2nd Sunday of Lent A

Since, I am ahead of the game because I have to have my homily for the coming week translated, I am posting the english version here for the spiritual uplifiting of us all as we come up to the 2nd Sunday of Lent.

2nd Sunday of Lent A
Transfiguration of our Lord
Rev. Mr. Arthur Nave Jr.

Today, we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Lent which focuses on the transfiguration of Christ The gospel gives us a glimpse of what is to come for each of us when our bodies will be raised from the dead and rejoined with our soul. The transfiguration though, is not meant for us to focus on what will happen at the end. It is meant to give us courage and reassurance of who Christ is during this season of Lent. Why did Moses and Elijah appear at this time, in this place with Jesus? The answer is in the background of Matthew’s community. His community is made up of mostly Jewish people. Thus, what is being illustrated is that Christ fulfills the Old Testament, specifically, the Law and the Prophets. The Jewish people believed with a passion that the messiah would come. The prophets proclaimed and gave the signs that would show when Christ was here and in Christ all the prophesies were fulfilled.

So, what do the disciples do? They tell the glorified Jesus that they will build tents so that Jesus, Moses and Elijah, could all stay there and all would live happily ever after. This was not the point of the transfiguration at all. The message of the transfiguration is found in the theophany from God: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” This statement from God the Father, made the disciples fall on their knees and they were scared. They were shaking in their boots. They were so scared that the disciples had to be calmed by Christ himself. So what should have the transfiguration done for the disciples? It was probably meant to shock them into a better understanding of who Jesus is. Jesus, our teacher, who is the son of God. Jesus, son of Mary, who we have traveled with over the last three years, is the lamb who is about to suffer so that we can be saved. Jesus, the one tempted by the devil, who would rise on the third day. Why did Peter, James and John need the transfiguration? Because they did not completely understand what is going on. They did not understand what will happen. The point of the transfiguration is to show them that He is the son of God. This moment for them should be a moment of coming to understand who Christ is in a deeper way.

Thus, what does the transfiguration mean for us today in the 21st century? Why is it important to our relationship with Jesus or each other? The simple answer is that we also need to be continually reminded of who Christ is and what he did for us. This is the point of the crucifix hanging in every Church. This is the whole point of Lent. To come to a deeper understanding of who we are and who Christ is and what role does He play in our lives. It is easy to come to mass for an hour a week and then go on living. This is not what we are called to do. We are called to recognize who Christ is and what he did for us. The transfiguration reminds us that Christ should be the center of our lives. The question is, when we encounter Christ today, are we like the disciples and do not want to move from that place and just stay their spiritually? The fact is that this is the temptation. When we encounter Christ in the Eucharist every Sunday, are we just supposed to stay there? When we encounter Christ in the sacrament of reconciliation, are we just supposed to stay there? When we encounter Christ working in our lives giving us hope, consolation or guidance, are we just supposed to stay there? The answer is NO. The answer is that we are called to go deeper in our relationship with Christ and take him out into the world. Each and every day, especially during lent, we are called to go deeper in our relationship with Christ. We are called to not hide or ignore who we are as Christians, but to go out and proclaim him in our deeds and in our lives. This is the point of Lent. Do we take Christ glorified out to the world or do we leave him in the tent?