Readings (Year C):
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm 27: 1, 7-9, 13-14
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28-36
Reflection: Be transformed by prayer
I am struggling with how to reflect upon the transfiguration of Jesus when the world may be facing a nuclear war. The images of the dazzling white face and voice from the cloud bring to mind the terror that our world seeks to avoid.
After watching the news one evening, I pondered with my household what might be done to stop Putin’s advance. My household and I were a little bit ashamed to note how quickly we considered violent solutions. We know the transformative power of nonviolence, yet in dire circumstances violent responses quickly come to mind. Our hearts are in need of continued transformation this Lent.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is forever heading off to a quiet place to pray. In today’s gospel, while he and the disciples are praying, something unusual happens. Jesus transfigures before them and they encounter other significant figures from Israel’s history. While the disciples fumble around and their lack of understanding shows, they hear the voice of God telling them to listen. The disciples had an experience of the divine that was beyond their ability to explain on that mountain. They saw their teacher, Jesus, transformed before them, and they struggled to make sense of the experience.
I cannot help but wonder:
- How were the disciples transformed by their experience on the mountain? How am I transformed by prayer?
- Did the remembrance of the transfiguration of Jesus comfort and inspire the disciples when they no longer had Jesus with them? What inspires and comforts me when God seems far away?
- Did the disciples learn to trust God in their confusion? Do I trust God to guide me when the way forward seems unclear?
Disciples then and now may be confused about what we are experiencing, but we rely on God and Jesus to guide our attempts at responding to the circumstances before us. Even though the disciples cannot understand their experiences yet, they trust in Jesus. This relationship will continue to anchor and guide them after Jesus is no longer physically present with them. This holy moment on the mountain will serve as an affirmation of who Jesus is on dark days when they struggle to know what to do.
Similarly, the first reading reminds us that God’s plan for us, like God’s plan for Abram, is life, descendants, and goodness. Grounded in our own relationships with God, we trust in God’s promise of abundance, even when we are anxious and cannot see how it will come about. A sky crowded with stars reminds us of God’s faithfulness. May our actions be guided by our confidence in God rather than fear.
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