Second Sunday of Lent

March 16, 2025

Luke 9: 28b-36

Like last week’s gospel reading, this weeks reading is another of those significant events in Jesus life. This time Jesus experiences a transfiguration on the mount. It is the time when the Father makes his presence and support know to Jesus, and this time to some of his apostles, Peter, James, and John. Like at the baptism, the Father speaks, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him.” So the Father has gone beyond stating that he is well pleased with his Son, but now tells others that Jesus must be listened to.

This is of course the same special group of disciples that Jesus takes into his confidence on several occasions. But this occasion is so similar to the one when Jesus takes them apart in the Garden of Gethsemane. Special to Luke’s account is the content of what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah talk about: “of [Jesus’] exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” It is interesting that Jesus speaks of how he will accomplish his goal to Moses who inspired the first Exodus in Egypt, and Elijah the prophet who speaks out no matter what the cost. Now, Jesus is set on his road to the cross, the shame of some and the glory of many who believe. It is through this passion and death on a cross that Jesus is to be glorified.

Therefore, what does this transfiguration mean for us? St. Paul in the second reading to the Philippians makes the connection. St. Paul writes: “(Jesus) will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.” That is our connection to the Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mountain, and this through his cross and resurrection. In the end, after we die or make our Exodus to heaven, we will share in his glorified, transfigured body. But, of course, not so fast; in order for us to take part in this glorification then, we begin here and now to make ourselves open to such a transformation. That transformation begins now, not at the hour of our death. Perhaps the significant point of Jesus’ transfiguration is that these privileged disciples were allowed to see Jesus as he really which is what John, in his First Epistle, proclaims that when we see Jesus in heaven, “we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

Luke is the only gospel writer who says, “Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake....” This transfiguration must have place at night or in the early evening like in the garden on the night before Jesus dies. But unlike that night, Peter, James, and John finally become fully awake. We might ask ourselves, how much do we miss because we are not fully awake? How often is the Lord with us or speaking to us and we let the moment pass by because we are not fully awake?

When can this happen? Well, there is prejudice when we are so tied to our own ideas that our minds are shut; a new idea knocks at our door, but we are not fully awake and let it pass us by. What about mental laziness when we do not want to put out the effort to have serious thoughts or examine our lives? We are just too lazy to face our questions or doubts. Then there is love of ease. We automatically shut the door to any disturbing thought or make the effort act on an inspiration. We can drug our mind and soul so that we are mentally and spiritually sound asleep.

However, we can wake up like Peter, James, and John. We can wake up to our love of God and of the people who need witness to the Lord. We can become on fire to be Jesus to people who need him, no matter how much we don’t like them. We can wake up because we are needed as the Lord’s mouth, hands, and feet. We can wake up because of sorrow in the way Jesus experienced in the garden of Gethsemane. Sorrow can teach us what is important in life; it can give us depth of feeling and compassion. Yes, we can become fully awake to what is important and meaningful in the life we experience everyday. In doing that, we are opening ourselves for the larger transfiguration when we meet God face to face and see him as he really is. Will we look like him?

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta shows us a way to transfiguration and glory here and now:

“Into each of our lives Jesus comes as the bread of life --to be eaten,

to be consumed by us. This is how he loves us. Then Jesus comes

in our human life as the hungry one, the other; hoping to be fed with

the bread of our life, our hearts loving, and our hands serving.

In loving and serving, we prove that we have been created in the likeness of God, for God is love and when we love, we are like God.

This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Be perfect as your Father

in heaven is perfect.”

If we live this out in our lives here and now, we can begin the process of being transfigured which will be completed in our new life with God in heaven. With his transfiguration, Jesus saw how to carry out his plan through the cross with the support of Moses and Elijah, and the blessing of his Father who called Jesus his chosen Son, whom people should listen to.

Fr. John Tran