The season of Lent is certainly a season of penance, but it can also be a season of realization and transformation for us, if we simply look at the lessons that come to us. In our readings today, there is a lot that can be gleaned in terms of our own attitudes and actions when it comes to our faith. Both our readings, and the Gospel today proclaim to us transformative lessons if we look at them in light of what our Lenten take away from them could be.
In our first reading, we hear of Abram, and the call to go forth from everything that he knew by following God’s call. In doing so, and making this leap of faith, he became blessed by God so that his very name was associated with blessings and greatness. Abram did not ask questions, he did not analyze, he simply trusted, and in doing so was transformed into one who would be the foundation of an entire people and nation.
In our second reading, Saint Paul speaks of the sharing of hardship for the sake of the Gospel message, and the strength that comes from God to endure it. This is the call, to put aside what we are comfortable with, and to accept God’s call to live out, and to proclaim through our lives the Gospel to all people, to be transformed from simply existing, to actually living for a purpose, and in doing so to rely solely on God’s help to have the strength to persevere. This is again the call, and this is the way that leads to light and to life.
In our Gospel today, we hear of an even more radical transformation that takes place, and that Peter, James, and John are witnesses to. The transfiguration of our Lord into His glorified form, and the conversation that is taking place with Moses and Elijah of his coming exodus. Jesus had spoken to his disciples of the fact that he would have to suffer greatly and to die, and then rise on the third day, but in some respects that had not really grasped what that meant. To witness our Lord in this form, and to see him speaking plainly of this with these prophets was a transformative moment for His disciples as well. They now knew plainly what would have to take place, and there was no way to ever look at things again from a viewpoint where there was certain level of comfortable doubt, but rather that this was a literal foretelling of what was to come. It now was laid open before them. They heard the call of the message that Jesus had been conveying to them, and they heard the call of the Father instructing them to listen to His Son. There was great fear experienced as part of this, to be in the presence of God, and to hear these words plainly was a moment that propelled them forward in their understanding. We too are called to accept the truth of the Gospel message, and to be propelled forward in our actions to live this message out in such a way that it leaves no room for doubt, either for us, or for those who witness our actions, as to what we believe. We too are called to radical transformation.
The Deacons Bench 