“WHILE HE WAS PRAYING HIS FACE CHANGED IN APPEARANCE
AND HIS CLOTHING BECAME DAZZLING WHITE”
LUKE 9:29

DEAR FRIENDS:

EACH YEAR, THE GOSPEL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS IS PROCLAIMED ON THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT. TODAY’S STORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, CHAPTER NINE, IS WEIGHTED WITH THEOLOGICAL MEANING. THOSE WHO APPEARED WITH JESUS, MOSES AND ELIJAH, REPRESENT THE WHOLE OF ISRAEL’S LAW AND PROPHETIC TRADITION. THE MOUNTAIN IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR IT IS REMINISCENT OF SINAI, WHERE THE FIRST COVENANT (THE TEN COMMANDMENTS) WAS ESTABLISHED.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE LEARN FROM FATHER ABRAHAM WHO SETS OUT, NOT KNOWING WHERE HIS FAITH WOULD LEAD HIM. WE OUGHT TO BE MOVED BY OLD, LOVABLE ABRAHAM’S FAITH WHICH CARRIED HIM THROUGH DAYS AND NIGHTS OF TEMPTATION GUIDED OFTEN BY THE DIM, FLICKERING LIGHT OF FAITH, AND SOMETIMES BY STUNNINGLY BRILLIANT INSIGHT. IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS SHOWS US WHERE FAITH LEADS. FAITH LEADS TO TRANSFIGURATION, TO TRANSFORMATION INTO THE NEW LIFE OF CHRIST, A LIFE THAT IS BRILLIANT AND THAT BEGINS HERE.

LIKE ST. PETER, WE MIGHT WISH TO CHERISH THE SPLENDID VISION OF GLORY ATOP A MOUNTAIN AWAY FROM THE MADDENING CROWDS AND APART FROM LIFE’S HUSTLE AND BUSTLE. BUT, THE BRIGHT VISION OF FAITH MUST BE LIVED IN THE CONTEXT OF EVERYDAY LIFE. THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS NOT AFRAID TO ACCEPT THE HARDSHIPS THAT THE GOSPEL ENTAILS FOR IT IS BY LIVING THE FAITH IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF NORMAL DAY-TO-DAY EXISTENCE THAT SALVATION IS BROUGHT INTO “CLEAR LIGHT.”

THE THREE APOSTLES-PETER, JAMES AND JOHN, WERE MORE THAN CONTENT TO REST IN THE GLORY OF CHRIST’S TRANSFIGURATION ATOP MOUNT TABOR WHERE THEY FELT SHELTERED FROM THE DAILY PROBLEMS OF LIFE. BUT THAT WAS NOT TO BE. THE GLORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION WAS MEANT TO INSPIRE THE APOSTLES, NOT TO WITHDRAW THEM FROM ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORLD. THEY HAD TO COME DOWN TO EARTH, SO TO SPEAK, AND FORTIFIED BY THE VISION OF CHRIST’S GLORY ON MOUNT TABOR, FACE THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE WITH RENEWED VIGOR.

THE REALITY OF THE RISEN LORD, REVEALED IN THE TRANSFIGURATION, IS TO BE RECEIVED AND REMEMBERED BUT, ABOVE ALL, IT IS TO BE LIVED. AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST WE SHOULD PAUSE DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF LENT TO SEE WHAT TIGHTLY CRAMPED CORNERS OF THE HEART NEED TO BE TRANSFIGURED WITH THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

YOURS SINCERELY IN CHRIST,

FR. HUGH DUFFY, PASTOR