The end of the test is the glory. Going up the mountain is always the most difficult part, but the result that you get from going up the mountain is always rewarding. For many it might be the view up top, or for some it might merely be the fact that one challenged themselves up the hill – that is the glory.
“If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom 8:31b) Our spiritual lives are consisted of many mountains or battles. We know God is with us, but like St. Paul in his letter to the Romans in the second reading today, we should ask, “who is against us?” We can answer, “Oh evilness, the devil, Satan, etc…” However, we have the total choice to choose God than evil. Bl. Carlo Acutis once said, “What good is it for a man to win a thousand battles if he then fails to win himself?” Thus, the obstacle that discourages us is ultimately ourselves.
That is what Lent is all about, it is a battle, a journey up the mountain which is challenging. We face mountains physically, mentally and spiritually but who do we turn to when we face these trials? We must turn to God and trust in Him, like Abraham, like the disciples in today’s Gospel who without hesitating went up the mountain. They did not know what was going to happen, but they trusted wholly in God. Yet, we to achieve that, we must train ourselves to place ourselves constantly in the presence of God and His loving care. When we start to rely on ourselves and confine us to our very egos, we will go nowhere. If you fail, admit that you failed and move on.
Lastly, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Rom 8:37) So, even in the midst of life’s mountains, let us keep our heads high and keep our gaze on God who alone is the glory that our heart longs for.