"This is my beloved Son, listen to Him" (Mark 9:7)
The scene known as the Transfiguration of Jesus in
today's Gospel tells us that the three disciples heard a
voice from the cloud that said to them: "This is my
beloved Son, listen to Him". The season of Lent that
has recently begun, should to be a privileged time to
hear Jesus. In fact, last week we heard Jesus say:
"Repent and believe in the Gospel" and next week the
readings will tell us: "Do not make my Father's house a
market." So it's the great challenge of Lent to reflect on
what has been separating us from God and to ask for his
forgiveness. The first reading shows us that Abraham,
our father in faith, is a model of total surrender to God's
commands. We always have to see this reading in its
context in order not to draw wrong conclusions. God
may sometimes ask of us more then we can understand.
We on our part are willing to give almost anything but
not what we consider most valuable of our lives.
Abraham is willing to sacrifice Isaac, the son of the
covenant, to be faithful to God. God meanwhile looks at
our hearts and does not allow the death of the innocent
and so He intervenes beyond all hope. Thus, far from
lamenting our losses in the past, we have to trust in the
God of Abraham and Isaac beyond all hope. The Letter
to the Romans is like a mirror that reflects and enlarges
the sacrifice of Abraham. Indeed, St. Paul tells us that
God "did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for
all of us." Throughout this letter, Paul speaks of what is
known as the doctrine of justification. Jesus was faithful
to the will of His Father and trusted beyond his
suffering and death. Believers have been saved by the
sacrifice of the only Son of God and this is our
salvation. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is transfigured and
appeared in the splendor of His glory surrounded by
Moses and Elijah before three of his disciples. It is
interesting that Peter, James and John beyond being
impressed are terrified with this. They are more
confused when Jesus told them that He will rise again
from the dead. Like Abraham, we are not prepared for
what God would possibly be asking of us or what Jesus´
3 disciples wanted to hear. Moreover, Peter was unable
to understand that Jesus had to suffer, die and then be
Risen from the dead. Even if our faith may be strong or
weak, God always has a place for everyone. Abraham is
a model of deep faith while Peter is presented in the
Gospels as one who is of weak faith. For instance, on
the Mt. Tabor Peter questioned Jesus; in Gethsemane
Peter is sleeping and in Jerusalem he even denies his
Master. However, Jesus chose Peter
to lead his Church as God chose Abraham to be the
father of his chosen people. Now that we are preparing
to celebrate the five years of the election of Pope
Francis, successor of Peter, we humbly ask God that our
Pope may not waiver in his faith and continue leading
Christ's church in the good and bad days of our lives.
Fr. Hernan P., S.J.