SUNDAY OF TRANSFIGURATION

2nd Sunday of the Lent – A: (Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Matt 17:1-9)

Theme: We will embrace the word of Transformation and we will be transfigured.

Reflection:
1st Reading:
- God calls Abram to leave everything of what he owns (all his people and belongings and even his own country).
- Abram responds to the call with faith and trust in the providence of God.
- The result is in the benediction/blessing: God makes him great among all the nations.
- Leaving aside what we are and what we have and embracing the word of God (His Will) is the Lenten practice we are called to do today.

Gospel:
- Last week we have seen that the Christina journey should be from Garden (of Eden) to the Desert (place of temptation of Jesus). And thus we make our journey from the material abundance of life to its renunciation (of avarice of goods –hunger- through the practice of fasting; of the craving for the name and fame – prestige – through the practice of prayer; of the desire for the leadership and prominence – power – through the practice of charity.
- Today we make journey from the Mount Tabor (the place of transfiguration) to the Mount Calvary (the place of dis-figuration). And thus we make journey from the glorious moments of our life to the acceptance of unwanted difficulties and unexpected sufferings.
- Going to the lonely place/ leaving the present place and going to another/ keeping oneself aside/ taking the self aside is a blessing and is a time/opportunity for the transformation and transfiguration.
o Abram has kept himself away from his own in accordance with the God’s call and he received a blessing and he is transformed from Abram to Abraham and he is transfigured from the single person to the generations together.
o Jesus also keeps himself away from the usual and ordinary daily living and preoccupations and he has taken also his disciples aside to the lonely place of Mount Tabor and he is transfigured and even his disciples have receive the glimpse of the eternal glory.
- This transfiguration of Jesus ends with the predication of Jesus about his resurrection which will come after his suffering and death on the cross. Therefore the vision of transfiguration is ultimately revealed and the glory will be shown out only after the endurance of the present life with all its daily pains.
- Exactly in the middle of the vision of transfiguration stands the experience and duty of the one who desires for the life of transformation.
o On the one hand, the experience of the heavenly glory with which we will be crowned as the followers of Christ and in which we would happy to say repeating the words of Peter: “Lord, it is nice be hear. Command us that we will build three tents, one for Moses, one for Elia and one for you.
o On the other hand, the responsibility/ mission of the one who receives this glory: not to be staying there but to get down of the mountain of glory and living the daily life and bearing the sufferings with the joy of hope.
o For both of these there is the assurance of God’s voice/God’s presence (in the OT God’s presence is often revealed in the voice from the clouds or voice from the prophets).
o God’s voice/word is Jesus Christ, with which all the creation is made to be in the perfect beauty and which is disfigured because of creature’s sin, now, who, with whom all things will be transfigured again to the perfect original glory.
o LISTENING to Him is the ONLY MISSION we have as his disciples in between the vision of glory for which we are aspiring and the reality of life with which we are to lead our life.
- We will try to transform this into the reality of the Church, the local community and every single person:
o The presence of the Church: The church has kept itself aside to receive the vision of glory and is transformed with the eternal splendor, Jesus and the Spirit are always in the conversation with her. We, as the members, say that it is nice to be here. The voice of God come out telling: “This is my beloved church and in her I have kept my pleasure. Listen to her.” Getting up from the vision we have to come down/come out from the Church to lead our daily life with much courage and endurance.
o The presence of the local Community: Same as above. Priest and council of elders always in conversation with her. God tells to listen to the community.
o The presence of every individual: everyone is a voice of God we have to listen to him because each one can bring us the transformation of life.

Conclusion: In our journey towards the paschal mystery in which we will experience the fullness of transfiguration we have to fulfill faithfully the mission of our daily life amidst all the dark clouds of unexpected happenings. This is the journey from the Lent to the Easter.