2nd Sunday of Lent

16/3/2025

Picture yourself hiking up a steep mountain with your closest friends. Your legs ache, your breath comes in gasps, and you wonder if the climb is worth it. But you trust the person leading you—Jesus. When you finally reach the top, something extraordinary happens.

Suddenly, Jesus begins to shine with brilliant light. His face glows like the sun, and his clothes turn dazzlingly white. While you're trying to make sense of this amazing sight, two figures appear beside him—Moses and Elijah—talking with Jesus as if they're old friends.

This is exactly what happened to Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration. These disciples knew Jesus as their teacher and companion—someone they travelled with, ate with, and learned from daily. But now they witnessed something more, they saw Jesus revealed as God's Son, radiating divine glory.

Overwhelmed, Peter blurts out, "Lord, it's good for us to be here!" He wanted to build shelters and capture that powerful moment forever; wouldn't we all? But before he could act, a cloud surrounded them and a voice spoke "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!" All too quickly things returned to normal, leaving Jesus standing there as before. The disciples knew they had witnessed something that would transform their understanding forever.

Like the disciples, we need moments that help us see Jesus in a fresh way. Perhaps you've experienced something similar during prayer, on a retreat, or in nature—times when God's presence feels especially close, breaking through the ordinary. These are your own special glimpses of glory.

The voice from the cloud gave one clear instruction: "Listen to Him." In our noisy world filled with endless distractions, Jesus invites us to quiet ourselves and focus on his voice. He speaks through Scripture, the Church, and in the quiet of our hearts. When we truly listen with intention, we find direction, purpose, and a peace that nothing else can provide.

This wonder-filled experience shows us that we are also called to transformation. Jesus did not take his disciples up the mountain just to give them a spectacular experience—he was preparing them for the challenges ahead, including his suffering and death. Our faith journey includes both mountain-top moments and difficult valleys. And just as Jesus was transfigured, Jesus wants to transform us from the inside out—making us more loving, brave, and filled with his light that others can see.

Like the disciples, we cannot stay on the mountain forever. We have to continue our faith journey each new day. Our powerful spiritual experiences can help strengthen us for what lies ahead. Even when things become tough, we can remember what the disciples saw—that Jesus is the light that never dims, even in our darkest hours.

A practical way to carry this message forward during Lent is to set aside a quiet time each day to listen to Jesus. We can also practice trusting Jesus during uncertain and difficult times, remembering the glory we've glimpsed. Let us also commit to bringing Jesus' light to others through gentleness, kindness, and compassion in a world that desperately needs these qualities.

The Transfiguration offers a glimpse of heaven and calls us to live differently from now on. Jesus invites us to see him with new eyes and to recognize the divine in our midst.

Will you accept the invitation?

by Fr Thomas O'BRIEN a.a