Second Sunday of Lent, Cycle C= Luke, March 4,2007

Scripture:15:5-12.17-18.Psalm 27. Philippians 3:17-4:1. Luke 9:28-36.

Last Sunday we experienced Jesus' victory over the three temptations
inflicted upon him by Satan. In Luke's Gospel, Satan will not bother Jesus
again until the eve before his death in the Garden of Olives. In this
second Sunday of Lent we now experience the Transfiguration of Jesus which
takes place in the northern part of Galilee on a mountain. The mountain in
Luke is always a place of prayer for Jesus and Luke is the Evangelist of
prayer, one of his principal themes. Jesus is at prayer and is accompanied
by Peter, James, and John who will also be with him when he prays in the
Garden of Olives. Jesus communes with his Father and then dialogues with
Moses who symbolizes the Torah and with Elijah who represents the
Prophets--thus all of the Scriptures of Israel. We are certain that the
prayer of Jesus is similar to the Psalms which is the final part of the
Hebrew Scriptures called the Writings. Moses and Elijah speak of the
passage of Jesus or his passing over from this life to the Father. Luke
uses the word EXODUS in the original Greek and this recalls that great
event of Israel being liberated from the bondage of the Egyptians. Exodus
is their way ouf of Egypt; Jesus' exodus is his way out of the sufferings
and death he will undergo to his glorious resurrection and being at the
right hand of his Father. Again this recalls for us the Paschal Mysteries
of Our Lord during this Lenten Season. For me the Transfiguration is a way
of giving us the anchor of hope that there is a way out of suffering and
death for us. It also is a great consolation event to help us on our
journey and to envision the victory of Jesus and ourselves over sin, death,
and Satan. Luke's narrative is outstanding in its theological import and
its own way of telling about this marvelous event which is mentioned in
Mark and Matthew as well as in II Peter 1:16-18. The mystery and experience
of the Transfiguration is one of my favorites for it calls for
transformation into Christ--which is part of the Christian journey not only
in Lent but throughout the various stages and ages of our lives. I am also
devoted to the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary which our beloved John Paul
II bequeathed to us and which complete the mysteries of the Rosary by
adding those of the active ministry years of Jesus. Another helpful
reading for this feast is that of one of the greatest commentators on
Scripture, Saint Leo the Great, a Father and Doctor of the Church. In
today's office of the Church called the Readings, there is a homily of St.
Leo dedicated to our passage in Luke. I liked especially this short
excerpt: "The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the
scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the
humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those
who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed. With no less
forethought he was also providing a firm for the hope of holy Church. The
whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it
would receive as his gift. The members of that body were to look forward to
a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head." (Sermo
51, 3-4.8).