Sunday March 13, 2022

Second Sunday Of Lent

A Transfiguring Light

 

Once in a while, perhaps in a rare moment when we are very much discouraged, we deeply encounter the Lord in prayer, or we meet a kind and understanding person who lights up our face with the warmth of understanding and kind love. Such moments can keep us going for a long time. Would that the Eucharist, and our encounter with the Lord here, could be such a moment that keeps us going and disposes us to light up the lives of others.

                 

First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12,17-18

Then he took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!”

And he believed! Believed God! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.”

God continued, “I’m the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own.”

Abram said, “Master God, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?”

God said, “Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.”

He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t split the birds. Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy.

When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That’s when God made a covenant with Abram: “I’m giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria.

 

Second Reading: Philippians 3:20–4:1

We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

 

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

Jesus climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.”

When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

 

Prayer

Great and holy God,
on his journey to his suffering and death
you gave to your Son Jesus
a glimpse of the glory that was awaiting him
when he would rise from the dead.
In the drabness and sufferings of our life
and in our frustrated efforts to transform this earth,
let shine on us and all our brothers and sisters
a ray of hope that lifts us up
and sustains us on the way to you
and on the often difficult road
toward your justice and love in this world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Reflection:

“Listen to Him”

Today, 13 March 2022, is the ninth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as 266th Pope. Nine years of his Papacy has been a constant accompaniment of the elderly, the poor and migrants: people who are marginalized, victims of the “disposable” mentality of the world. On this day, let us pray for the Pope and his intentions.

On the second Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect on the transfiguration of Jesus. St. Luke’s version of transfiguration specifies the reason why Jesus went up the mountain: he goes there to pray. While he is in prayer, Luke speaks of a change in the face of Jesus. His face radiates the splendour of the glory of God. Bible gives other examples of people whose face changed when they also spent time in prayer. The face of Moses became brilliant when he entered into dialogue with the Lord. It could be our own experience too. After a time of Eucharistic adoration or celebration of the Word, have we not experienced becoming joyful, serene, smiling, tolerant and generous? Our faces are relaxed and emit light.

Moses and Elijah, appear in the scene. They are symbols of the two divisions of the Old Testament – the Torah and the Books of the Prophets. Jesus, without the Old Testament, remains a mystery. On Easter day, on the road to Emmaus, we find Jesus explaining the Scriptures to the disciples: “Then starting with Moses, and going through the prophets, he explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27).

The scene of transfiguration suggests to the readers an important message: The disciples are able to experience the beatific vision when they encounter three people – Moses, Elijah and Jesus. These three represent the whole Bible. Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament, while Jesus represent New Testament. Climb the high mountain of the Bible – the Word of God to experience the Glory of God.

Luke alone records the content of the dialogue with Jesus: they spoke of his exodus, his passage from this world to the Father. The three disciples: Peter, James, and John, understand nothing of what was happening. Instead, these three disciples are found sleepy. In the garden of Olives, we will find them sleeping again. They are our true representatives – who would feel drowsy and exhausted in crucial moments of faith.

The three tents perhaps indicate the desire of Peter to stay put in the joy he experienced in a moment of being with the Master. We can relate to this experience too: We prefer to remain in our comfort zones and do not want to face problems of life that cause us fear. But the voice of the Father asks us to do only one thing: “Listen to him.”

 

Video available on Youtube: “Listen to Him”