INTRODUCTION
The common theme of today’s readings is challenge for metamorphosis or transformation, especially during this Lent season. How? We have to transform our dull and sleepy spiritual life into dynamic Christian life during Lent. How? By cooperating with the grace of God or the strengthening of the Holy Spirit by prayer, fasting and sharing our blessings. Result expected? A renewal of our spiritual life during Lent by our Spirit-filled lives radiating Christ’s love and mercy around us.
FIRST READING: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son has been understood as an Old Testament type or prefiguring of God’s willingness to offer Jesus as a sacrifice for human sin. The command to Abraham to sacrifice his only child was also a real test of Abraham’s great Faith and total trust in God. Although Yahweh’s command was most painful, Abraham trusted that God was both faithful enough and powerful enough to keep His promise. The obedience of Abraham not only spared Isaac but it equally opened for him a new horizon of God’s friendship and blessing. He was proclaimed father of all nations whose descendants will be like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
In the Divine sparing of Isaac, Israel was to learn that theirs was a God who was not appeased by human sacrifice but by the sacrifice of a contrite spirit and a humbled heart (Psalm 51:19). The story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac had both immediate and future significance. It is immediate because God needed that faith to confirm His plan to establish a lineage of the Chosen people. Its future significance lies on the fact that it prefigures what would take place between God and His only Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son is a prototype of God who willingly offered His Son. But as we can see, the difference is that after all Isaac was spared while Jesus was offered. Another difference is that by sparing Isaac the “Old people of God” was born. On the contrary, the death of Christ was necessary for the birth of the “New people of God”. The Apostle sings this divine “belongingness” as a praise when he wrote: “…But you are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a people to be a personal possession to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pt. 2:9).
SECOND READING: Romans 8:31b-34
This passage shares with the first reading the image of a father’s willingness to give up his son and the son’s readiness to accept the father’s will wholeheartedly. Paul assures us that it is by the perfect obedience to the will of his Father, expressed in his suffering and death, that Jesus was glorified and made our Heavenly intercessor. Paul also affirms that He who gave His Son for us will give us all things with His Son. We have every reason to have confidence in God because it is Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father who intercedes for us, and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ for us. Paul’s argument runs like this: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Paul reminds us that God’s love has no limits, as He offered His Son to die for us. Paul argues that the greatest proof that God is for us is the fact of the Incarnation and crucifixion of His Son Jesus for us sinners. It necessarily follows that God will give us the assistance that we need to get to Heaven. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
GOSPEL: Mark 9: 2-10
Jesus climbs up a high mountain with three of His disciples, and was transfigured before them. His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. The evangelist Mark was very precise and certain with his choice of words. First, he emphasized the mountain as high (in such a context whereby the mountain was considered a place of the manifestation and the shekinah of the glory of God, the “high” was meant to emphasize the veracity of the event). Secondly, he clearly mentioned the name of the three disciples (Peter, James and John. Such a precise way of writing offers authenticity to his account and suggests that the witnesses were not some kind of faceless, nameless and unidentified individuals but that God is a personal God who communicates himself to concrete existential persons). Finally, his attentive way of qualifying the appearance of Jesus is a further emphasis on the extraordinary and supernatural nature of the event.
The presence of Moses and Elijah was a silent but active presence of witnessing. Moses and Elijah had both lived the experience of Yahweh’s glory. Moses had met the Lord in the burning bush at Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1-4). After his encounter with God, Moses’ face shone so brightly that the people were frightened, and Moses had to wear a veil over his face (Exodus 34:29-35). At Mt. Horeb, Elijah covered his face with his cloak and stood in the entrance of the cave as the Lord came and spoke directly to him (1 Kings 19:9-18).
Both representatives of the Law and the Prophets – Moses and Elijah – foreshadowed Jesus, who is the culmination of the Law. The Jews believed that the Lord had buried Moses in an unknown place after his death (Dt 34: 5-6), and that Elijah had been carried to heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11).
In a more specific way, the transfiguration event helps to contemplate the mission of the New Moses, Jesus as a perfection of the old Moses. Thus the transfiguration:
Closely parallels the story of Moses at Sinai (Exodus 24, 34).
• Three men accompanied Moses (Exodus 24:9; Mark 9:2).
• A cloud covered the mountain for six days, and God spoke from the cloud (Exodus 24:16; Mark 9:2, 7).
• Moses saw, at least in part, God’s glory (Exodus 33:17-23; Mark 9:3).
• The skin of Moses’ face shone dazzling bright (Exodus 34:30; Mark 9:3)
• The people of Israel were afraid (Exodus 34:30).
• On coming down from the mountain, Moses encountered faithless “disciples” (Exodus 32:7-8; Mark 9:14-29).
While Moses was chosen as an instrument for the liberation of the Old Israel, the circumstances that surrounded his birth and his mission prefigured the advent of the New Moses, Jesus. Both Moses and Jesus were born in the atmosphere of persecution of the little ones, and both were saved from death. Moses later went back to Egypt to set the Israelites free. Jesus went into Egypt with Mary and Jesus to bring salvation to the inhabitants. And like Moses led the people across the sea and through the desert though without entering the promised land, by His death and resurrection Jesus led the world from death to life and from sin to eternal life.
The similarity of the Mosaic experience with that of Christ shows the harmony that characterizes the history of salvation, and how Jesus is the summum puntum of this revelation.
The Father’s involvement in the event:
The book of Exodus describes how God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai from the cloud. God often made appearances in a cloud (Ex 24:15-17; 13:21 -22; 34:5; 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-11). Hence, alongside with the mountain, the cloud phenomenon was also perceived as the manifestation God’s presence. Emblematic is such manifestation in the Temple of Jerusalem: “When the priests left the Holy place, the Cloud filled the entire Temple, so that the priests could no longer minister because of the Cloud, since the Lord’ Glory had filled the Temple of the Lord” (1 Kgs 8:10-11).
Today the same cloud of God’s glory revealed the Son and the Father’s voice was heard from the cloud, “This is My Beloved Son; listen to him,” similar to same proclamation at Jesus’ baptism: “You are My beloved Son;with you I am well pleased” Mk 1:11). At the moment of Jesus’ death, a Roman centurion would declare, “Truly, this man was the Son of God” (15:39). These words summarize the meaning of the Transfiguration, that on this mountain, God revealed Jesus as His beloved Son.
The whole episode of transfiguration is a step further to God’s revelation of the hidden mystery from of old.
LIFE MESSAGES:
1) The transubstantiation in the Holy Mass is the source of our strength:
In each Holy Mass, the bread and wine we offer on the altar are changed into the crucified and risen, living body and blood of Jesus. Just as Jesus’ Transfiguration strengthened the apostles in their time of trial, each holy Mass should be our source of heavenly strength against temptations, and our renewal during Lent. In addition, our holy Communion with the living Jesus should be the source of our daily “transfiguration,” transforming our minds and hearts so that we may do more good by humble and selfless service to others.
2) Each time we receive one of the Sacraments, we are transformed:
For example, Baptism transforms us into sons and daughters of God and heirs of Heaven. Confirmation makes us temples of the Holy Spirit and warriors of God. By the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings back the sinner to the path of holiness.
3) A message of encouragement and hope:
In moments of doubt and during our dark moments of despair and hopelessness, the thought of our transformation in Heaven will help us to reach out to God and to listen to His consoling words: “This is my beloved son.” Let us offer our Lenten sacrifices to our Lord so that, through these practices of Lent and through the acceptance of our daily crosses, we may grow closer to him in his suffering, may share in the carrying of his cross and may finally share the glory of his final “transfiguration,” his Resurrection.
4) We need “mountain-top experiences” in our lives:
We share the “mountain-top experience” of Peter, James and John when we spend extra time in prayer during Lent. Fasting for one day will help the body to store up spiritual energy. This spiritual energy can help us have thoughts that are far higher and nobler than our usual mundane thinking. The hunger we experience puts us more closely in touch with God and makes us more willing to help the hungry. The crosses of our daily lives also can lead us to the glory of transfiguration and resurrection. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
5) The mountain is not meant for everybody:
In the context of the First Reading, Abraham departed for Moriah with Isaac and his servants, but only himself and Isaac arrived Moriah as the scripture says: “Then Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there; we shall worship and then come back to you” (Gen. 22:5). Jesus in the Gospel chose only Peter, James and John for the mountain of transfiguration.
Although the leaving behind of the servants in the first reading and the rest of the apostles in the gospel had nothing to do with their unworthiness, yet the scenes help us to understand that afterall many will begin the journey of faith but not all will reach the glory. Many will be left at the foot of the mountain. Like Isaac, Peter, James and John we are called to climb the mountain of God’s glory. This journey can only be accomplished by those who are ready to live the experience of Christ’s transfiguration and allow themselves to be transfigured. It is this transfiguration that will empower them so that when they finally descend from the mountain of encounter they will be persons who operate positive changes in the life of their brothers and sisters.
The words of the Psalmist give us criterion for climbing the mountain: “Who shall go up to the mountain of Yahweh? Who shall take a stand in his holy place? The clean of hands and pure of heart, whose heart is not set on vanities, who does not swear an oath in order to deceive” (Psalms 24:3-4).
What keeps us at the foot of the mountain?Let us look into our lives to see if we still have the glory of God in us. Such a retrospective step in this Lent will not only inspire us for change, but it is equally necessary as it is meant to help us cling to the voice of Jesus who continually calls us to holiness meant to qualify us to grace the mountain of the shekinah glory of the perpetual presence of God in the Eternal City of heaven at the end of our lives.
PRAYER
God our Father whose desire is that we be transformed and come to the joy of your salvation; help us today and always to desire your glory and aspire to live in your presence in the everyday of our short life here on earth and therefore come to the eternal glory with you at the end of the ages, who Live and Reign with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
