Second Sunday of Lent (A) - Transfiguration
  Gen 12:1-4/Ps 33/2 Tim 1:8-10/Mt 17:1-9
  Introduction
 

         Every song has an introduction, an overtone that tells how the rest of a musical piece will flow. In the same manner the Transfiguration is also a foretaste of how the “glorious song” of Christ’s Resurrection will be.

  
  Background
 

  1. For the Jews a case must be proven by 3 witnesses (Deut 19:15), that’s why Jesus took the 3 apostles, Peter, James and John with him. And during the Transfiguration, he was seen talking with the 3 other great witnesses: Moses, who was the supreme law-giver of Israel, and Elijah, who was the first and the greatest of the prophets. Then the Voice that was heard, which testified to Christ, “This is my beloved Son whom I am well pleased…”  They were giving “a green light” to Jesus to “go on” with his mission; he was assured that he was on the right way to the cross. It is also worth noting that this Transfiguration event can be found in the 3 Synoptic Gospels, Mark (9:2-8), Luke (9:28-36) and Matthew (17:1-9). This similarities of their writings proved that this transfiguration experience did actually happen.

  2. The Transfiguration eased the fears of the apostles caused by Jesus’ statement that he was going to Jerusalem to die. It was the complete negation of all that they understood of the Messiah. His exposition of his passion did not only baffle their minds but broke their hearts too. And what they witness on the high mountain gave them something to hold on to, something to hope for. Even they could not fully understand their wonderful experience with Jesus’ transfiguration was enough for them to feel secured and at peace. They can not control such enormous joy in their hearts that made them exclaimed, “Lord, it is good that we are here.”

  3. Towards the end of the Transfiguration story, a cloud overshadowed them. In Jewish thought the presence of God is regularly connected with the cloud. It was in the cloud that Moses met God. It was in the cloud that God came to the Tabernacle, etc. And it was also the dream of the Jews that when the Messiah comes the cloud of God’s presence would return to the Temple. This descent of the cloud in our Gospel is a way of saying that the Messiah had come.
  
  Application To Life:  
 
  1. When we became Christians, God did not promise a 24 hour ‘glorious experiences’. In fact Jesus encourages us to accept the pains and trials in life. But amidst these cold and sad experiences of ours, God usually gives us a “glimpse” to glories of the life. Even how dark “the sky of our life” is, God always show us some kind of “silver lining’ in the heavens. He shows that there is always something to hope for, after all.

  2. It was not only Jesus who was transfigured. But the apostles themselves were transformed too. Their faith grows and their way of looking at life was also changed. Their fear was overcome by their experience joy of seeing the Lord. May our experience in prayer change not only our perception of God but may lead also to the total “transfiguration” of our hearts.  And we hope that this change may be reflected in the way we interact and associate with other people, being more compassionate and understanding to them. As one of the saints said, “Prayer changes not God but the person who prays.”

  3. Transfiguration was taken from the original Greek word “Metamorphous” which means “to make a great change in form” (“Meta” meaning “to make a great change” and “Morphe” meaning “form”). It is to change the outside to match the inside of a person. In Heb 10:20 it was said that Jesus’ Divine nature was “veiled” in human form and the transfiguration was a unique display of His divine character and a glimpse of his divine glory. May this coming lent give us chance to experience a deep sorrow from sins, so that a real “change of heart” might happen deep within.

  4. We should not stop only in the “intro” whenever we listen to music. We should finish the whole song. Even how beautiful the introduction is, unless we experience “dynamism of the whole tune and melody” of the whole musical piece up to the last note, we can not fully appreciate it.  We are just in the “intro” of Lenten season. May we go on listening to the whole melody of the whole season of Lent until we experience the real joy of the “Gloria of Easter.”
  
  Conclusion  
            We should not stop only in the “intro” whenever we listen to music. We should finish the whole song. Even how beautiful the introduction is, unless we experience “dynamism of the whole tune and melody” of the whole musical piece up to the last note, we can not fully appreciate it.  We are just in the “intro” of Lenten season. May we go on listening to the whole melody of the whole season of Lent until we experience the real joy of the “Gloria of Easter.”Yes, all of us are travelers in this world. But many people failed to make good trip because they failed to make good preparations before hand. They brought wrong stuff. And the things that they don’t need are the things they brought, and the things that are essentials are what they failed to bring. For us Christians, even how hard our journey would be, as long as we prepare souls right, no matter what kind of temptations would come along our way, we are set to find a successful and enjoyable trip towards our eternal Jerusalem, in the Kingdom of the Father at the end of time.