It is only the 2nd Sunday of Lent and we are hearing the gospel narrative of the
Transfiguration. The scene of Jesus appearing before his disciples with his face
changed in appearance and his clothing a dazzling white was to prepare them for
his coming suffering and death. Undoubtedly this gospel text as well as that
from Genesis with a flaming torch passing through the sacrificial offerings made
by Abraham, are designed to strengthen us as well in our Lenten journey. It is
only with an abiding sense of who it is that calls us into this special season
of conversion will we fully embrace its challenge and move forward into the new
life it calls us to.The whole life of
the monk is to be Lenten in character according to St Benedict and he would
encourage the entire community to keep its manner of life most pure, to devote
"ourselves to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and
self-denial." The monk is to do this so as to "look forward to Easter with joy
and spiritual longing." Although he sees the life of the monk as being a
continuous Lent, St Benedict knows also that few have the strength for this and
let me suggest this is where our gospel text speaks so powerfully to us today.
The scene of Moses and Elijah appearing in glory and speaking with the
transfigured Jesus about his exodus that he is about to accomplish in Jerusalem,
prepared Peter, John and James for the paschal mystery they are about to see
unfold in Christ’s earthly life. Their eyes had to be opened, however briefly,
to the deeply spiritual meaning of what was about to take place in Jesus' life.
We are a lot like the disciples as this paschal mystery enfolds and unfolds in
each one of our lives. Lent is all about walking with Jesus into his suffering
as to share ever more wonderfully in his Easter glory.
Our lives are often a lot like that of Helen
Keller who from the age of 19 months, due to a fever became blind and deaf. At
an early age we too may lose sight and sense of the spiritual realities that are
taking place all around and within us. "When she was six years old, her teacher
began to spell words into Helen’s palm while the child felt the objects with the
other hand. There was no progress. There came a breakthrough when the teacher
spelled the world ‘water’ while holding Helen’s other hand under a pump. Her
sense of touch rapidly became her window to the world." There was a wonderful
awakening throughout Helen’s whole being. She was eventually to do enormous good
through lectures and books for countless others afflicted with her own
disabilities. This is what Jesus does with his Transfiguration, he allows us to
begin to see the close relation between the suffering Christ continues to endure
in our world, a suffering we are called to share in, and the glory that is about
to be revealed through his Resurrection.
Like Abraham of whom we heard in the 1st
reading, we too have been brought out of a world of ignorance, of vain idols and
empty pursuit into a land of freedom that is to last forever. But like him we
too may find ourselves asking God. "How am I to know that I shall possess it"
this land, will have our citizenship in heaven. The Church and the Rule of
Benedict give us the answer, as they tell us to prepare sacrificial gifts in
keeping with our covenant with Christ. They assure us again and again that as we
through patience share in the sufferings of Christ, we will also share in his
glory.
As we move into this season of Lent and let
ourselves partake of fasting and the prayer, alms giving and spiritual reading,
compunction of heart and a more careful review of our lives something profound
begins to take place within us. We are told of Abram that "a deep, terrifying
darkness enveloped him..(and) there appeared a flaming torch, which passed
between" the offerings of sacrifice. God confirmed a covenant with him and he
knew without a doubt that the promises given him would be fulfilled. So it is
that in the midst our small sacrifices we too will experience afresh, as
countless others have throughout history, the flaming torch of God’s own Spirit
affirming an everlasting covenant with us, a covenant that we are even now about
to celebrate at this altar.
Michael Casagram, OCSO
Abbey of Gethsemani
March 4, 2007
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