2nd Sunday of Lent (Cycle A, Year II)
Community Word: Trusting God is living in His righteousness.
Theme: We live in God’s righteousness when we bear our share of hardship for the Gospel.
Promise: “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.” (Gn 12:2)
Reflection: Transfiguration: Acceptance of God’s Will
Much of what has been written about the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mt. Hermon spoke of the appearance of Elijah and Moses and how our Lord Jesus was transfigured in the company of two of the greatest leaders the Jews have ever known. But there is more to this Gospel scenario than just the meeting between Our Lord, Elijah and Moses. And to be able to understand this event more deeply than it suggests, it is important that we try “to know” and get into the very character of Jesus.
There is also something peculiar and common to all of the three major characters in this event, and that is the mountain. We see in Scriptures that Jesus always goes up to a mountain or some place higher especially at night when he stops to pray. The same holds true for Moses who was given the 10 Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai, and Elijah, who encountered God on Mt. Horeb. There is no clear explanation for their choice of mountain, and the only plausible explanation could be that mountains bring them closer to haven where God is supposed to be. It could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer.
The significance of this event is what is at the heart and mind of Jesus – the exact time and day of his impending sacrifice and death on the cross. But this has not yet been revealed to his apostles. We should remember that the Transfiguration happened after Jesus gave his apostles in the previous chapter a hint as to what is to happen when he enters Jerusalem. Jesus knew what lies ahead for him, and he simply went up to Mt. Hermon to pray and ask God what is God’s will for him and whether he should now begin the salvific journey of finally binding the powers of Satan and the world with his death on the cross.
And the appearance of Elijah and Moses is not a coincidence, but God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed is the Son of God. The presence of Elijah and Moses affirmed this truth because the Jews in the olden times believed that Elijah is a prophet and will herald the coming of the Messiah while, Moses who is known as the greatest lawmaker who gave the people the Pentateuch will accompany the Messiah when he comes. This is what the Jews believed and the gathering of Jesus, Elijah and Moses was planned by God.
Beyond the dazzling light emanating from Jesus whose face shone like the sun, nothing was written about what transpired at the Transfiguration of Our Lord. In Luke’s Gospel (9:31), it is written that Moses and Elijah talked to Jesus but while there was no account as to what they discussed, it is possible that Moses and Elijah both assured Jesus that his decision to go to Jerusalem to suffer death on the cross is right and is in accord with the will of God. In everything he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his choice, and this decision to go to Jerusalem is no different. Jesus is actually placing his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and what Jesus is actually telling his disciples is to also put their trust in God.
What this Transfiguration of the Lord actually represents is not just his transfiguration into a different person because he was not transfigured physically by this experience, but we see it more as the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ, from Teacher or Rabbi to sacrificial lamb who will be offered as expiation for our sins. When God spoke in verse 5, Jesus immediately sensed that indeed, it is the will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind.
In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting every believer to step out of their comfort zone and step into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown in that while he knew that his intention was to pray and ask God if his going to Jerusalem is right, he didn’t know what to expect. Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are courageous enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will have the right spirit and strength to enable us to also carry our crosses. Like Jesus who gathered the strength he will need for the test he is about to face in Jerusalem, our Lord also wants us to be transfigured so that we can see and accept that we do not belong to this generation.
This also means that we are to be transfigured into disciples thoroughly committed to serving God by serving one another in the Church or in Community. To be transfigured into an image of Christ will transform us into becoming ‘a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace’ as stated in our community Vision. This is the only way that we can keep the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community on F.I.R.E. (fruitful, inspired, renewed and empowered).
Reflection Guides:
1. How well do I understand God’s will for my life? At this point of my faith journey,
have I discerned the will of God for me?
2. How open am I to the Will of God in my life? Are there any stumbling blocks that prevent me from committing
my life to the Lord? If there are, how do I plan to overcome these?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
March 16, 2014 (Sun) Gn 12:1-4/Ps 33:4-5,18-19,20,22/2Tm 1:8-10/Mt 17:1-9
March 17, 2014 (Mon) Dn 9:4-10/Ps 79:8-9,11,13/Lk 6:36-38
March 18, 2014 (Tues) Is 1:10,16-20/Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23/Mt 23:1-12
March 19, 2014 (Wed) 2Sm 7:4-5,12-14,16/Ps 89:2-3,4-5,27,18-21, 24
March 20, 2014 (Thur) Jer 17:5-10/Ps 1:1-2,2,4,6/Lk 16:19-31
March 21, 2014 (Fri) Gn 37:3-4,12-13,17-28/Ps 105:16-17,18-19,20-21/Mt 21:33-43,45-46
March 22, 2014 (Sat) Mi 7:14-15,18-20/Ps 103:1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12/Lk 15:1-3,11-32
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
