Second Sunday of Lent A: March 5, 2023

A few years ago, I read a reflection by a young Franciscan where he reflected on 3 times in his life when he could say: “I've made it – and I don't want to leave this place.”

The first was in his junior year in high school when he had gotten his driver's license and had a regular pay check, was a starter on the varsity baseball team, and had his first serious girlfriend, and a faith that meant something to him personally. He had “made it” at 17.

The second was in his sophomore year in college when he began to have confidence in himself. He'd gotten through a rough freshman year when he'd lost two of his first loves – baseball and his girlfriend. He developed a world of new ideas, found serious friends who like him for who he was, enjoyed the environment, and aside form moderate amount of work, was carefree and enjoying life. It was easy to think: “I've made it,” at 20.

The third time was when he was a newly professed Franciscan, and began to see himself as a public minister, had been encouraged to focus on his weaknesses and go places that felt less comfortable; he'd found himself in a place familiar to who he was, doing things that played on his strengths, and with a brother who inspired him to be a better man. And, I was appreciated for it. It was very easy to think, at 26, that he'd made it.

On reflection, this young Franciscan could see that in fact he had not made it. Each of these experiences were 'mountain moments,' and not to be discounted. But these moments pointed to realizing that they made up a series of mountain moments which would continue throughout his life. Other mountains would come, perhaps even higher, and that he could no remain where he was comfortable. He had to move ahead or he would never experience amazing things which lay ahead.

It is a moment like this that the gospel allows us to see in the lives of Jesus and his trusted disciples, Peter, James, and John. Jesus let them experience what was probably the most amazing sight any human being had experienced up to that point in the history of the world: They saw perfect humanity and sublime divinity joined together as bright as the sun. They probably thought they had 'made it.' They saw God made flesh and wanted to stay in that moment forever.

But they could not, could they. Jesus still had other mountains to climb. Beyond Mount Tabor , was the Mount of Olives, and the Mount of Calvary. To stay on this mountain would mean that they would forgo Jesus entry to Jerusalem, his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, and the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus manifested his divinity to Peter, James, and John to show them what was to come: Resurrection and the end of death. Not only that Jesus would go beyond the other mountains in his earthly journey, but that what he had, was possible for each of them. They didn't quite get the message at that point, but it would come to them with Resurrection and Pentecost.

The message for us in this second week of Lent and the story of the Transfiguration, is that our journey with Jesus is a long journey. We are called to be tested in the desert by the devil as well as climb the mountains of Tabor, Olives, and Calvary. It is not for us to be satisfied and stop before the journey is complete. We often doubt our ability to go on, but just as with the disciples, we struggle to the finish. After Calvary comes the Ascension and sending of the Spirit.

We can't just stay on the mountain, but go where Jesus leads us. The point is that He does lead us and is with us all along the way. Each step along the way can lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus if we allow it. But we must take each step with him. Perhaps this is why St. Benedict says that our year should be a continual Lent. We are constantly preparing and living for Christ to fill us with the Holy Spirit and take us to the Father. That is our final mountain and transfiguration.