THE WORD
FIRST READING: Gen 15,5-12
He took him outside and said: Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so, he added, will your descendants be. Abram put his faith in the LORD, who attributed 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. “Lord GOD,” he asked, “how will I know that I will possess it?” He answered him: Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. He 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 scared them away. As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great, dark dread descended upon him.
When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fi re pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. On that day 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
SECOND READING: Phil 3,17-4,1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers, 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, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
GOSPEL: Lk 9,28-36
About eight days after he said this, he 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
We have just entered into a new liturgical season – Lent. What is Lent? It is a time to meditate on the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a time for us to re ect on our human sufferings. For us Filipinos, Lenten time is a precious time because Jesus’ sufferings reflect our own pain and struggles.
We should be focusing on sufferings, right? Why is it that every second Sunday of Lent, the gospel is about Transfiguration?
Let’s review the Gospel. Jesus took Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray.
While Jesus was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
What is Transfiguration? For me, more than the external change of Jesus’ appearance, it was an internal event where Jesus was affirmed by the Father. God called Jesus “My Chosen Son” or “My Beloved Son.”
Transfiguration was also Jesus’ anticipation of his glory! Before he suffered, he had already a foretaste of his future victory. God, in his immense goodness, immediately affirmed Jesus and gave, in advance, his reward. It’s like, before the game started, it was already “foreshadowed” that Jesus would be the champion.
What lesson can we get from this? Are we confronted with trials and problems at this very moment? We shouldn’t lose hope. We should go beyond our hurt and grief. Experiencing our own “transfiguration” means listening to the voice from above: “You are my chosen/beloved son/daughter.” We should anticipate immediately our glory! We’ll surely get our future reward as we bravely confront the agony and affliction that beset us today.
- Fr. Glenn Paul Gomez, SVD | DWC, San Jose,Occ. Mindoro
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
