THE readings for the Second Sunday of Lent are very rich in meaning. The First Reading (Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18) narrates the details of an ancient ceremony in which God unilaterally confirmed his covenant with Abraham – a covenant to bring him heirs, land, and blessings. The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14) proclaims the Lord as our light and salvation, while the Second Reading (Philippians 3:17 – 4:1) affirms that the citizenship of Christians is in heaven. Most important of all, the Gospel (Luke 9:28B – 36) tells the story of Jesus’ transfiguration.
Up in the mountain praying while his disciples, Peter, John and James were asleep, Jesus’ appearance was transfigured; his face changed in appearance and his clothes became dazzling white. And then lo and behold, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke with him about the exodus that he will be accomplishing in Jerusalem.
Waking up, the three disciples witnessed this transfiguration event. Noticing that Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter volunteered that they make three tents – one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, but it was then that a cloud overshadowed them and from it they heard a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
The story reveals, among other things, that Jesus is not only man; he is also God. God the Father himself repeats the declaration that he had made at the baptism of the Lord - that Jesus is the beloved Son of God to whom we should all listen. As such he possessed all the glory as God. The changing of the appearance of his face and the color of his clothes are but a glimpse of this marvelous glory whose fullness we shall see in heaven. As the Second Reading tells us, our bodies will also be changed to conform to the body of Christ, “for then we shall see him face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). St. Paul adds, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
In the midst of the many sufferings of this present world, this is our consolation. Thus, the same St. Paul was inspired to say, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18). God has prepared good things for his children as made known to us by his Spirit. “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him - this God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
Two famous characters – Moses and Elijah – were seen conversing with Jesus in the transfiguration. What is their significance? Moses represented the Old Covenant Law, while Elijah stood for the prophets. Powerful as the roles these two figures may have played in salvation history, their greatness pales in comparison to Jesus. They were in the scene, as always, to serve the Son of God.
Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. Everything before him was a mere shadow of his reality. The writer of Hebrews declares, “In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word” (Hebrews 1:1-3a).
Just like all others, this Sunday’s readings demand certain responses. Do we, like Abraham in the First Reading, respond in faith to God’s seemingly impossible promises? Do we, like the psalmist, trust in Jesus as our Savior? Do we, like St. Paul in the Second Reading, treasure our hope in heaven as our final and eternal destination? And do we, like Jesus in the Gospel, look forward to our own transfiguration, but never staying on the mountaintop but coming down to fulfill our mission in this world?