Second Sunday of Lent
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
The Transfiguration of Jesus
The season of Lent is a time to journey with Jesus up to Jerusalem. In our life`s journey God gives all of us moments of transfiguration-when we see our life in proper perspective and are offered the chance to make a deeper commitment. Lent is a special time when we need to listen to god who whispers in our own hearts: “You are my beloved son/ daughter”. It is the assurance that we are intensely loved and that we enjoy God`s favour. We must borrow today`s beautiful Psalm in our response to god: “The word of the Lord is faithful.” “The Lord fills the earth with His love.” “May Your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in You”.
How desperately our troubled world needs to hear these words, needs to be reminded of the abiding love of God! The world is going through a time of darkness. We have seen multiple wars, conflicts, and growing economic hardship for more and more of the world`s poor. But in our darkness shines a great light of Jesus. Upon our disfigured world and disfigured lives shines His transfigured light. As St. John in his Gospel Prologue writes, this is a light that darkness cannot overpower.
There is a unique Redemptorist, Father Cyril Axelrod, unique because he is both deaf and blind. One day he said, maybe I am just blinded by the brightness of God`s light. He means this metaphorically of course. Fr. Cyril, who was also born and raised Jewish, often compares himself to Saint Paul who was blinded by the light on the road to Damascus before his conversion. Cyril speaks of “my darkness in God`s light”. Notice he does not say God`s light in my darkness? He says my darkness in god`s light. Even in his darkness and blindness he is aware of the light of God.
Our Lenten journey is brightened today by the light shining through the Transfigured Jesus. It was not a light that reflected off Him. It was a light that came from within Him, that shone through Him. It was a light that shone when He was praying. How did God answer His prayer? “You are my son, my chosen one”. As Jesus often turned to His Father in prayer, so should we, begging the Father to let the light of His son shine on our dark world. “Father, let that light shine on the darkness of war and the causes of war. Let that light shine on the darkness of poverty and the causes of poverty. Let that light shine on our sins and the causes of our sins. Let the light of your Son shine through us”.