We enter the Second Week of Lent with a great story in the Gospel of Matthew; the Transfiguration of Jesus. The story begins with Jesus taking Peter, James and John up to Mount Tabor where he is transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah also appeared and they began to talk. The Transfiguration gives the three apostles the peak moment of grace, experiencing Jesus Christ in his glorification. The apostles did not stay on the mountain after the Transfiguration. Instead, they came down with Jesus and made their way to Jerusalem.
A homilist makes a note between the story of Moses and Jesus both going up to the Mountain: “As interesting as the similarities are between Moses on Sinai and Jesus on Tabor, the differences are even more revealing for us on our Lenten journey. Moses goes up the mountain alone, Jesus takes companions with him who share in the experience and witness to it. The face of God is hidden from Moses, whereas on Tabor Jesus is given to us as the face of God for the world. On Sinai, Moses receives a code of law and is told to make sure the people obey it. On Tabor, Jesus receives a proclamation of God’s love and we’re told to listen to him. While Moses’ face shines, Jesus’ whole body is transfigured with light. Moses descends to enforce the law; Jesus comes down to die that we might live.”
With mercy and love, Jesus, little by little, transforms and transfigures all the rebellious and contradictory forces in us, the other self that is still alive and over which at times our will has no control. Our troubled, uninhabited, unbelieving depths are transfigured. God alone reaches the unreachable, overcoming the wrong and accomplishing the good. With this, we experience a transfiguration which can be, more or less, the beginning of the resurrection right here on earth.
Journeying through life there are times when we go astray, however there is always time to come home to God, of our own accord and with the help of others. There are times we reflect upon our abilities and there are times when we make decisions/choices to take part in parish life. There are times when we were faced with difficulties and challenges and there are times when we finally get a glimpse, like Peter, James and John, of the Transfiguration. Lent is really a good and holy season for us in terms of repentance, of coming back to God and our brothers and sisters, of conversion…
May we have a lot of life’s transfigurations, allowing us to become better and better missionaries in God’s kingdom of love, peace and justice in the corner of the world called the Ipswich Catholic Community.