My brothers and sisters, in our 1st reading, God enters into a Covenant with Abram. A covenant is a sacred oath saying that God will be faithful to Abram and Abram will be faithful and let God be God in his life. However, we know that God’s people didn’t uphold their vow to the Lord, but God had mercy and entered into other covenants over the centuries with Moses and David. Jesus Christ has entered into a final and ever-lasting covenant with us, and this and every Mass, indeed every Sacrament, is a renewal of God’s and our vows of faithfulness to each other. Although we so often don’t keep our vows to the Lord, God is merciful and invites us to repentance and renew this covenant once again. Mindful of this covenant renewed in this Mass, let us see how this covenant is played out in our lives.
Our Gospel today is Luke’s version of the Transfiguration of Jesus, in chapter 9. As we are in the season of Lent and, I think it is important and very telling for us to recall the context of chapter 9 to fully appreciate the disciples’ encounter at the Transfiguration. Just a few verses before our Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples who do the people say that he is, and they respond by saying that some think Jesus is John the Baptist, or Elijah, or one of the other prophets come back to life. But then Jesus asked his disciples, who do you say that I am? Peter courageously replied, the Messiah of God. Peter got the question right, but they could let the pride sink in that they were following the Messiah, Jesus immediately tells what his disciples what would happen to Him, and predicts for a first time the Passion- saying that the Son of Man must suffer greatly, be killed, and will raise on the third day. And if that wasn’t difficult enough to hear, Jesus tells the people the conditions of discipleship if they were to continue following Him. He instructs, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”.
So right before our Gospel today in Chapter 9 of Luke, we hear Peter confessing his faith in Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but then Jesus immediately warns that He will suffer greatly, be killed, and raise from the dead. And Jesus tells us that whoever wants to follow Him and be his disciple then they must also suffer greatly, and even give of themselves for His sake in order to save their own life.
My brothers and sisters, this is what Lent is supposed to be all about, to more intentionally grow in our discipleship. It should be about us denying ourselves and giving of ourselves in a greater way to God. It is a time of repentance, to unite our human waywardness more fully to the Cross of Christ who died for our sake. Like our 2nd reading says, although we have the human tendency to “conduct ourselves as enemies of the cross of Christ” as sometimes our “minds are filled with earthly things”. Paul reminds us that “our citizenship is in Heaven”. Lent is supposed to be about dying to ourselves, picking up our crosses, and following Him more whole-heartedly so that after Lent we can live in Him more fully. Is that what you see the purpose of Lent being? How serious are you taking this Lent- are you truly working toward that purpose and growing in your discipleship? If not, God would welcome you changing and re-focusing your efforts now, it’s never too late.
The Transfiguration are the next verses in Luke’s Gospel, which Luke says comes about 8 days later. Although Luke doesn’t tell us what Jesus did in those 8 days, I imagine the disciples had about 8 days to think about what it means to really follow Jesus and decide if they were really willing pick up their crosses, to die to self and live for Him. Today, we are about 10 days into the start of Lent, and we are asked that same question: are we willing to grow in our discipleship- no matter what it will cost us?
I can imagine the disciples were a little taken back learning the demands placed upon them, perhaps they were a little disheartened. And perhaps knowing that, God wanted to give them a spiritual boost, to kind of remind them of what the reward is if they were to give of themselves that completely. So as our Gospel says, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, the first of the disciples, and went up the mountain to pray. There in prayer, the glory of God shone on Jesus’ face and his clothes became dazzling white, and Moses and Elijah were there conversing with Jesus. What a sight that should have been. But Luke specifically says that, the disciples had been overcome by sleep. When they were supposed to be praying with Jesus, they had fallen asleep. Aren’t we so often like that too, we put other things before really spending time with Jesus in prayer. But God still had compassion on them, and when they became fully awake- Lent is a time for us to become fully awake in this intentional journey of Lent. Becoming fully awake the disciples saw the glory and transfiguration of Jesus, and Moses and Elijah conversing with him. Can you imagine what kinds of thoughts would be going in their head and hearts? I imagine Peter just barely being able to come to his senses and form the words to state the obvious- “Lord, it is good that we are here”. I wonder also though, with still having the cost of doing God’s will in the back of their mind, and now seeing Moses and Elijah in glory conversing with Jesus, if they would have thought ‘so here is what can happen, if I were too were to follow God’s will like Moses and Elijah did.
God, desiring to reveal himself to the disciples, suddenly a cloud overshadowed them, the same kind of cloud which led Moses and the Israelites. And a voice from the Father was heard- “This is my chosen Son, listen to Him”. Wow, what an encounter. If in case the disciples had any doubt if Jesus was the Son of God or if it is worth giving their life to follow Him, then they must have been convicted now! Although the journey of discipleship requires great sacrifice and many crosses, the suffering is only temporary, and it is so worth going through it in order to experience the glory of God. The Transfiguration was a great encounter and foretaste for the disciples of the glory that is in store for them if they follow Christ to the end. Have you ever had that kind of encounter, one that you know God is present and that He knows and loves you so much? I have, and each time I experience God’s presence, I am strengthened to follow Him with all that I am.
If you have not had such an encounter of God’s glory and Holy Presence yet, will you pray now and ask the Holy Spirit for such an intimate encounter of love. And maybe this Eucharist will be such an encounter or renewal of it for each of us. Like the Transfiguration was for the disciples, may we be convicted and strengthened to follow Jesus, through the Cross, all the way to the end in order to enter into the fullness of God’s glory.
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