Readings & Reflections with Cardinal Tagle’s Video: Second Sunday of Lent A & St. John of God, March 8,2020

 

Pope Benedict XVI once said that “when one has the grace to sense a strong experience of God, it is as though seeing something similar to what the disciples experienced during the Transfiguration: For a moment they experienced ahead of time something that will constitute the happiness of paradise. In general, it is brief experiences that God grants on occasions, especially in anticipation of harsh trials.” It was this grace of a strong experience of God that filled Abram with the conviction to go forth from the land of his kinsfolk to a completely unknown land that God himself shows him. We, too, can bear our hardships for the Gospel, because through the grace of the Transfiguration we have been given “the strength that comes from God.” The grace we need in order to go where God directs us has been “made manifest through the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus.”

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

Father of light, in You is found no shadow of change but only the fullness of life and limitless truth. Open our hearts to the voice of your Word and free us from the original darkness that shadows our vision. Restore our sight that we may look upon your Son who calls us to repentance and a change of heart, for He lives and reigns with you for ever and ever. In His Mighty Name, we pray. Amen

Reading I
Gn 12:1-4a – The call of Abraham, the father of God’s people.

The LORD said to Abram:  “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
to deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Reading II
2 Tm 1:8b-10 – God has saved us and called us to be holy.

Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works
but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel
Mt 17:1-9 – Jesus’ face shone like the sun.

Bishop Robert Baron’s Homily – Listening to a higher voice click below:

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Listen to Him

Dr. Scott Hahn’s reflection click below: Listen Here

 

Today’s Gospel portrays Jesus as a new and greater Moses.

Moses also took three companions up a mountain and on the seventh day was overshadowed by the shining cloud of God’s presence. He too spoke with God and his face and clothing were made radiant in the encounter (see Exodus 24,34).

But in today’s Lenten Liturgy, the Church wants us to look back past Moses. Indeed, we are asked to contemplate what today’s Epistle calls God’s “design…from before time began.”

With his promises to Abram in today’s First Reading, God formed the people through whom He would reveal himself and bestow His blessings on all humanity.

He later elevated these promises to eternal covenants and changed Abram’s name to Abraham, promising that he would be father of a host nations (see Genesis 17:5). In remembrance of His covenant with Abraham he raised up Moses (see Exodus 2:24; 3:8), and later swore an everlasting kingdom to David ‘s sons (see Jeremiah 33:26).

In Jesus’ transfiguration today, He is revealed as the One through whom God fulfills his divine plan from of old.

Not only a new Moses, Jesus is also the “beloved son” promised to Abraham and again to David (see Genesis 22:15-18; Psalm 2:7; Matthew 1:1).

Moses foretold a prophet like him to whom Israel would listen (see Deuteronomy 18:15,18) and Isaiah foretold an anointed servant in whom God would be well-pleased (see Isaiah 42:1). Jesus is this prophet and this servant, as the Voice on the mountain tells us today.

By faith we have been made children of the covenant with Abraham (see Galatians 3:7-9; Acts 3:25). He calls us, too, to a holy life, to follow His Son to the heavenly homeland He has promised. We know, as we sing in today’s Psalm, that we who hope in Him will be delivered from death.

So like our father in faith, we go forth as the Lord directs us: “Listen to Him!” – Read the source: https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/listen-to-him-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-second-sunday-of-lent

Reflection 2 – The story of Transfiguration

The story of the transfiguration brings into my heart glimpses I have of the fullness and greatness of God. However, amidst my brokenness and my sinfulness, there are a lot of times when I feel low and spiritually dry. I feel so detached from our Lord that I find it quite difficult to see the great things I have in our God.

These are the times when my circumstances in life are bathed with darkness that to get myself out of such state, I have to reminisce and re-live the good times and the high moments I have with our Lord, the times when I felt His loving embrace, His compassion and understanding, the time when He renewed my life and literally picked me up from the gutter and brought me a new life in the Spirit.

God is good all the time. He turned me from a deserter into a believer and an obedient follower. He gave me the grace to go back and start life anew and live up to the expectations of being baptized in His Name. He made sure that I was able set aside my conventional ideas about Him and empowered me to slowly detach myself from my self-centeredness so that I could live more and more for Him, through Him and in Him.

This new life I received from our God meant following in Christ’s steps and taking up my Cross to bring His kingdom of love, healing and compassion to the world. It meant giving up the comfort of my very private life as I worked in His vineyard. It meant living by a certain standard of discipleship and giving more and more of myself. God continues to transform my broken and sinful being. As I continue to open my heart to Him, slowly but surely He is forming me what I should be and not into what I want myself to be.

Today, as I ask our Heavenly Father, “why do it?” He responds to me and says: “This is My Son, my Beloved. Listen to Him.” As I try to listen and be one with our Lord Jesus, there are times when trials and opposition from all sides come into my life that giving up my servanthood for the Lord occupies my heart and mind. These past weeks have not been far different from this, as my life has once more been marred by heartaches, which I know can only be removed by God’s loving assurance.  The only thing that mattered and kept me spiritually alive was my faith that God loves me despite the kind of person that I am. What kept me going was my internal desire to always be with Him, in contemplation and prayer.

God is always on my side that is why I trust that our Lord will heal me of all the hurts and bad feelings that have plagued my heart. God made me and loves me the way I am. Whenever love of others and even love of self cannot seem to work, it is only God’s love that prevails. It is only God’s love that has kept me whole!  “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us, who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died–or, rather, was raised–who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.”

I exalt God and thank Him for all that he has been in my life.  As I remain faithful to Him He has made sure that I be transformed and changed in order that I be able to do a little humble work for Him.  As God is total goodness and love, He restores every person, life or situation. And this He has slowly but faithfully brought to me and my loved ones as well.  My thankful heart can only say to God indeed, “Lord, it is good that we are here” for with You we have been fully blessed! 

Let us all make it a practice to pray to God and ask Him what we must do to leave behind our old and sinful lives to find our new life with Him and become the blessing that He has envisioned us to be.

Let us stand firm as we await the return of our savior Lord Jesus Christ. “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.”

Direction

Let us give our life to our Lord totally and without reserve. He will bless us and transform us into His likeness. Prayer should always be part of our daily lives.

Prayer

O LORD, I am your servant. You have loosed my bonds and have set me free. To You will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving and I will call upon your Name forever! Amen.

Reflection 3 – What is the purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration?

Last March 3-5,2017 was the 65^th Annual Diocesan Youth Convention in Buffalo, New York. The question was asked by the speaker: “Why is it so hard for Catholics to get excited about their faith? What has to change my life? Love give us hope that change is possible. Man cannot fully find himself unless he fully gives of himself (GS 24). We need to embrace/hug the cross in order to embrace glory! We need to walk the talk! It is only after Good Friday that we have Easter Sunday! Therefore, be open/listen, be obedient, be humble, be ready to serve. So, during this Lent, it is a good time for sacrificing. Let us deny ourselves something every day to help others.” Is this the way you respond this Lent?

This Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 17:1-9) is about the transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain before his chosen three witnesses: Peter, James and John. Jesus’ face and clothes become dazzling with light, and Moses and Elijah appear, speaking “of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. A shining cloud covers him and a voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; Listen to Him.’” This transfiguration of Jesus shows forth the Trinity: “the Father in the voice, the Son in the man Jesus, the Spirit in the shining cloud” (St. Thomas Aquinas). The purpose of this revelation is to strengthen the Apostles’ faith in anticipation of his Passion: suffering and death – the ascent onto high “mountain” prepares for the ascent to Calvary. His transfiguration is the sacrament of the second regeneration: our own resurrection whereas Jesus’ baptism proclaimed “the mystery of the first regeneration,” namely our baptism. His transfiguration gives us the foretaste of Christ’s resurrection and his glorious coming which “change our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:21). But we must have to undergo through sufferings or persecutions to enter the Kingdom of God.

Peter did not yet understand this when he wanted to remain with Christ on the mountain. For us today the Lord Jesus challenges us, “Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth.” Jesus came down to toil, serve, to be scorned, to suffer and to be crucified. The saints had followed the Lord Jesus and one of them was Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila. When government officials asked him: “If we grant you, your life, will you renounce your faith?” Lorenzo responded: “That I will never do, because I am a Christian, and I shall die for God, and for him I will give many thousands of lives if I had them. And so, do with me as you please.” How about you? Do you accept your sufferings or persecutions for the sake of the Kingdom of God, or do you seek the escape? For more interesting discussion on the glory of resurrection: the wonder of our future life click this link: http://www.pagadiandiocese.org/2017/06/28/the-glory-of-the-resurrection-the-wonder-of-our-future-life/

There was a story of a man in a leper colony. In that leper colony there were men with nothing to do, and for whom nothing could be done. They were lonely, abandoned men who could only prowl around their yard. Yet one of these men kept a gleam in his eye. He could smile, and if you offered him something, could still say, “Thank you.” There was this single man, who was still a man, still human.

The sister in-charge was anxious to know the reason for this miracle. What kept him clinging to life? She watched him for a few days and she saw that there used to appear above the high, forbidding wall, every day a face – a little tip of a woman’s face, no bigger than a hand, but all smiles. The man could be there, waiting to receive this smile, the food of his strength and support and his hope. He would smile back and then the head would disappear. Then his long wait for the next day would begin a fresh.

When the sister one day took them by surprise, he simply said, “She is my wife.” And after a pause, he went on, “Before I came here, she hid me and looked after me with anything she could get. A native doctor had given her some paste to treat my disease. Everyday she would smear my face with it – all except one tiny corner…just enough to put her lips to. But it couldn’t last. They picked me up. She followed me here and when she comes to see me every day, I know that it is because of her that I can still go on living. Life is so meaningful when there is someone who cares and loves especially in the difficult times of our lives, and someone who gives us hope.

Similarly, Christ’s transfiguration aims at strengthening the Apostles’ faith in anticipation of his Passion: suffering and death – the ascent onto high “mountain” prepares for the ascent to Calvary. Christ, Head of the Church, manifests what his Body contains and radiates in the sacraments: “the hope of glory.”

“God of conversion, through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus you demonstrated your love for all the people of the world. Lead us to your holy mountain. Teach us through your law and your prophets. Enable us to live the baptism which transfigured us into the image of him, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen”

Reflection 4 – Listen to Him!

A mother was showing off her baby to her best friend. “Look at him! Isn’t he the exact copy of his father?” asked the proud mother. “Yes,” replied the friend. “But don’t worry about that. As he grows older, he will probably change and look better.”

Jesus is the perfect reflection of the heavenly Father. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus replied: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (Jn 14:9-10). In short, Jesus is the visible presence of the Father in the world. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, the voice of the heavenly Father was heard on two occasions. The first was during the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the other one was on Mount Tabor during his transfiguration. Interestingly, His words were identical: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

It is very important to note that the heavenly Father’s last words were imperative: “Listen to him.” Jesus is not just the perfect reflection of the Father; He is the Torah, the Law of God personified. He should be listened to and obeyed faithfully. The appearance of Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, representing the Prophets, confirms this. Listening to Jesus is not only with our ears, but also with our heart and our will, which effectively leads to complete and unconditional obedience to God.

Three elderly men were playing golf one afternoon. They had difficulty with the game due to the strong wind. The first one remarked, “It is windy, isn’t it?” The second replied, “No. It’s already Thursday!” And the third one agreed, “Yes, I’m thirsty too! Let’s go get some beer.”

It is reported that many people nowadays have hearing problems. One obvious reason is their constant exposure to loud noise and music. But worse still, many people are not willing to listen to one another. They prefer to live in their own little worlds, mostly thanks to the high-tech gadgets stuck in their ears all the time, unmindful of the outside world.

But the worst of all is that many people are not anymore willing to listen to God and His teachings. This has serious consequences, not only in our personal lives but also in the life of the world. The rapid spread of the culture of death is the natural consequence of not heeding the teachings and commandments of God.

People have constantly ignored the commandment, “Thou shall not commit adultery”. It resulted in the weakening of the institution of marriage and family through the no-fault divorce. “Married adults now divorce two-and-a-half times as often as adults 20 years ago and four times as often as they did 50 years ago… between 40% to 60% of new marriages will eventually end in divorce” (cf. “Marriages, Families and Intimate Relationships,” by B. Williams, et al.). The sharp increase in the number of broken homes and of confused and emotionally disturbed children and the spread of AIDS are the bitter fruits of this sexual revolution.

People have not followed the commandment, “Thou shall not steal”. Hence, massive theft, corruption and cheating became institutionalized in governments and business corporations, leading to financial meltdown and economic disaster. Crimes against life and property are the fruits of economic poverty and political instability.

And because people have continuously disobeyed the command, “Thou shall not kill”, killing has become acceptable and legal in most parts of the world – death penalty, euthanasia, and abortion. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, there are over 3,300 abortions per day in the U.S. alone – about 1.2 million every year. There have been almost 60 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973. And worldwide, there are 42 million abortions every year. That means roughly 115,000 babies killed every day. Yet many people, especially those influenced by the contraceptive mentality, are impervious to this horrific genocide and obstinately claim that abortion is the right of every woman.

How long will people go on ignoring and disobeying God, and further inflict irreparable damage to ourselves and to the world?

The world is still in shock at the triple catastrophe in Japan – earthquake, tsunami and a possible nuclear meltdown. The epicenter of the earthquake was the city of Sendai. But unknown to many, less than 90 miles to the north of the epicenter is the town of Yuzawa, the site of an apparition of Mary in 1973, now known as Our Lady of Akita. Despite its proximity to the epicenter, the city of Akita sustained significantly less damage than other parts of northern Japan. The little statue of Our Lady of Akita, two years after the apparitions and messages, began to emit tears and drops of blood for more than six years.

In one of her messages to the visionary, Sr. Agnes Sasagawa, the Blessed Mother said, “If men do not repent and better themselves, God the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the (biblical) flood, such as never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church, in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.” (cf. Catholic News Agency, March 12, 2011).

Unless we turn back to God, the future is bleak and scary beyond description. The heavenly Father’s voice once again comes to us more urgently: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Listen to Jesus! Are we listening now?

Let these forty days of Lent be a time for serious examination of our hearts and souls. May the Lord grant us a humble and contrite spirit and lead us on the road to conversion and new life as children of the heavenly Father. May we remain truly pleasing to Him at all times (Source: Fr. Mike Lagrimas, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Amsterdam St., Capitol Park Homes, Matandang Balara, Quezon City 1119).

Reflection 5 – Listen to my beloved Son

Are you prepared to see the glory of the Lord and to share in his glory as well? God made a promise to Abraham that he would make him a channel of great blessing not only to his own family and future descendants but to all the families of the earth as well (Genesis 12:3)! The condition for the fulfillment of this promise was simple and straightforward – “Go from your family and country to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Abraham not only believed in God’s promise, he promptly obeyed and did as the Lord commanded him. God chose Abraham as his instrument of blessing – that through him and his descendants would come the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ who would reveal the glory and blessing of God’s kingdom and bring salvation for all who would call upon his name.

The Lord Jesus came to fulfill all that Moses and the prophets spoke
The Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises made to Abraham and to his spiritual descendants. In all that Jesus did and said he sought to please his Father in heaven and to bring him glory. Like Abraham, he was ready to part with anything that might stand in the way of doing the will of God. He knew that the success of his mission would depend on his willingness to embrace his Father’s will no matter what it might cost him personally.

Jesus on three occasions told his disciples that he would undergo suffering and death on a cross to fulfill the mission the Father gave him. As the time draws near for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, he takes three of his beloved disciples to the top of a high mountain. Just as Moses and Elijah were led to the mountain of God to discern their ultimate call and mission, so Jesus now appears with Moses and Elijah on the highest mountain overlooking the summit of the promised land. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light (Matthew 17:2).

Jesus reveals his glory to the apostles and to us
Why did Jesus appear in dazzling light with Moses and Elijah? The book of Exodus tells us that when Moses had met with God on Mount Sinai the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God (Exodus 34:29). Paul the Apostle wrote that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face because of its brightness (2 Corinthians 3:7). After Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, had destroyed all the priests and idols of Baal in the land, he took refuge on the mountain of God at Sinai. There God showed Elijah his glory in great thunder, whirlwind, and fire, and then spoke with him in a still quiet voice. God questioned Elijah, “What are you doing here?” And then directed him to go and fulfill the mission given him by God. Jesus, likewise, appears in glory with Moses and Elijah, as if to confirm with them that he, too, is ready to fulfill the mission which the Father has sent him to accomplish.

Jesus went to the mountain knowing full well what awaited him in Jerusalem – betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion. Jesus very likely discussed this momentous decision to go to the cross with Moses and Elijah. God the Father also spoke with Jesus and gave his approval: This is my beloved Son; listen to him. The Father glorified his son because he was faithful and willing to obey him in everything. The cloud which overshadowed Jesus and his apostles fulfilled the dream of the Jews that when the Messiah came the cloud of God’s presence would fill the temple again (see Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 33:9; 1 Kings 8:10; 2 Maccabees 2:8).

Christ’s way to glory
The Lord Jesus not only wants us to see his glory – he wants to share this glory with us. And Jesus shows us the way to the Father’s glory – follow me – obey my words. Take the path I have chosen for you and you will receive the blessing of my Father’s kingdom – your name, too, will be written in heaven. Jesus fulfilled his mission on Calvary where he died for our sins so that Paradise and everlasting life would be restored to us. He embraced the cross to win a crown of glory – a crown that awaits each one of us, if we, too, will follow in his footsteps.

Origen (185-254 AD), a noted early church bible scholar and teacher, explains the significance of Jesus’ transfiguration for our own lives:

“Do you wish to see the transfiguration of Jesus? Behold with me the Jesus of the Gospels. Let him be simply apprehended. There he is beheld both “according to the flesh” and at the same time in his true divinity. He is beheld in the form of God according to our capacity for knowledge. This is how he was beheld by those who went up upon the lofty mountain to be apart with him. Meanwhile those who do not go up the mountain can still behold his works and hear his words, which are uplifting. It is before those who go up that Jesus is transfigured, and not to those below. When he is transfigured, his face shines as the sun, that he may be manifested to the children of light, who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. They are no longer the children of darkness or night but have become the children of day. They walk honestly as in the day. Being manifested, he will shine to them not simply as the sun but as he is demonstrated to be, the sun of righteousness.” (Commentary on Matthew)

Luke’s Gospel tells us that while Jesus was transfigured, Peter, James, and John were asleep (Luke 9:32)! Upon awakening they discovered Jesus in glory along with Moses and Elijah. How much do we miss of God’s glory and action because we are asleep spiritually? There are many things which can keep our minds asleep to the things of God: Mental lethargy and the “unexamined life” can keep us from thinking things through and facing our doubts and questions. The life of ease can also hinder us from considering the challenging or disturbing demands of Christ. Prejudice can make us blind to something new the Lord may have for us. Even sorrow can be a block until we can see past it to the glory of God.

We are partakers of his glory
Are you spiritually awake? Peter, James, and John were privileged witnesses of the glory of Christ. We, too, as disciples of Jesus Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory. We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Lord wants to reveal his glory to us, his beloved disciples. Do you seek his presence with faith and reverence?

“Lord Jesus, keep me always alert to you, to your word, your action, and your constant presence in my life. Let me see your glory.” – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2017/mar12.htm

Reflection 6 – “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him.”

Saint John Paul II will always be remembered for his part in dramatic events. He preached about freedom behind the Iron Curtain, created World Youth Day, and led its celebrations across the globe, and forgave the man who tried to assassinate him. But there are also many simpler acts by which he will have a lasting impact upon Christians for many years to come. One is his addition of the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary.

The Luminous Mysteries shed light upon who Jesus is, and what His mission on earth is all about. The scene narrated in today’s Gospel passage is the fourth Luminous Mystery. What does this mystery of Jesus’ Transfiguration reveal about Him and His earthly mission, and how does this mystery help us along our own Lenten pilgrimage?

Start at the end of the Gospel passage. Jesus commands Peter, James, and John not “to tell the vision {of the Transfiguration} to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” This command raises two questions. First, why do the apostles have to wait until after the Resurrection to tell others about this vision? Second, given Jesus’ prohibition, why didn’t He just wait until after His Resurrection to be transfigured?

We can gather why the apostles must wait to tell about the Transfiguration from the way Peter responds to it. Jesus likely feared that others, when hearing of the Transfiguration, would think as Peter did when he said: “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here”. Peter’s words are all too human. He wants to rest in what is good. He wants to make tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah because he wants them to remain where they are. He doesn’t want this moment to pass.

But the moment must pass. The glory of the Transfiguration is a means to an even greater end. This means, and that end, must occur in the right order if we want to move forward in faith. Or instead, we might say that the Transfiguration, and its end, are scenes in a drama. Just as a performance of Hamlet would make little sense were its scenes acted out of order, so the drama of the Paschal Mystery unfolds in its own order. The Transfiguration is a means to the end that is Jesus’ death. So, then, what within this scene helps us understand its place within the entire drama of the Gospel?

Consider the company that Jesus keeps high on that mountain. The three chief apostles witness the transfigured Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law of the Old Testament, while Elijah represents its prophets. Jesus, with face and clothes like the sun and light, in the midst of Moses and Elijah, evokes a promise that Jesus had made at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”⁵ The vision of the Transfiguration helps us see what glory there will be when this fulfillment comes to pass, and helps us see what this fulfillment demands. But that fulfillment is not here and now on this mountain.

The Transfiguration is only a step towards Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. The Transfiguration helps those who witness Jesus’ glory to move forward in faith so as to follow Him where He may lead. The problem is that Jesus doesn’t elaborate about how His fulfillment will occur. He leaves that open for the apostles to wonder about.

Jesus only hints at His fulfillment through His command to the apostles: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” These are the very last words of today’s Gospel passage. We don’t hear the apostles’ response to Jesus speaking about rising from the dead. Yet, even were you to open your bible and read what comes next, you’d find little to suggest that these apostles understand the Passion, death, and Resurrection that are to come.

You and I, of course, know “the rest of the story”. You and I know that four weeks from now we will celebrate the death and Resurrection of Jesus, including His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His solemn institution of the Holy Eucharist, and His bitter Way of the Cross. We’re not ignorant, as those three apostles are, of what lies ahead. You and I wouldn’t try to build three tents here and now on the mountain, keeping ourselves from the journey that leads to Easter.

Still, while it’s true that we know what happens on the next page of the Bible, and what’s due to be celebrated here in church in four weeks, aren’t you and I like these three apostles? We have no way of knowing what world events might shake the landscapes of our own nation, and of those nations that are friend and foe. We cannot know if severe weather might destroy the property and homes of loved ones and even of ourselves. We cannot possibly know whether a loved one, or ourselves, will be stricken during the next four weeks by a cancer, stroke, or heart attack, or by a personal calamity such as betrayal, as Jesus experienced not long after giving the Eucharist to the Church at the Last Supper. Such calamities, hardships, and suffering easily tempt us not to move forward in life.

But it’s in such settings that Jesus wants to lead us. It’s during such serious challenges to our faith that we also need to reflect upon the Old Testament patriarch, Abram, in the First Reading. In the Roman Canon of the Mass, the priest speaks of this patriarch—by his later name of Abraham—when the priest asks God the Father to accept the Eucharistic Sacrifice as the Father once accepted “the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith”. To move forward in faith always demands from us a sacrifice of our understanding and will, so that God might lead us forward. The Season of Lent focuses our hearts, minds, and wills upon the sacrifices that we must make in order to follow Jesus.

No matter what way in which you are challenged to move forward in faith, listen to God the Father speaking in today’s Gospel passage. He speaks from the clouds: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The Father helps us to see that the One who stands in glory in this vision, who will fulfill the Law and the Prophets, is not just a New Moses and a New Elijah. He is God’s own Son. His glory is His own, and it’s by His own divine strength that He will fulfill the Law and the Prophets, even if the form of that fulfillment—the form of the Cross—is not yet in view. Jesus, by His divine strength, wants to strengthen us in the midst of our own sufferings. Whenever we fall from the weight of our crosses, Jesus wants to meet us with His grace, comforting us with His words, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” – Read the source: http://www.hprweb.com/2017/02/homilies-for-march-2017/

Reflection 7 – Listen

Part of me loves Advent more than Lent because even though it is a preparatory season, there is so much else going on that we can dive into: parties, treats, wonderful music, and a whole selection of movies I can’t help but return to every year. But frankly, it is harder to stop and listen to our Lord in the days leading up to Christmas. I have had the intention the last several years during Advent of reading the “Introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours,” because it is in the Advent and Christmas volume of the breviary that this introduction is found. I’ve never been successful. Not that I’ve had terrible Advents, but it has just proven perpetually impossible (maybe when I’m retired).

Lent is different though. We’re forced more out into the quiet of the desert since society doesn’t really jump on board with us for this season. It’s hard to resist Christmas parties and Santa during Advent; I’ve never had a problem intentionally avoiding someone in a bunny costume. Thanks be to God for this difference because it makes obedience to the divine command of listening we just heard in the Gospel one that seems a lot more possible during this quiet, penitential season.

This year, over the next three Sunday’s, we are given three selections from the Gospel of St. John that are longer than normal for a Gospel at Sunday Mass. They are the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. These are all three well known Gospels, and you have likely heard them many times. May I suggest this year taking the time to read them well in advance of coming to Mass on Sunday and reflecting on them throughout the week.

Last Sunday, as we do at the beginning of every Lent, we meditated on the temptation of our Lord in the desert by the devil, and we saw that while Jesus did not give an immediate, apparent solution to the problems of world hunger, world peace or universal prosperity, He brought us instead that for which we are all longing: God. With this in mind, I would like to spend the next three Sunday’s looking at the Gospels through the lens of each test and to show how Jesus continues to answer the devil’s temptations even in His public ministry. Also, I hope to show how the three pillars of Lent — fasting, prayer and almsgiving — are helpful in making our Lord’s responses to the devil part of our own lives.¹

Like Peter, James, and John, if we’re going to encounter the splendor of our Lord, we have to let ourselves be led out of our daily routine, and up a high mountain. Notice one slight difference though between the mountain we heard about in last week’s Gospel and the mountain we hear about this Sunday. During the temptation, the devil took Jesus up a very high mountain. Our Lord, however, leads the three up a high mountain. The wording is the same, except for that word very. I point this out because the devil likes to deal in extremes. Our Lord, on the other hand, does not do the extreme, but “builds on nature.” For Lent, you don’t have to rush to somewhere very far away; you do not have to take on penances which are very far beyond your normal routine. Rather, set some dedicated time aside, and ask our Lord to lead you deeper into your prayer life. Jesus knew what Peter, James and John could withstand, and even when they fell on their faces in fear, our Lord spoke those peace inducing words: “Rise, and do not be afraid.” He speaks in the same way to us. The question for us is, are we willing to stop and listen — and here is the difficult part — where we are.

As we continue on in this “Campaign of Christian Service,” I recommend following two pieces of advice from two of the best sources we have. The first we hear spoken by our Heavenly Father from the bright cloud in the Gospel today, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Take the time this week to meditate on the word of God and listen to the Word made flesh who dwells among us. It may feel like a climb up a high mountain to do this, but our Lord will provide the necessary grace. Secondly, as this Gospel of the Transfiguration is the setting of the Fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary, I would like to draw your attention back to the Second Luminous Mystery in which Mary, the Mother of God, speaks to the servants, and in turn you and me, and gives some of the best advice that has ever been spoken: “Do whatever He tells you.” Our Lord may not deal in extremes, but He does deal in the right amount. Lent affords us the chance to take the time to listen, but it doesn’t end there. Rise, do not be afraid, and do whatever He tells you this week. – Read the source: https://www.hprweb.com/2020/02/homilies-for-march-2020/

Reflection 8 – The size of a soul

The Gospel today, focused on the Transfiguration, reveals the truth about Jesus — and us.

It all starts when Jesus takes Peter, John and James up Mount Tabor. As they watch, “he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” They are witnessing the true glory of Jesus Christ, who is God and man. But from this we can also learn the true glory of human beings, who are both body and soul, says St. Thomas Aquinas. “At his transfiguration, Christ showed his disciples the splendor of his beauty, to which he will shape and color those who are his,” he wrote. “He will reform the body of our lowness configured to the body of his glory.”

All of the readings today are meant to remind us that we are called to something much greater than our current state. In the first reading, God tells Abram to leave his homeland and go to a land God will give him — and “I will make of you a great nation. … All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

St. Paul, in the second reading, celebrates “Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”

If we are to be immortal in Christ and “a great nation” for God, than we are great indeed.

And this is precisely why care for our souls is so important — and so difficult.

Today’s Gospel starts to explain.

First, it shows Jesus visited by Moses and Elijah.

The two figures have a lot in common, says St. John Chrysostom: They both spoke on behalf of the faithless, they both faced down tyrants, and they both led people away from idolatry; neither was eloquent, and both were poor.

In other words, they both saw the true importance and grandeur of the human person — and both responded with extreme humility.

The apostles are invited to do the same. “This is my beloved Son of whom I am well pleased. Listen to him,” says the Father. They heard the same advice from Jesus’ mother, Mary: “Do whatever he tells you.”

In a way, they are like Abram, being given a great promise and invited on a great journey, where they will “Bear our share of the hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God,” as St. Paul puts it.

It is a journey into the places that need to be conformed to God — including in our own souls. – (Source: Tom Hoopes   http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-size-of-a-soul)

Reflection 9 – To show his disciples his glory and to indicate where the cross leads to

The Gospel of this Second Sunday of Lent presents to us the account of Jesus’ Transfiguration (cf. Matthew 17:1-9). Taking three of the Apostles, Peter, James and John aside, He led them up a high mountain, where this singular phenomenon happened: Jesus’ face “shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light” (v. 2). Thus the Lord made that divine glory shine in His person, which could be received with faith in His preaching and in His miraculous gestures. And, accompanying the Transfiguration on the mountain was the apparition of Moses and Elijah, “talking with Him” (v. 3).

The “luminosity” that characterized this extraordinary event symbolized the purpose: to illumine the minds and hearts of the disciples, so that they could understand clearly who their Master was. It was a flash of light that opened suddenly on the mystery of Jesus and illumined His whole person and His whole story.

Now firmly on the way to Jerusalem, where He would suffer the condemnation to death by crucifixion, Jesus wished to prepare His own for this scandal — the scandal of the Cross –, for this scandal too strong for their faith and, at the same time, announce ahead of time His Resurrection, manifesting himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. And Jesus prepares them there for that sad moment of so much grief. In fact, Jesus was showing himself a different Messiah in regard to the expectations, to what they imagined about the Messiah, how the Messiah was: not a powerful and glorious king, but a humble and vulnerable Servant; not a lord of great wealth, sign of blessing, but a poor man who had no place to lay His head; not a Patriarch with numerous descendants, but a celibate without a home and without a nest. It was truly a revelation of God turned upside down, and the most disconcerting sign of this scandalous reversal is the cross. But precisely through the cross Jesus will attain His glorious Resurrection, which will be definitive, not like this Transfiguration that lasted a moment, an instant.

Jesus transfigured on Mount Tabor wished to show His disciples His glory not to avoid their passing through the cross, but to indicate where the cross leads to. One who dies with Christ, will rise with Christ. And the cross is the door of the Resurrection. One who fights with Him, will triumph with Him. This is the message of hope contained in Christ’s Cross, exhorting to fortitude in our existence. The Christian Cross is not a furnishing of the home or an ornament to wear, but the Christian cross is an appeal to the love with which Jesus sacrificed Himself to save humanity from evil and from sin. In this Lenten Season, we contemplate with devotion the image of the crucifix, Jesus on the cross: it is the symbol of the Christian faith; it is the emblem of Jesus, dead and risen for us. Let us so regard the Cross as marking the stages of our Lenten itinerary, to understand increasingly the gravity of sin and the value of the sacrifice with which the Redeemer saved us all.

The Holy Virgin was able t contemplate Jesus’ glory hidden in His humanity. May she help us to be with Him in silent prayer, and to let ourselves by illumined by His presence, to bear in our heart, through the darkest nights, a reflection of His glory. (Source: Pope Francis   https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-jesus-transfiguration-on-mount-tabor/ )

 

Reflection 10 – The Transfiguration for your life today