Second Sunday of Lent Year A

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17: 1- 9

1 Jesus took with him Peter, James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

2 There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light.

3 SuddenlyMoses and Elijah appeared to them: they were talking with him.

4 Then Peter spoke to Jesus. 'Lord, ' he said 'it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'

5 He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ' This is my Son the beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.'

6 When they heard this, the disciples, fell on their faces, overcome with fear.

7 But Jesus came up and touched them. 'Stand up,' he said 'do not be afraid.'

8 And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but only Jesus.

9 As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ' Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.'

Meditation

The three apostles experience the glory of Jesus in a wonderful way that will affect forever their relationship with him (see 2 Peter 1: 16 - 18). When did you or someone you know, experience glory that until then had been hidden? In Jesus? In the church community? In a friend or a member of your family? In a Bible passage? In nature?

The story is told as a journey with different stages, and as you meditate on it you will find yourself recognizing these stages from your experience:

•  Verse 1: To experience the transfiguration the apostles muse entrust themselves to Jesus and let him lead them up a very high mountain where they can be alone.

•  Verse 2 and 3: They see not merely Jesus in glory but conversing with his great fore-runners who have been heroes to them.

•  Verse 4: Identify with peter who would like to remain there forever

•  Verse 5: Jesus is experienced as beloved Son of God, to be listened to with reverence, but this time through ' a voice from the cloud ', a totally inner experience, a ' blessed assurance'.

•  Verse 6 - 8: A very tender passage; Jesus gentle with the apostles, helping them to make the transition back to seeing him as he normally is, but now quite different because of the transfiguration experience. Who was Jesus in your life who did this for you?

•  Verse 9: The apostles return to ordinary living, but with a memory so deep that they know they cannot share it with others for the indefinite future.

Prayer 

' There are three phases of prayer: me and Him; Him and me; just Him.'
Anglican Bishop Stephen Verney

Lord we thank you that in this season of Lent

you will take with you many of your disciples and lead them

up a high mountain where you can be alone with them;

then, in their presence you will be transfigured,

your face shining like the sun

and your clothes becoming as white as the light.

We thank you that not only you, but Moses and Elijah

Will appear to them, talking with you.

Surely they will cry out in their joy:

'Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here.

If you wish, we will make three tents,

One for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'

We pray that you will lead them

Beyond what they can see and feel;

That a bright cloud will cover them with shadow

And from the cloud a voice may come saying:

'This is my Son, the beloved; he enjoys my favour, listen to him.'

' The traveler cannot love because love is statis and travel is motion.' Derek Walcott

Lord, we are afraid to get close to people,

to let them lead us up a high mountain where we can be alone.

and so they cannot be transformed in our presence

and we cannot hear the voice from the cloud

telling us that they are your sons and daughters, your Beloved,

that they enjoy your favour and that we must listen to them.

We pray for the church in the world.

Help us that when people fall on their faces before you,

overcome with fear,

we may come up and touch them, and say to them:

'Do not be afraid.'

'We ought not to learn silence from speaking but rather by keeping silent we must learn to speak.' St Gregory

Lord, help us to be content that

when we raise our eyes from a deep experience

we see only those who we are called to live with

and we come down from the mountain with them.

Lord we thank you for those beautiful moments

On the mountain,

So deep that as we came down we knew

That we must tell no one about the vision

Until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.