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The Transfiguration Gives Us Hope
Feb
17
Written by:
Sunday, February 17, 2008
2nd Sunday of Lent
February 17, 2008
Jesus' transfiguration in this Sunday's gospel (Matthew 17:1-9) gives us a window into another world -- the world that Christ comes from, the world that we are all journeying to, the place that is really meant to be a home for us. How very strange and yet wonderful this world of light must have seemed to the disciples. It must have been quite startling to see Jesus transfigured into a being of light! For the first time, the disciples were seeing the Son of God as he really is. The message is quite clear: the sufferings of this life cannot compare to the glory that is to come.
The voice of the Father reminds us that heaven is a place where we will see and hear God, face to face. Moses and Elijah also appear. Their presence also helps us to grasp that we will have fellowship with all the others who have freely chosen God of every time and place. It is certainly something to look forward to!
There is an old saying that if we don't know where we are going in this life, it can be rather hard to get there. Life actually consists of a series of choices that will determine where we will go in the next world and our ranking once we have arrived there. Seen in this light, every moment takes on a heightened importance.
St Theresa of Lisieux, described by Pope John Paul II as the greatest saint of modern times and also a doctor of the Church, gives us insight. She tells us that, in everything we do, every circumstance, every suffering, every joy, "Let us keep our eyes fixed on heaven, the one true object of our labors." Our goal should always be to get to heaven one day. Life certainly takes on a much greater meaning and clarity when we realize that everything is ultimately geared toward our happiness in the life to come.
Jesus led three of his disciples up Mount Tabor to pray. Whoever they may have thought Jesus was up to this point, they certainly had a different opinion when they came back. Jesus knew that the disciples would suffer intensely in the future, and so he gave them hope by showing them where their lives and future ministry were heading. Our Lord wants to give us hope so that during the darker times of our lives, we will remain confident in him.
Father Gary
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