2ND SUNDAY OF LENT: TRANSFIGURATION, Luke 9:28b-36
Each year, the second Sunday of Lent is consecrated to honoring the Mystery of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Today’s scripture readings provide the vital insight for living an authentically Christian life. And, our Gospel reading from St. Luke describes for us the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor. The transformation, moving from one state to another, from the familiar to the unknown, is at the very core of the Christian life; transformation happens only through some movement or change, and it is usually affected only when it involves hardship, pain, sacrifice, or self-denial
When we go into the movie theater, we find a seat that’s suitable and get ready to watch the movie. The house lights dim, and an image appears on the screen. It is not the film we came to see. It is the preview of coming attractions, a brief glimpse of the highlights of a film opening soon. The moviemakers and theater owners hope the preview will stimulate our interest enough to make us want to come back and see the whole film. On the Mount of the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John, the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, were given a preview of coming attractions.
On the top of the mountain, the disciples Peter, James, and John experienced transfiguration. They heard a lovely voice out of the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!” Peter exclaimed: “It is wonderful for us to be here.” Peter wanted to stay on the mountain and wanted to build three tents there, away from all troubles and dangers. They wanted to stay up on the mountain because they thought that by seeing the glorified Jesus, they had achieved holiness in life.
Jesus shows us that holiness is not a place, a mood, or a feeling. Holiness is an action that has to be discovered in our lives by loving God and our brothers and sisters. The holiness that is expected of us is service to the poor, to the underprivileged, and to the forgotten. Transfiguration invites us to break the chains of our selfishness and pride and find time to share our time, talents, and treasures with the poor and the needy. Then, we really experience the transfiguration in our daily lives.
Also, Jesus wanted to teach disciples another lesson. After seeing the glory, Peter said, “It is good to be here,” But Jesus did not want to limit their experience of glorious God to a “feeling good” spirituality. But we must find glorious God in sacrificing and serving our life for others.
Each time we celebrate The Holy Eucharist, we should experience the transfiguration in our Eucharistic celebration, and from this holy experience, we should share outside the church by loving and showing mercy to people, who are broken, poor, sick, suffering, and unwanted. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a great example of this: she shared the mountain experience that she found each time in the Eucharist. Mother Teresa shared her holy experience by serving the poorest of the poor. St. Mother Teresa said, “Just as Jesus allows Himself to be broken, to be given to us as food, we too must break, and we must share our lives with each other, in our homes and in our communities and in our lives becomes the Eucharistic life.”
However, Jesus said we have to go back down from the mountain and face the realities of life. We all know the top of the mountain always feels good, very comfortable, safe, and secure; but to come down from the mountain is not very easy. It means we have to face our daily challenges, and it is very risky to come down and live with ordinary people, to experience pain, suffering, sickness, and so on. Nobody wants to come down; everybody wants to be on the “top place.”
The joy and comfort of the Transfiguration experience strengthen the disciples to face the agony and trouble of Calvary. In our lives, we, too, can have moments of transfiguration with rare moments of light and joy. These moments of transfiguration are given to us to strengthen us for our everyday tasks and enable us to face the cross, which comes to everyone in some shape or form.
We can identify with the disciples their mountaintop experiences of joy and consolation, and we, too, want to stay on top of the mountain. We want to flee from the mountain when we experience moments of trial and suffering. We forget that God did not promise us a rose garden, but a garden of olives and a crown of thorns! For the disciples, the Transfiguration experience was a preparation for their trials, which they are going to face in the near future. Also, Jesus wants to teach us the glory shining into our present sufferings. Jesus does not change the world, but Jesus can transform our hearts if we allow Jesus to come into our lives!