2nd Sunday of Lent – March 1, 2015

Gen 22: 1-18; Rom 8: 31-34; Mk 9: 2-10

Dr. Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International, tells a dramatic story about a woman who glimpsed the mystery of her unborn child. The young woman was seeking an abortion. She simply could not handle having a baby at this time. But she agreed to an ultrasound. When the baby appeared on the screen, the woman was amazed to see the perfectly formed body, the tiny legs and arms moving inside her womb. But the woman kept saying, "No, no, I have to have an abortion." Dr. Hartshorn felt sad. She knew that seventy-five percent of women who see an ultrasound decide to keep their baby - but that a quarter, nevertheless, still have the abortion. It seemed like this woman would be in that twenty-five percent. All of sudden, Dr. Hartshorn's assistant said, "Reach out and take your baby's hand." Dr. Hartshorn thought, "Oh, gosh, why is she saying that?" But the woman raised her hand and touched the monitor. As if by some divine cue, the baby stretched out his arm to the exact place of his mom's hand. On the screen his tiny fingers met hers. She kept her baby. There is a mystery inside each one of us - the mystery of the image of God. Today’s gospel tells us how three of the apostles saw a glimpse, a tiny glimpse, of who Jesus was. That would transform them and sustain them through some dark moments following Jesus’ arrest.

Introduction: The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent highlight Jesus’ identity as God’s beloved Son (revealed at his baptism and transfiguration), and confront us with the mystery of his death on the cross. Hence, the main purpose of today’s readings is to give us an invitation as well as a challenge to put our faith in the loving promises of a merciful God Who sent His Son to die for us and to transform our lives by renewing them during Lent.  Our transformed lives will enable us to radiate the glory and grace of the transfigured Lord around us by our Spirit-filled lives.  The first reading shows us how God saved the life of Abraham’s son Isaac as a reward for Abraham’s trusting faith. Because of this faith, the Lord renewed his promise to Abraham for the blessings of land and progeny. While Abraham’s son Isaac was spared, God’s beloved son Jesus underwent a cruel death on the cross. The linking of this story with the Gospel reading emphasizes God's infinite love, as seen in the redemptive sacrifice of his own Son for the salvation of the world. If the mystery of the sacrifice of Abraham’s beloved son, Isaac, is hard to understand, the mystery of the death of God’s beloved Son, Jesus, is far more challenging. That is why Paul reminds us, in the second reading, that God the Father did not spare his own Son‘s life What an irony and paradox!   God spared Abraham’s son, but not his own!  Why? Because God loves us with an everlasting love. Paul interprets God’s willingness to sacrifice his own Son as proof of His great love for humankind and as God’s pledge that He will always protect and provide for us. Today’s psalm speaks of God’s distress at the death of anyone. “Too costly in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful.” In the transfiguration story in today’s gospel, Jesus is revealed as a glorious figure, superior to Moses and Elijah. He is identified by the heavenly Voice as the Son of God. Thus, the transfiguration narrative is a Christophany, that is, a manifestation or revelation of who Jesus really is. Describing Jesus’ transfiguration, the gospel shows us a glimpse of the heavenly glory awaiting those who do God’s will by putting their trusting faith in Him.

First reading, Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18: The command to Abraham to sacrifice his only child was a real test of Abraham’s great faith and total trust in God.  God had promised that Abraham would become the father of many nations.  How could this be possible if Isaac were to be sacrificed?  Although Yahweh’s command was most painful, Abraham trusted that God was both faithful enough and powerful enough to keep His promise.  The Lord responded by renewing his promise to Abraham that he would be the father of a great race.  His progeny throughout the whole world would receive the blessing of God – divine adoption through the incarnation.  Not only would his descendants be blessed, but all the nations of the earth would be blessed in him.  The story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac carries great significance.  There is a clear parallel with Jesus in this story.  Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son is a prototype of God the Father and His Son Jesus.  But the difference is that while Isaac was spared at the last moment, Jesus had to die.  Just as to sacrifice his only son did not make sense to Abraham, it made even less sense to the disciples of Jesus that God could allow their Lord and master Jesus to be executed.  It was only after Pentecost that the apostles realized that our eternal salvation was brought about by the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.

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 him.  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 is against 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.

Exegesis: The objective: The primary purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration was to allow Him to consult his heavenly Father and ascertain His plan for His Son’s suffering, death and resurrection.  The secondary aim was to make his chosen disciples aware of his divine glory so that they might discard their worldly ambitions and dreams of a conquering political Messiah and might be strengthened in their time of trial.  The Transfiguration also established Jesus’ glorious identity as the beloved Son of God, and placed his divine Sonship in the context of Jewish expectations about the kingdom and the resurrection.  The event took place in late summer, just prior to the Feast of the Tabernacles.  Hence, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Transfiguration at about the time of the year when it actually occurred, in order to connect it with the Old Testament Feast of the Tabernacles.  The Western tradition recalls the Transfiguration at the beginning of Lent, then celebrates the formal feast on August 6.

The location of the Transfiguration was probably Mount Hermon in North Galilee, near Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus had camped a week before this wondrous event.  Mt. Hermon was a desolate mountain, 9200 feet high.  The traditional oriental belief that Transfiguration took place on Mount Tabor is based on Psalm 89:12.  But Mount Tabor is a small mountain or a big hill in the south of Galilee, less than 1000 feet high, with a Roman fort built on it.  Hence, it would have been an unlikely place for solitude and prayer.  

The scene of heavenly glory:   While praying, Jesus was transfigured into a shining figure, full of heavenly glory.  This reminds us of Moses and Elijah who also experienced the Lord in all His 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). The Jews believed that Moses was taken up in a cloud at end of his earthly life (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 4. 326). Elijah traveled for forty days to Mt. Horeb on the strength of the food brought by an angel (1 Kings 19:8).  At Mt. Horeb, Elijah sought refuge in a cave as the glory of the Lord passed over him (1 Kings 19:9-18).  Finally, Elijah was taken directly to heaven in a chariot of fire without seeing death (2 Kings 2:11 -15).  These representatives of the Law and the Prophets – Moses and Elijah - foreshadowed Jesus, who is the culmination of the Law and the Prophets.  Both earlier prophets were initially rejected by the people but vindicated by God.  The Jews believed that the Lord had buried Moses in an unknown place after his death (Deut 34:  5-6), and that Elijah had been carried to heaven in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11).  Thus, the implication is that, although God spared Elijah from the normal process of death and Moses from normal burial, He did not spare His Son suffering and death. Peter, overwhelmed at the scene, says how good it is to be there.   His remark about three booths (or tents) may be a reference to the Jewish festival of Succoth, the most joyful of Jewish holy days, when booths were erected from which all kinds of presents and sweets came.   Or it may be a reference of reverence, alluding to tabernacles to house the patriarchs and the Son of God.

God the Father’s voice from the cloud: The book of Exodus describes how God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai from the cloud.  God often made appearances in a cloud (Exod 24:15-17; 13:21 -22; 34:5; 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-11).   I Kings, 8: 10  tells us how by the cover of a cloud, God revealed His presence in the Ark of the Covenant and in the Temple of Jerusalem on the day of its dedication.  The Jews generally believed that the phenomenon of the cloud would be repeated when the Messiah arrived.  God the Father, Moses and Elijah approved the plan regarding Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection.  God’s words from the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him,” are similar to the words used by God at Jesus' baptism: “You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” Mark 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 son -- His beloved -- the One in whom He is always well pleased and the One to whom we must listen.

The three transformations in our lives in our journey towards eternity: The first change begins at Baptism which washes away original sin, transforming us into  children of God and heirs of heaven. The second transformation takes place through our victory over the trials and tribulations of life.  Every challenge, every difficulty, every moment of suffering, is an opportunity for transformation and spiritual growth. The third transformation takes place at death.  Eternal life in heaven, perhaps after a period of further transformation in purgatory, is granted to those who have been found worthy.  The last transformation or transfiguration will be completed at the Second Coming when our glorified body is reunited with our soul.

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 become “transfigured” – “transformed” 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 transfiguration 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, that through these practices of Lent and through the acceptance of our daily crosses we may become closer to him in his suffering and may share in the carrying of his cross so that we 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.

Robert Louis Stevenson tells the story about a ship that was in serious trouble in a storm. A passenger on that ship, defying orders, made his way to the pilot, who seeing the fear on the passenger's face gave him a smile of assurance. Relieved, the traveler returned to his cabin and said, "I have seen the face of the pilot. He smiled and all is well." There are times in life when we need to see our pilot face-to-face. That's what happened in this mystical story that the Church calls the Transfiguration of Christ. Peter, James and John were there. Moses and Elijah showed up from the past. They have an experience that is mystical and out of this world. "Turn you eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face." What would a glimpse of Christ himself mean to you today?

(Source: Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)