On this eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, just before Lent, the Scripture readings offer us essential tools for preparing our hearts for the season ahead. Among the many themes present, one stands out: transformation—a process we must anticipate and actively pursue.
The first reading from Sirach provides a powerful analogy:
“As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just” (Sirach 27:4). This imagery is echoed in the prophet Jeremiah’s comparison of God as the potter and us as the clay. In the hands of the Master Potter, we are shaped and strengthened through life’s refining fires. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that corruptibility must give way to incorruptibility, a transformation that occurs daily and will reach its fullness when we unite with God in eternity. A phrase from today’s Gospel particularly caught my attention: “When fully trained.” For clarity, here is the full verse: “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). This verse invites us to reflect on the Lord’s training in our lives.
The Lord’s Training: A Path to Transformation
Could it be that the challenges and hardships we face are actually part of God’s training program for our transformation? St. Paul offers us an encouraging perspective:
“All things work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). God’s training is rooted in His divine purpose for our lives. In John 9:1-12, when the disciples questioned why a man was born blind, Jesus responded that his condition was not due to sin but was meant to glorify God. Yet, in another instance, after healing a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years, Jesus warned him, “Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). These two scenarios reveal that while sin can have consequences, not every hardship is a result of wrongdoing. Rather, the difficulties we face often serve distinct purposes in God’s greater plan.
Embracing the Lord’s Training
Jesus calls us to fully engage in the training set before us. When He says:
“Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:42), He is urging us to focus on our own growth and transformation first. We must face life’s challenges with an overcomer’s mindset, trusting that the trials we endure today will become testimonies that encourage others tomorrow.
The training every believer must undergo is learning how to navigate life’s trials and emerge victorious. Daily experiences can either refine us like gold in a furnace or become burdens that weigh us down. Jesus teaches that we bring forth good or evil from the storehouse of our hearts—our goal should be to cultivate treasures that bless both ourselves and those around us.
Ultimately, life itself is the training ground. When we are fully trained, we grow stronger in our faith and become more like our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Let us pray for the grace to embrace God’s training so that we may fulfill His purpose in our lives.
[Readings: Sirach 27:4-7; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45]
