2013 – Lent – Second Sunday of Lent :Year C

This is my Son,my Chosen,listen to him.

 

1. The Transfiguration of Jesus (which the Church celebrates also on 6 August every year) is a unique event which the three disciples experienced while at prayer with Jesus. It was clearly a Divine affirmation concerning the mission of Jesus who came to this world to fulfil the Law given through Moses and the prophecies given through the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures represented by the prophet Elijah.

 

2. The Transfiguration is also an anticipation of the brilliant light of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It points to the final Victory of God in the life and death of Jesus, of his Personal fulfilment of the Law and Prophets. In this sense it became a consolation, a reminder that the suffering and death of Jesus is not the end of the mission of Jesus. Jesus will rise from death and His humanity will be glorified and become brilliant like an eternal sun. And through Him,we who believe in Him,will

be able to receive the saving grace we need for our own lives and destiny in God. The suffering and death of Jesus cannot overshadow and extinguish His light and life. During Lent, while we reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus, we are at the same time always aware of His ultimate Victory.

 

3. We gather together in worship because we need the teaching, the saving words, of our Lord Jesus. During the proclamation of the Word from the Sacred Scriptures, in faith, we listen to words coming from Jesus Himself directly to each one of us. During the Eucharist and holy communion,in faith,we receive the actual Body and Blood from Jesus Himself in the form of bread and wine through the action of the priest. Each one of us is nourished directly by Jesus Himself. Each one of us is like a branch grafted in the Vine who is Christ because the Lord Jesus is not dead but risen and alive and active in our lives through the powerful love of the Holy Spirit. This is the only reason for being here today!

 

4. It is so important to evaluate our motives for worship – why we bother to worship together on a Sunday. Is it because of a genuine hunger for the Truth and for the Life of Jesus? Is it because we know that we need to help and encourage one another on this journey of faith and be instrumental in allowing the Lord Jesus to speak to us and to feed us? Many walk as the enemies of the cross of Christ says St Paul in today’s second reading. Join in imitating me says St Paul who witnessed to the cross of Christ in his life. This is a real challenge for us – to be a model of a genuine Christian who is not afraid of the cross, not afraid of making sacrifices for the sake of the Reign of God, not afraid of putting into practice in one’s own life what Jesus is teaching us directly  to do and not waiting for others to do this first. This faith is affirmed today in the Gospel when God says: This is my Son,the Chosen.This practice is put before us today when God says: Listen to Him. It is this faith and practice which makes us become transfigured spiritually in this life and ultimately enjoy eternal life beyond this present life to be face to face with the Lord Jesus and all the saints.

 

Bishop Joao Rodrigues

Tzaneen Diocese