THE CROSS OF PAIN IS THE CROWN OF GLORY
The context of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ relays to us that the cross of pain is equally the crown of glory. It is clear that the passion, suffering and death of God: Jesus Christ is not alone a concern or shock to his disciples, but also a scandal. How could the almighty, powerful and saving God be so vulnerable, weak and helpless in the hands of men? It is a mystery incomprehensible.
Yet, Jesus, God, Son of the Father, and fully and truly human had a full understanding of his mission. He knew very well that the way to save us all is the way of the cross, pains, suffering and death and he is heading to Jerusalem to achieve his divine purpose.
OUR THEME
The readings of today invite us to reflect on pain and gain, cross and crown, suffering and glory. They challenge us to take up our crosses and follow Christ. They also invite us to preserve the way of the Cross that leads to glory.
The gospel of prosperity, the theology of glory, riches and evergreen abundance as well as the Rich God theory is not only a counter-biblical culture or a bad faith but also an illusion of life and reality.
Therefore, the readings of this second Sunday present us with two important themes of the Lenten season: prayer in God´s transformational presence and the indescribable glory that comes after the moment of suffering, pain and difficulties. God´s brightness of hope and transformation in the scandal of human suffering.
FIRST READING: GEN. 12:1-4
There are different classes of suffering: physical and psychological. Abram may have experienced anxieties when he was called by God to abandon his fatherland, kinsmen, patrimony and the homeliness of his environment for an unknown destination and mission. Yet, with pain comes the gain of eternal blessings, protection and guarantee.
His sacrifice to live all comforts behind and response to the call of God made him the father of faith and all nations.
In the first reading, Genesis 12:1-4, a prayerful moment of Abraham in God´s presence led him from the known and familiar into the de deepest, profound unknown of absolute trust in God who blesses, protects, fights defends and assures of his blessings and abundance when we commit to him unreservedly.
SECOND READING: 2TIM. 1:8-10
St Paul invited Timothy to join him in the suffering for the Gospel of Jesus Christ since there is no other way to human fulfilment, which the Bible calls eternal life or salvation than the way of the cross and suffering. There is no gain without pain, no crown without a cross. There is the assurance of grace, life and immortality in Christ Jesus.
St. Paul in his letter of 2 Timothy 1:8-10, reminds us that our Christian vocation to witness to the gospel through suffering is by God´s purposes and graces in Christ Jesus. Our saviour who redeems us from death and restores us to life by his passion and death.
THE GOSPEL: MT.17. 1-9
The transfiguration took place to clear this doubt, worries and mindset of the disciple who could hardly accept the suffering Messiah. Even though Peter would prefer gain to pain, he had to first go to the way of pain, suffering, and death before the glory of the resurrection. The transfiguration was a necessary assurance of the expected glory after pain.
The gospel of Matthew 17:1-9 presents us with the troubled Jesus whose prayerful moment on Mount Tabor transfigure into a glorious moment of transformation, affirmation and testimony.
The transfiguration demonstrates to us that there is much more to our consciousness of being in the presence of God.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS FROM TODAY’S GOSPEL
The questions are: why did Jesus go there? Why did he make this expedition to these lonely mountain slopes? And why the transfiguration in the presence of his disciples?
It is very appropriate we look at the event in Jesus’ life before the transfiguration, the great moment of Caesarea Philippi. Where after his messianic confession by Peter, he began to predict his passion and cruel death as the means to save mankind.
Jesus had a problem, a deep and profound sacrifice await him to make and humanly speaking was not comfortable. Like always he sought God´s will and comfort in prayer in a lonely and quiet place. Equally, he knew God´s faithful and victory was with him and he wanted his disciple to see this glory and victory that will come from his self-sacrifice to overcome the scandal of God´s suffering.
THE PRAYER LESSON FOR PETER
Peter learnt three lessons ( when he woke to what was going on, his first reaction was to build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah): like him, we too can learn attitude in prayers.
(i) the experience of not saying or doing something but just being in God´s presence: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10) most time the best form of prayer is to be silent, to be listening, to be wondering, to be adored in the presence of God.
(ii) Peter wished to wait upon the mountain slopes. He wished that great moment to be prolonged. There are moments of intimacy, serenity, peace, of nearness to God, which everyone has known and wished to prolong.
(iii) However, then comes the moment of facing life reality after prayer: the being to the doing or action of the aftermath of the glorious prayer moment. That is, prayer is meant to help or provide strength, courage and grace for us to face our daily life and ministry and to enable us to walk the way of the Cross.
In summary, the transfiguration was carried out to clear up the doubts, worries and mentalities of the disciple who could hardly accept the suffering Messiah. The transfiguration was a necessary guarantee of the expected glory after pain. So the transfiguration is to tear out the hearts of the disciples through the scandal of the cross.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, we are all very uncomfortable with suffering and would not want to be familiar with pains and difficulties. Yet, during the Lenten season, we are invited to self-sacrifices with the amount of suffering, pains and difficulties that will lead us to the glorious Paschal of your resurrection and our victory over sin, evil and the devil. Help us to learn to be with you in prayer, and may those moments energize us to face our daily life of witnessing amidst struggles, pains, sufferings and death to self. Amen
