2nd Sunday of Lent (Cycle B, Year I)
Community Word: Jesus Christ is the reflection of God’s love in us and for us.
Theme: We are a reflection of God’s love when we listen to His voice.
Promise: “I will bless you abundantly… and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing – all this because you obeyed my command.” (Gn 22:17)
Reflection:
“… And He was transfigured before them,” (Mk 9:2).
This gospel reading narrates how awed the disciples were when they saw Jesus transfigured in their sight, and Moses and Elijah speaking with Him. Then, from above, they heard a voice: “This is my Beloved: Listen to Him.”
For Jesus, his transfiguration was a reassurance from the Father. It gave him the strength and the courage to face the terrible fate awaiting Him on the cross, and the sufferings he has endure before the crucifixion. After all, being fully human, he was subject to the pain and sufferings humanity is heir to, and he would have to undergo his suffering and death on the cross as a mere human being. His transfiguration, therefore, was a moment of encouragement, a much-needed affirmation from the Father.
For the three apostles witnessing this glorious event, it was a moment of grace. We can assume that the Transfiguration took place for their sake. The awesome event would serve to reinforce their faith and give them a glimpse and foretaste of the glory that belonged to Jesus before He took on our human form, the same glory that He now enjoys at the right hand of the Father. The moment was meant to strengthen them for the coming ordeal in Jerusalem. It is as if Jesus were telling them (and to us today): “do as I do”, for He frequently sought His Father in prayer, and His transfiguration occurred while he was at prayer. And in that moment of prayer, He was made to see, to understand and to realize the glory that was yet to come
To us, centuries later, it reveals the glory that awaits each of us at the end of our journey – if we remain faithful to the Lord and constant in trusting His love. The Transfiguration affirms our word for this month: Jesus Christ is the reflection of God’s love in us and for us. Our all-knowing Father loves us so much He gave His only Beloved Son for our salvation.
The story of the Transfiguration may be viewed as an assurance for people with problems; when life gets tough and the burdens become heavy, God is always there waiting to help. When troubled by doubts or problems, speak to God, lifting your struggles up to Him and placing them in His hands. And listen – listen with your heart and what may well be the voice of God calming and strengthening your spirit. We must listen to Jesus, taking His words and His examples to heart, that we may gain the wisdom to value God’s will as we journey through life. May we have that compelling desire to be what the theme for this week tells us: We are a reflection of God’s love when we listen to His voice. This Lenten season, we are invited to enter into a transfiguration encounter with Jesus and, just like the apostles, look into His holy face, that we may truly understand the meaning of His Transfiguration in our lives.
The Transfiguration story may be seen as an assurance that when we come to God with our burdens, He will help us see it in a different light, from a different perspective. However, it is important to come to God with an open mind and open heart; be prepared for the surprises He may have for you. Remember that our God is faithful and He does not change. So whatever was true of the prophets and apostles and of the early Christians who lived centuries ago, should be true for us today.
The Transfiguration, wrote Pope John Paul II, “is not only the revelation of Christ’s glory but also a preparation for facing Christ’s cross.” It involves both “going up the mountain” and “coming down the mountain”. Our life is a series of ups and downs. Usually we are “up”, but not always. We sometimes face difficulties or problems. Good news and bad news. Now and then we may fail and fall in some way. Misunderstandings happen. We are often conflicted in mind and heart. We want to pray, but we’re too busy. We want to be humble, but we find subtle ways to boast. We want to love, but we set conditions. Bear in mind that God is always with us, that tomorrow will be better in His hands, and because everything is under His control, situations are bound to get better and we can look forward to overcoming our difficulties.
When we, as believers go to be with the Lord, He will reveal great things to us. Jesus sometimes did speak figuratively, so perhaps we can sympathize with the disciples’ failure to grasp the meaning of the Lord’s words, and; “They kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant” (Mk 9:10). However, if we want to understand the word of God and embrace His principles, we must surrender our hearts to Him and ask Him to reveal His truth to us through His Holy Spirit. We may receive instant insight, or the Lord may choose to teach us His vital lessons over time. We will be able to see the difference between what we need and what we want, between what we have to do and what we want to do, be able to push past the confusions in our lives so that we can find the clear path that will bring us closer to the Lord. We come face to face with our reluctance to change and we find the grace to step into God’s Transfiguration.
Make a thought-provoking reflection on the meaning of His person in our life. In these days of Lent, let us recall and relive the path of suffering He chose that He might reconcile us to God, to others and to our ownselves. Lenten observances can make hatred turn into affection, bad feelings into peace, anger deflected by meekness, and wrongs forgiven by gentleness. These are ways in which, like Jesus, we can be reflections of God’s love in us and for us.
As He infused courage into the hearts of His apostles, Jesus continues to lead us to a hope-filled future. We are invited to ascend the mountain of Transfiguration and look into the face of our Lord Jesus Christ. May His face shine upon us and those we love. May His face shine in the world. Let us hold on to this week’s promise: “I will bless you abundantly… and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing, all this because you obeyed my commandments.” (Gen 22:17).
Prayer:
Glorious Lord, thank you for the transfiguration encounter that you favor us with during this Lenten season when we see Jesus in His truth as our Saviour. In this transfiguration moment, may we experience glory that is not of this earth but of you as we cry out from the depths of our hearts, “it is wonderful for us to be here”. The prayers are for ourselves and for those who are suffering in silence and in loneliness, that a moment of transfiguration may come upon our lives, to know God more nearly and see Him more clearly at work in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Reflection questions:
1. How have I been “transfigured” that others see the image and likeness of Jesus Christ in me?
2. What areas in my life need to be “awakened” to show the dazzling and radiant light of Christ?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
March 1, 2015 (Sun) Gn22:1-25,9,10-13,15-18/Ps116:10,15,16-17,18-19/Rom :31-34/Mk 9:2-10
March 2, 2015 (Mon) Dn 9:4-10/Ps 79:8,9,11,13/ Lk 6:36-38
March 3, 2015 (Tue) Is 1:10,16-20/Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23/Mt 23:1-12
March 4, 2015 (Wed) Jer 18:18-20/Ps 31:5-6,14,15-16/Mt 20:17-28
March 5, 2015 (Thur) Jer 17:5-10/Ps 1:1-2,3,4,6/Lk 16:19-31
March 6, 2015 (Fri) Gn 37:3-4,12-13,17-28/Ps 105:1-17,18-19,20-21/Mt 21:33-43,45-46
March 7, 2015 (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!”
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