On the second Sunday of Lent, Year A, our mother Church invites us to meditate on the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus; a moment when the three chosen disciples (Peter, James and John) witnessed the divine and glorious revelation of Jesus Christ on the Holy Mountain. This awe-inspiring and magnificent scene is reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai, and later on in history that of Elijah. The two Old Testament figures, Moses representing the Law and Elijah representing the Prophets had, each one, an experience of the presence of God on the Holy Mountain. Their presence signals the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets in Jesus Christ, further depicting Mathew’s theological purpose to affirm to his fellow Jews that indeed in Jesus Christ, the Judaic messianic expectation is realized.
The theophanic events of the bright cloud and God’s voice were the expression of God’s presence, in response to which the disciple’s prostration expressed reverence and awe at the experience of the dumbfounding mysterium tremendum. No doubt, all they needed was the life-giving and consoling touch from Jesus, followed by his reassuring words, ‘stand up, do not be afraid.’ The disciples’ glorious vision of Jesus was meant to strengthen their faith and hope in anticipation of the forthcoming Christ’ passion, to enable them to overcome the scandal of the Cross.
What constitutes the cream of Mathew’s transfiguration narrative lies in God’s proclamation and designation of his beloved Son as his spokesman, the only authorized and accredited divine teacher, the one whose voice the disciples ought to heed. It follows that all Christian teaching and doctrine ought to flow from this very source; from Christ the teacher par excellence. Indeed, today’s three readings demonstrate how lives and fates of humanity are defined and shaped by the response to God’s invitation, by heeding God’s voice. Precisely, listening or obeying God’s voice is the starting point of any faith journey. This is what happens in the first reading to the homeless and childless Abraham who ventured into the unknown, heeding God’s voice. It is also the call addressed to the young Timothy in the second reading by Paul, his imprisoned teacher and mentor, who exhorts him to endure and listen to the Gospel, for strength, courage and guidance mainly in times of trials and suffering. It is what happens in the Gospel to the three disciples who receive the voice from above commanding them to listen to the beloved Son of God.
A traditional word of wisdom recommends that, whenever you are invited to a dinner, avoid filling yourself with the appetizer or the preliminary dish, so as to spare enough space for the main course. At the glimpse of the glorious Jesus, Peter somehow wanted to transform the starter into the main course. He desired to overstay and continue savouring this splendid and eye-catching event. In our missionary journey, we certainly have had some sweet, awe-inspiring moments of prayer, contemplation, celebration, encounters and even ministries which we might have desired to last longer. Today we are reminded that such life-giving and transformative experiences should rather render us more agile to descend to the foot of the mountain and share the abundant fruits with our brothers and sisters who are eagerly waiting for our loving touch and presence. Heeding the voice of God reminds us that there is no need to overstay in such ecstatic and euphoric moods but rather go forth and meet God’s people on the most slippery slopes of the mountain of life; the people engulfed by the scandal of human indifference. These are slum dwellers, prisoners, street kids, homeless, widows and widowers, orphans, victims of terrorism and modern slavery, victims of economic injustice and political persecution, and the like. It is in them that the scandal of the Cross is perpetuated in the world today.
So let our current Lenten faith journey help us to come out of our comfort zones. Let us dare to come out of our well embellished chapels and sacristies, of our luxurious mansions, magnificently furnished sitting rooms and our air-conditioned rooms and offices. Let us give up our private and juicy projects, our sumptuous meals, our long hours on digital platforms and endless Netflix series. Heeding the voice of God reminds us that this mission is not our private affair but belongs to the Master. It existed before us, and it will certainly exist after us until the end of time. On this St John the Baptist is quite inspirational as he reminds us that the bride is not ours, she belongs to the bridegroom, to Christ (Jn 3:29). Thus, the possessive language and expressions like my parish, my project, my stagiaire, my Christians, my choirs, my dancers, my acolytes should have no space in our missionary enterprise. They do not reflect the Christocentric essence of our mission. We acquired nothing by ourselves but all is entrusted to us by God’s grace as friends of the Son of God.
In a nutshell, let us always remember that we are among the most privileged, as partakers in Christ noble mission of proclaiming the salvific message of God’s love and compassion. Let us embrace it with joy and unwavering hope despite the challenges. Christ assures us that the joy it procures nobody can take it from us (Jn 16:22). We are surely not alone. As he did to Abraham, God invites us to take courage and trust the process without counting the costs but the abundant blessings.
By: Theobald Muchunguzi, M.Afr.