On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect on the mystery of Christ’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. If we are truly going to understand the lesson that the event of the Transfiguration teaches us, we must first situate it within the greater context of Mark’s Gospel. In this context, Mark tells us that prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus makes the first prediction of his passion. Six days after this prediction, he takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain with him, and the Transfiguration takes place.
The Preface for the Second Sunday of Lent tells us that Jesus manifested his glory to the disciples to show that the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection. Moses and Elijah appear to give testimony to the fact that all of the law and the prophets in the Old Testament give witness to the salvation won by the Lord through the Paschal Mystery.
The Transfiguration also reminds us that the entire Paschal Mystery is necessary for our salvation. Yes, the Lord did choose to reveal his glory to his closest disciples on Mount Tabor. But notice what happens the second Peter suggests that they build tents and remain there, basking in the glory of the Lord: The cloud descends, the Father speaks, and then Jesus appears alone, and as he was, on the mountaintop. This glimpse of the Lord is only fleeting, and it pales in comparison to the true Glory of the Resurrected Lord: For it is only through the Passion on the Cross that Christ can truly win for us our salvation. If we stay in that fleeting moment, we run the risk of missing out on the true Glory that God desires to reveal to us.
For us, the lesson of the Transfiguration is this: When we experience “mountaintop” moments in our lives, such as on a retreat, or at a powerful workshop, our challenge is always to remember that we have to go back down the mountain, and back to real life. This can be painful, but it is there, in the reality of our day to day life, that the real work of sanctification takes place. We draw on the grace we receive from those mountaintop experiences to sustain us in our daily life, and help us look forward in hope to the rewards that God promises to us.
Over the next few weeks, members of our RCIA program will be participating in several important rituals in preparation for the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter. I ask you to keep them in your prayers, praying that they may fully receive the outpouring of God’s Spirit during this sacred time.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB