Deacon Tom Anthony

Second Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 27

Reading 1 Gn 15:5-12, 17-18

The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

He then said to him,
"I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession."
"O Lord GOD," he asked,
"how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
He answered him,
"Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: "To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14.

R. (1a)  The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Reading 2 Phil 3:17—4:1

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their "shame."
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord.

or Phil 3:20—4:1

Brothers and sisters:
Our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.

Verse Before the Gospel Cf. Mt 17:5

From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, hear him.

Gospel Lk 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
"Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my chosen Son; listen to him."
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 We all have the capability of experiencing Divine Revelation daily based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. The first step in this is an acknowledgment of His presence which then sets off a series of events that is continuous and affects everything that has come before, is now, and will be. Everything changes with Jesus Christ and is made better. He is the centerpiece in this puzzle of life and with Him all the other pieces fit together. In the Gospel of John when John the Baptist announced who Jesus was with the words, “Behold the Lamb of God,” Andrew and John began to follow Him. Jesus then turned to them and asked, “What are you looking for?” This was a challenge of sorts and a question which requires some contemplation. It also relates to us and asks us what are we to do with this knowledge of who Jesus is and what are we going to do with it. How are we going to have it affect our lives?

The Transfiguration was an advancement in the relationship that Jesus had with Peter, James, and John and revealed to them the relationship of the Trinity, putting it into perspective with everything that was assumed and accepted before and all that was to come afterwards. Moses was representative of the Law while Elijah was a sign of what came through the prophets. Jesus was the fulfillment of all that was said and done previously and through the words of God, “This is my chosen Son, listen to Him,” it left no doubt who Jesus was. Whatever assumptions and understanding these disciples had of Jesus would be forever altered.

As Christians, we all have been invited to that mountaintop and have been welcomed into that same relationship. The precursor of that relationship is a willingness to come to an understanding of the implications of the Transfiguration to us and the universe; all of creation from the beginning of time and onward throughout eternity. When we become willing then we become a part of it and its benefactor. We are the receivers of this revelation and the spiritual transformation that it brings. What it fully means may never be known until we are with God completely but how it affects us will be felt; sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly.

Paul describes this affect of Jesus in his letter today. He urges us to follow the example he has set; an example that was formed by the experiences and understanding revealed to him and now passed on to us. Through our relationship with him we too will be transformed into something else that we thought not possible. The material and all that it offers will become secondary as we conform to that which is spiritual. A natural progression towards the good and perfect will occur. From good conduct and priority of that which is eternal will bear results that draw us further into a Christ experience. We will be able to witness the change in us and what we deem as important. Through a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ we will be able to understand ourselves what is important and what is good for us instead of being told these things by those who just might not have our best interests at heart.

The Transfiguration was an experience that defined who Jesus was and revealed it to the world. It also defined everything that came before and what would be through Jesus Christ. On the mountain, with Jesus, we become witnesses to this then go forward in our lives affected by this event in our own personal way. How we react and act is entirely up to us. There is no limit to how we can experience it and how it can shape our lives. Each day becomes an opportunity of growth, knowledge, and understanding. Our spirituality can be deepened and direct us into new ways of thinking and living. The only limits are the limits that we set on ourselves because with Jesus there are no real limits. It is through the Transfiguration that we can be transformed into something bigger and better. We can either set the limits to that or destroy those same limits.

Deacon Tom