For the second Sunday of Lent, some thoughts that are motivated by Saint Luke's gospel account of the Transfiguration.
During the liturgical season of Lent, we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter. During this first week, the Lord invites us to come close to him, to open our hearts to him and to enter into a conversation with him. Like any other relationship, there is a part of us that hears the Lord’s invitation but might be a bit hesitant, so it might help us to remember others who have also received such a proposal.
In the first reading, we hear about the invitation that God offered to Abram. As it is in all other cases, God was extremely gentle with Abram, inviting him first to look toward heaven and count the stars ... (Gn 15:5). Then God surprised Abram. Prior to this encounter, Abram and Sarah had never had children, yet the Lord said to him: So shall your descendants be – as numerous as the stars.
The human heart is sometimes slow to believe what God has in store for us, but God never stops believing in us. God knew the plan that he had in mind for Abram. He also knew what was in store for the disciples. At a certain point, when the disciples were finding it difficult to understand all that Jesus was trying to teach them, he took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray (Lk 9:28). Most probably, by this point in their relationship, the disciples had seen Jesus at prayer, but they were not prepared for the scene they witnessed that day. While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white (Lk 9:29). As if that wasn’t enough, suddenly, they saw two men – Moses and Elijah – talking to Jesus (Lk 9:10).
An Irish Bishop once explained that Jesus invited the disciples Peter, James and John to witness the transfiguration so that later on, when they experienced the shock and trauma of His passion and death, these three could help them to understand that the passion and death of Jesus were meant to be, but that he would indeed rise again.
Like the disciples, we too need to experience the transfiguration so that we can better understand that suffering and death will always lead to resurrection and new life. Those of us who have experienced moments of prayer where we are made profoundly aware of Jesus’ presence can understand that there truly is something beyond this world that we can see, feel and touch. At times when we encounter difficulties or challenges in this life, at times when we must face the questions that truly make us aware of our own mortality, it helps to have a spiritual dimension to our lives.
As Saint Paul reminded the early Christians at Philippi, our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). Only someone who has encountered the risen Jesus can truly speak such words with conviction, yet this is exactly what we are all called to do. As we continue our journey through Lent, let us fix our eyes firmly on Jesus. Let us ask him to help us deepen our faith and our belief that the suffering of Good Friday is never in vain, but rather that it prepares the way for the greatest miracle, the reason for our faith. As we become more and more aware of this truth, we too will be better able to see the truth that suffering and death ultimately leads to resurrection and the fullness of life.
Forging faith
During the liturgical season of Lent, we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter. During this first week, the Lord invites us to come close to him, to open our hearts to him and to enter into a conversation with him. Like any other relationship, there is a part of us that hears the Lord’s invitation but might be a bit hesitant, so it might help us to remember others who have also received such a proposal.
In the first reading, we hear about the invitation that God offered to Abram. As it is in all other cases, God was extremely gentle with Abram, inviting him first to look toward heaven and count the stars ... (Gn 15:5). Then God surprised Abram. Prior to this encounter, Abram and Sarah had never had children, yet the Lord said to him: So shall your descendants be – as numerous as the stars.
The human heart is sometimes slow to believe what God has in store for us, but God never stops believing in us. God knew the plan that he had in mind for Abram. He also knew what was in store for the disciples. At a certain point, when the disciples were finding it difficult to understand all that Jesus was trying to teach them, he took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray (Lk 9:28). Most probably, by this point in their relationship, the disciples had seen Jesus at prayer, but they were not prepared for the scene they witnessed that day. While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white (Lk 9:29). As if that wasn’t enough, suddenly, they saw two men – Moses and Elijah – talking to Jesus (Lk 9:10).
An Irish Bishop once explained that Jesus invited the disciples Peter, James and John to witness the transfiguration so that later on, when they experienced the shock and trauma of His passion and death, these three could help them to understand that the passion and death of Jesus were meant to be, but that he would indeed rise again.
Like the disciples, we too need to experience the transfiguration so that we can better understand that suffering and death will always lead to resurrection and new life. Those of us who have experienced moments of prayer where we are made profoundly aware of Jesus’ presence can understand that there truly is something beyond this world that we can see, feel and touch. At times when we encounter difficulties or challenges in this life, at times when we must face the questions that truly make us aware of our own mortality, it helps to have a spiritual dimension to our lives.
As Saint Paul reminded the early Christians at Philippi, our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). Only someone who has encountered the risen Jesus can truly speak such words with conviction, yet this is exactly what we are all called to do. As we continue our journey through Lent, let us fix our eyes firmly on Jesus. Let us ask him to help us deepen our faith and our belief that the suffering of Good Friday is never in vain, but rather that it prepares the way for the greatest miracle, the reason for our faith. As we become more and more aware of this truth, we too will be better able to see the truth that suffering and death ultimately leads to resurrection and the fullness of life.
Afin d’encourager la foi
Pendant le temps du carême, nous nous préparons pour la célébration de Pâques. Au cours de cette première semaine, le Seigneur nous invite à lui parler, à lui ouvrir nos cœurs et à engager une conversation avec lui. Comme toute autre relation, il est possible que nous ayons reçu l’invitation du Seigneur à le suivre, mais que nous soyons encore réticents à l’accepter. Il pourrait donc nous aider si nous pouvons nous rappeler des autres qui eux aussi ont reçu une telle proposition.
En première lecture, nous avons entendu parler de l'invitation que Dieu a lancée à Abraham. Comme dans tous les autres cas, Dieu fut extrêmement doux avec Abraham, l'invitant d'abord à regarder vers le ciel et à compter les étoiles ... (cf Gn 15: 5). Puis, le Seigneur l’a surpris. Avant cette rencontre, Abraham et Sarah n’avaient jamais eu d’enfants, mais le Seigneur lui dit: Telle sera ta descendance - aussi nombreuse que les étoiles.
Le cœur humain tarde parfois à croire ce que Dieu nous réserve, mais le Seigneur ne cesse jamais de croire en nous. Il connaissait le plan qu'il avait en tête pour Abraham. Il savait aussi ce qui attendait les disciples. À un moment donné, quand les disciples ont rencontré des difficultés à comprendre tout ce que Jésus essayait de leur enseigner, il a pris avec lui Pierre, Jean et Jacques et il a gravi la montagne pour prier (Lc 9,28). Très probablement, à ce stade de leur relation, les disciples avaient vu Jésus en prière, mais ils n'étaient pas préparés pour la scène à laquelle ils ont assisté ce jour-là. Pendant que Jésus priait, l’aspect de son visage devint autre, et son vêtement devint d’une blancheur éblouissante (Lc 9,29). Comme si cela ne suffisait pas, voici que deux hommes s’entretenaient avec lui – Moïse et Élie, apparu dans la gloire (Lc 9,10).
Un évêque irlandais a déjà expliqué que Jésus avait invité les disciples Pierre, Jacques et Jean à assister à la transfiguration afin que, lorsqu'ils connurent le choc et le traumatisme de la passion et de la mort de Jésus, ces trois puissent aider les autres disciples à comprendre que la passion et la mort de Jésus devaient se passer, mais que par après Jésus ressusciterait vraiment.
Comme les disciples, nous devons aussi faire l'expérience de la transfiguration afin de mieux comprendre que la souffrance et la mort conduiront toujours à la résurrection et à une nouvelle vie. Ceux d’entre nous qui ont vécu des moments de prière où nous sommes profondément conscients de la présence de Jésus peuvent comprendre qu’il y a vraiment quelque chose au-delà de ce monde terrestre que nous pouvons voir, ressentir et toucher. Dans les moments pendant cette vie où nous rencontrons des difficultés ou des défis, dans des moments où nous devons faire face aux questions qui nous rendent vraiment conscients de notre propre mortalité, il est utile d’avoir une dimension spirituelle qui fait partie de notre vie.
Comme Saint Paul l'a rappelé aux premiers chrétiens de Philippes, nous avons notre citoyenneté dans les cieux (Phil 3,20). Seule une personne qui a rencontré Jésus ressuscité peut véritablement prononcer de telles paroles avec conviction, mais c'est exactement ce que nous sommes tous appelés à faire. Alors que nous continuons notre chemin à travers le carême, fixons nos yeux fermement sur Jésus. Demandons-lui de nous aider à approfondir notre foi et notre conviction que la souffrance du Vendredi Saint n’est jamais vaine, mais qu’elle ouvre la voie au plus grand miracle, la raison de notre foi. Au fur et à mesure que nous devenons de plus en plus conscients de cette vérité, nous pourrons aussi mieux comprendre que la souffrance et la mort conduisent finalement à la résurrection et à la plénitude de la vie.
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