A: 2nd Sun of Lent (12 Mar 2017) - TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD - Mt 17:1-9

The 2nd Sunday of Lent dwells on the so-called Transfiguration of Our Lord. The word “transfiguration” is uniquely used to refer to the event in the life of Jesus where “his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light” (Mt. 17:2; 2 Pt. 1:17). This is almost the same description mentioned in the gospel of Mark (9:3) and Luke (9:29) but it is only in Matthew and Mark that the term “was transfigured” occurred. Both used a rare Greek compound verb “metemorphōthē”—where the English “metamorphosis” was derived—which comes from the combination of the preposition “meta” (“with, among, by, against, after, behind” ) and the noun “morphē” (“form” or “nature”). Looking deeply on the attributes of the word may help us arrive into some rich reflections. I identify two points:

1. It is a verb in the passive mood. It means that Jesus was not transfiguring by Himself (though we know He can do it with His divine power) but was a mere recipient of the action of an agent. This agent could be God whose voice was later manifesting Jesus’ divine sonship. Yet, what should be highlighted is Jesus’ humility and dependence to the Father similar to His baptism (“was baptized” in Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:9; Lk. 3:21).

A good question to ask ourselves is: Do we rely on God’s providential hand to take care of us, or do we overdo in transforming our lives for the better? Nowadays, we would tend to be too anxious of tomorrow, too manipulative of relationships, or too harsh on our own selves to deliver in our careers. These are all futile for it is not we who could change our situations right now; everything relies on God. Bear in mind what Mt. 6:33-34 has to say: “But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

2. It could be a trans-“form”-ation or a trans-“natura”-lization. The event in Jesus’ life could be any of the two, or probably both since the noun “morphē” could mean both. Changing in “form” may mean changing in physical appearance as what Luke explicitly suggests. On the other hand, changing in “nature” may mean a change in dignity evident with the presence of two celebrated respectable biblical personalities (Moses and Elijah) and in the mandate of the voice from the cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him” (Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:7; Lk. 9:35). The former refers to a new adorable outer bearing of Jesus, while the latter connotes a confession of Jesus’ Lordship.

In this Season of Lent, we are all challenged to change on two accounts: in our form and in our nature. In our form, it is good to ask ourselves: Does my face shine brilliantly to others? Do I always wear a smile? Am I oozing with contentment and joy? Pope Francis preached the same in his twitter message last Jan. 30, 2014: “I cannot imagine a Christian who does not know how to smile. May we joyfully witness to our faith”; he earlier told addressed the sisters of Santa Chiara in Assisi the same thing: “I am so disappointed when I meet nuns who are joyless, who may smile with the smile of a flight attendant but not with the smile of joy that comes from within.”

In our nature, it is good to ask ourselves: Have I already changed my bad attitude and behavior? Am I still driven towards success and worldly ambitions? Am I still selfish in my decisions? All the Synoptic writers followed the Transfiguration scene with the unsuccessful attempt of Jesus’ disciples to heal and their argument on who is the greatest. It seemed that they didn’t understand the “Way of the Cross” that Jesus was teaching before (Mt. 16:21-23) and after the transfiguration (Mt. 17:22-23). Remember, our “high mountain moment” is only temporary; like Jesus, we still have to come down the mountain (Mt. 17:9) and face the reality of our own crosses.

- Rex Fortes, CM