Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 4, 2007 - Second Sunday in Lent
[Deuteronomy 15:5-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28B-36]Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.......After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
Some experiences are so overwhelming that it can take years to come to terms with them. They can be traumatic (abuse, loss of a child, a betrayal) or beautiful (a great love, a scene of incredible beauty, a spiritual experience!). At first we are simply unable to bring our emotional, physical and spiritual resources to bear on such an experience because it is too much - a kind of "overload." Yet it can be life-altering and remains a kind of "root experience" that influences the rest of our lives. Perhaps later on we are able to place the experience(s) in perspective or write/talk about it. It seems to me that the experience described in the gospel scripture for today (the "Transfiguration of Christ") fits the description. Perhaps it would be more difficult to speak of this experience from the point of view of Jesus. It does seem that he was on familiar terms with Moses and Elijah, those "bigger than life" heroes representing the Law and the Prophets. But we are not given much idea as to how he was feeling. Peter, James and John, however, seem to have formed a special inner circle. Therefore we know from their presence that they are trusted. Yet, as they will in the garden of Gethsemani, they fall asleep while Jesus is praying and awake to an overwhelming experience. They are terrified by the whole "theophany" of Jesus' appearance, Moses and Elijah, and the voice in the cloud! The Gospel of Luke tells us that "they fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen." The Gospels of Matthew and Mark have Jesus telling them not to talk about the experience till after Jesus has risen from the dead. One wonders what they would have said about it at the time! In fact that is the question before us now, what sense can we make of this experience. It seems to go beyond the preaching and the signs to the very identity of Jesus, which up till that time with the disciples was a very human one. Now he is shown to be MORE than human! Our perspective is not theirs. But the experience remains perplexing. On my own part, I see it as an invitation. The Eastern traditions of the Church teach extensively of the process of "divinization" that the human person is invited to be a part of for all of life. The three apostles start from a position of special trust, and then, despite their weakness, they witness the manifestation of the glory of Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and then are invited to "listen" to him by the voice in the cloud. We see that this experience occurs as Jesus is praying. In short, we are invited to an experience of Christ that can be ours in faith if we are willing to go deeper into the mystery of his person. It is not a matter of elitism. It is a matter of being open to it. As the gospel says, it is an "exodus" of a sort. We may find it overwhelming and be unable to easily share it, but eventually we must. Perhaps Lent gives us an opportunity to reflect on our readiness for it. AMEN
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