Second Sunday of Lent
We can imagine the splendor of the Transfiguration in our Gospel, and in a manner similar to the Baptism of the Lord, we hear the voice of God booming down announcing Jesus the Son. It is another of the great epiphanies. But if you think about it, each reading this weekend has a sort of “Aha” moment to it. A moment of mutual commitment, of trust. In Genesis, God makes a covenant with Abram, promising him descendants numerous as the stars in the sky. The Psalmist professes his faith and hope: “I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.” Paul’s letter to the Philippians lays it out simply in “drop the mic” fashion: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s it. Boom.
THE RECAP
When you watch a TV series, they will often provide a quick synopsis of key events from the last couple of shows to set the stage for the current episode. If we do a quick review of the Gospel of Luke, earlier in chapter nine Jesus was sending the disciples out in ministry for the first time, and we had the feeding of the five thousand. Peter realizes that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus gives us the first hint of his own death and tells the disciples to take up their cross and follow him. After all that physical, spiritual, and emotional stress Jesus goes out to pray on the mountain, taking Peter, John, and James with him.
THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
Once they were settled on the mountaintop, Jesus began to pray in earnest and, as usual, his wingmen fell asleep. The disciples did not yet have the strength or insights of the Master. Peter, James, and John did not yet have the stamina or the depth to be able to focus during long periods of silent, contemplative prayer, especially after their long hike. One might see visions simply due to exhaustion! As Jesus was transfigured before them, Peter might have bumbled around it in typical Peter fashion, but he realized the significance of what they saw, and he wanted somehow to capture the sacred, to capture the moment, so he asked to build some tents. If we imagined this today, we’d all be there with our phones and selfie sticks trying to get an amazing picture of it, to capture the moment, and to share with everyone on social media. But all the disciples could do was remember it, capture it in their hearts—and tell no one at the time. They were silenced by the sacred. We too must let our busy worlds and minds and hearts enter into the silence. Start out with a few minutes daily and continue to add a minute or two more each day. Listen for the sacred in the silence, and let the voice of God fill your heart.
Today’s Readings: Gn 15:5–12, 17–18; Ps 27:1, 7–8, 8–9, 13–14; Phil 3:17 — 4:1 [3:20 — 4:1]; Lk 9:28b–36
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