Breaking Open the Word - 2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C
2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C - March 13th, 2022
Year after year, the Church asks us in this second Sunday of Lent to ponder the episode of Our Lord’s Transfiguration on the mountain. What does this mystery mean for the life of Christ – and for our lives as His disciples?
Our spiritual “passport” has been “stamped” at Baptism!
We began our Scripture sharing this week by pondering that latter question in light of the Second Reading. St. Paul assures us that “our citizenship is in Heaven,” that our ultimate destiny is to be transfigured with Christ in glory. This should affect our daily living profoundly. For one, as the spiritual classic Divine Intimacy puts it, “Glory is the fruit of grace”; that is, the more generously we respond to God’s grace in this life, the greater will be our joy and transformation in the next. Another implication of this teaching regards our attitude towards our life on earth. It can be very easy to get “comfortable” and to unconsciously begin acting as if this life is all that matters. We can forget that we are, in fact, exiles, and that an exile is always longing for and looking forward to the day when he or she can return home. One Sister observed that the growing state of despair in our society today can be traced to this deeper problem of seeing this world as “all that there is.” Given the alarming rate of natural and manmade disasters we are experiencing these days, it is only an eternal perspective that can enable a person to remain hopeful. Not that we should be “detached” from the suffering enveloping our world – quite the contrary! It is our call as Christians to bring the light and the hope-filled message of Christ to “those who sit in darkness,” encouraging them to fight the forces of evil with the knowledge that the victory has already been won. What is more, we can rely on the powerful help of our “fellow citizens” who have already reached the homeland: the Saints! Just as we in the USA are deeply concerned when our fellow Americans are in danger in a foreign country, so the Saints and angels take a personal interest in our welfare as members of the Church Militant. What greater support could we ask in our daily battle for the Kingdom of Christ?
We also discussed the mysterious and powerful episode of God’s covenant with Abram in the First Reading. While the animal sacrifices, the “deep and terrifying darkness,” and the “smoking fire pot” may seem strange to us living in the 21st century, God was using elements of Abram’s time and culture to reveal a profound truth. The covenant ritual of “passing between the pieces” was meant to signify a fidelity unto death – i.e., “If I break this covenant with you, may the fate of these animals come to me!” The incredible thing about this particular event, however, is the fact that God alone (symbolized by the fire) is the one to “pass between” and pledge His fidelity under pain of death. By not asking Abram to do so as well, the Lord seems to be saying that He will be “surety” for both Himself and Abram. The full significance of this action becomes clear in the New Testament, when Jesus -- God Incarnate – accepts death on the Cross on behalf of sinful humanity. We had broken the covenant by sin, but He is the one who pays the price and wins redemption for us. Like Abram, we need only accept the gift and do what little we can … and God will supply the rest. O Love, O Charity beyond all telling, the awestruck Church sings at Easter. To ransom a slave, You gave away Your Son!
Transfiguration by Fra Angelico
Our sharing concluded with some thoughts on today’s Gospel of the Transfiguration. One Sister opened by sharing how she saw Our Lord’s love for His Apostles shining through in a special way in this mystery. Many commentators have reflected on how the experience atop Tabor is meant as a special grace to sustain the disciples when they are faced with the Passion and death of their Master. Jesus granted them this grace, not out of a condescending attitude of pity (“Poor things, you’re so weak that you won’t be able to handle the Cross”), but rather from a genuine attitude of love and mercy. How often in our own lives does God give us a particular consolation so that, in time of trial, we can look back and be strengthened by the memory of His love for us? Some might argue that, in the Apostles’ case, this method didn’t work –after all, they all fled during the Passion, didn’t they? However, another Sister pointed out that the grace was not, in fact, fruitless: despite their cowardice, the Eleven stayed together and were able to receive the mercy and healing of the Risen Lord all together. What’s more, they were later able to recount this story of the Transfiguration for the benefit of generations of Christians, ourselves included. What a reminder and lesson for us, that God’s grace can be do marvelous things even in our weakness and failures!