” Grandpa paused for a second and asked grandson, “What is the name of the red flower that couples give to each other on Valentine’s Day?” “I know. It’s called Rose,” the grandson said. Turning over to his wife, grandpa asked, “Rose, what time is our dinner?”

A moment of transformation at his old age after attending memory class didn’t help him to remember his wife’s name, but it sure helped him to remember to ask what time is for the dinner? Peter, the head of the apostles, out of the three chosen apostles to experience the transfiguration of Jesus, didn’t even see the deeper meaning of Jesus’ transfiguration that when he saw Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem, he said, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." His exodus was going to accomplish in Jerusalem on the mountain of Golgotha where he would reveal his ultimate love on the wood of the cross. This cross then led to his glory in heaven. Peter didn’t understand his exodus revealed in Jerusalem, but his glory when he conversed with Moses and Elijah. The deal that Jesus showed Peter was not just the glory that appeared in front of his eyes that excited him to make three tents, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus. The deal that Jesus showed Peter rather was his accomplishment in Jerusalem on the mountain of Golgotha where he would reveal his ultimate love on the wood of the cross, and from this cross would lead to his glory in heaven. Peter didn’t see the first part accomplished on the mountain of Golgotha but the glorious transfiguration alone. From suffering and death that leads to glory was a deal that Jesus wanted to show his chosen disciples, and Peter missed it. Has God ever made deal with his people throughout human history?

From the Old Testament, God made a deal with Abram, reported in today’s first reading taken from the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Unlike the deal that God made with his chosen apostles reported in today’s Gospel that was easier and more delightful to accept, the deal that God made with Abram was more dramatic. God made a deal with Abram that when he put his faith in him, his descendants shall be like the stars on the sky and the land to possess. In response to the deal that God made with him, Abram asked the Lord, reported in today’s first reading, saying, “How am I to know that I shall possess it?” To make a promise for this deal, the Lord instructed Abram to cut the animals in halves and put them opposite each other. When the sun had set, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these halves of the animals that the Lord instructed Abram to choose from. What it meant was that if any side didn’t keep the promise of the deal, he will be cut in half and be burned. If God didn’t keep his promise to make Abram’s descendants numerous like the stars on the sky and the land to possess, then he will be cut in half and burnt. If Abram fails to put faith in God, he will be cut in half and burnt as well. Make no mistake that when Abram placed his faith in the Lord, his name changed to Abraham. This was how God made a deal with Abram and changed his name to Abraham, our father in faith.

What is the deal that God continuously revealed to us that Saint Paul experienced and put it so well reported in today’s second reading? The deal that God makes with his people that Saint Paul in tears reminds us saying, “For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their “shame.” Their minds are occupied with earthly things.” The enemies of the cross will result in destruction. Refusing suffering and the difficulties of life is the weakness of the soul. Deny facing the hardship to carry our own cross to follow the Lord Jesus resulted from the cancer of the soul. If we value what comes to our stomach instead of coming to Church to give thanks to God for the gift of life and to continue to keep us in the existence, we deny our very existence of body and soul. We are human beings with body and soul. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Saint Paul reminds us. Therefore, our being is not the body alone, nor the soul alone, but it is the inseparable entity of both body and soul. The moment that God brought Adam into being, he made a deal with him that he could eat anything in the garden except the fruits of the tree in the middle of the garden. The moment that he failed to keep the deal, he was expelled from the garden. However, when Abram placed his faith in the Lord, his descendants become like the stars in the sky. Peter, on the other hand, didn’t fail to keep the deal with God, he failed to understand the deal that God presented to him at his transfiguration. But when he understood, he became a solid rock to lead and to guide the Church. Have you and I ever made a deal with God or did God make a deal with you? What is that deal? Have you kept it? How long have you kept it? Have you ever broken the deal with God? What happened when you broke the deal with God? Is it possible to repair the broken deal with God? Lent is set up for this purpose, to help us to restore our promise with God, to repair the broken deal with God, and to reconcile with God and with one another. The decision is yours.