Fr Marco Lazzaron
ent, is a journey, spiritual rather than physical but very important to reach our “final destination” which is to live fully the Paschal Mysteries of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection in about 30 days (10 days are already gone, can you believe it?)
Jesus knows the difficulties of the disciples and to put them in a position to understand the point of arrival he helps them to breathe the joy that they will obtain on Easter Sunday (together with their misunderstanding and awe). The mystery of the Transfiguration we are called to meditate every year during the Lenten season has nothing other than this purpose to help us understand that we are invited to achieve eternal happiness.
The gospel of today speaks to us of awe, light, misunderstanding, a voice… The whole history of salvation is contained here: the Old Testament is represented by the Patriarch and the Prophet, the New Testament is represented with Jesus, the awaited Messiah. God appears through “a voice from the cloud”. The Church appears in the three Apostles gathered for the event: Peter, James and John. Here the three will not say anything to anyone, but when they will receive the promised Advocate they will announce the mystery of the Resurrection to people everywhere.
The journey continues only with Jesus: Moses, Elijah and the voice of the Father will have to disappear for a time. We continue to measure ourselves with the dimension of the Passion to which the Master will have to submit (as if he is on his own). It is not easy to understand that the life of the Son of God also passes through suffering, it is easier for us to dwell on this icon! We, therefore, understand Peter when he begins by highlighting how beautiful it is to remain on the mountain of the Transfiguration and to crystallize that moment like in a picture.
However, what we are facing is the hard time that prepares us for Calvary when Jesus will be in the company of two criminals and must open his arms on a Cross to definitively defeat death and open the gates of heaven with the Resurrection.
So, let us live the time we have left with more fervor, let us approach the different phases that we are called to live without taking our eyes off the Crucifix, only in this way will we be able to arrive at Easter with the awareness that Christ died for us and rose again to help us to rise again in our daily life.
There will be simpler moments and others that are more difficult, but only from the constancy that we will have in remaining faithful to the Lenten commitments (prayer, almsgiving, and fasting) will we understand the benefits. In faithfulness to these nodal points of the Lenten journey we continue to follow Jesus, listening to him and keeping his teachings in our hearts.
All that remains for me to say is: have a beautiful and safe “journey”!
Image- Christian Art
The Transfiguration of Christ,
Painted by Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516),
Oil on panel,
Painted circa 1480,
© Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy