"And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." - Matthew 17:2
NEVER ALONE
Biographies
of record-breaking athletes, hall of fame musicians and all great icons
contain reminiscences about a person who said to them: “You’ve done a
great job today!” “You have what it takes to be a champion.” “You have
remarkable talent.”
A dear friend who lost his only son to a fatal disease was asked which words of encouragement helped him most and which helped
him least. He replied that the words which helped him least were blithe
statements like, “I know you. You’re strong. You can get past this
trial.” The words which helped him the most were from friends who said,
“I understand how you feel, but then again, I honestly don’t know if I
really do. But I’ll be right here with you.”
Today, let it flow from your heart through your mouth. Speak forth
words of encouragement to an office-mate, to a friend, and to your
family. Even better, speak forth presence by saying to a loved one, “I’m
here for you.”
Jesus stays long after the bright lights, glorious smoke, shining
faces, and other transfiguration characters and props have disappeared.
Then the work of the transfiguration of our life begins. Jon EscotoSecond Sunday of Lent
1ST READING
Abram
is not given much to go on here. God makes three promises to him, all
of which must have seemed impossible at the time. However, Abram is
undaunted. He obeys the Lord’s commands and sets out from his homeland
in modern-day Northern Iraq and follows where God leads him. How willing
would you be to follow God’s call, given the circumstances that Abram
had?
Genesis 12:1-4
1 The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” 4 Abram went as the Lord directed him.
P S A L M
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
4 Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. (R) 18 See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield. 22 May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (R)
2ND READING
Timothy
must have been having a difficult time leading the Church in Ephesus.
Thus, Paul encourages him to stand firm and believe in his calling. It
does not matter that he is young; it does not matter that he is not the
wisest and smartest person in the community. What matters is that God
has called him to do this and will give him the grace to make it
possible.
2 Timothy 1:8-10
8 Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. 9 He
saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but
according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus
before time began, 10 but
now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel.
GOSPEL
The
Transfiguration of Jesus is meant to inspire and assure the disciples
that He truly is the Son of God. It would have been difficult for anyone
to believe this about Jesus. Think of it — how easy do you think it
would have been to believe that you were standing in the presence of
God’s only Son? Even with the miracles He worked, I do not believe that
this would have been easy to believe.
Matthew 17:1-9
1 Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. 4 Then
Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If
you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and
one for Elijah.” 5 While
he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8 And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. 9 As
they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not
tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the
dead.”
REFLECTION
FLY TO THE MOUNTAIN
OF YOUR TRANSFIGURATION
In the film Flight, airline
captain William “Whip” Whitaker (Denzel Washington) piloted a flight to
Atlanta after a night of sex, alcohol, drugs and very little sleep. On
the flight, Whip drank alcohol mixed with orange juice. When the plane
suddenly took a nosedive because of a mechanical failure, he arrested
its fast descent by flying it upside down and then maneuvering it back
right side up to crash-land in an open field. His brilliance saved 96 of
the 102 people on board.
Later, investigation reports unraveled Whip’s alcoholism and drug
addiction. The following scenes showed him in prison but slowly
recovering as he joined a support group. He finally admitted he had a
drug and drinking problem. In a meeting with fellow alcoholics, he said,
“This might come strange from someone in prison. But for the first time
in my life, I am free.”
Freedom is not the power to do what I like. Rather, freedom is the
power to choose what I ought to do. When I orient and align my power of
choice to that which is true, good and beautiful, then I am free. My
power of choice is transfigured into genuine freedom.
In today’s Gospel, Moses and Elijah were shown conversing with Jesus.
Moses represented the law and commandments, Elijah the prophets. In
Jesus, the commands and words of God are incarnated, and we are
transfigured.
Modern man avoids the commands and words of God because, deep within,
he sees God as a threat to his own freedom. Nothing can be farther from
the truth. In one of his writings, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us
that God is actually the guarantor of human freedom. He created us
simply to share with us His very life.
Whip may never be re-issued a pilot’s license and be able to fly again as a pilot. But he will surely soar up to the mountain of his newfound transfiguration. Fr. Joel Jason
"You created me, Lord, and gave me freedom. Help me use that freedom to follow Your will for my life."
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