Today our Gospel directs our attention towards the Transfiguration of the Lord. I believe that it is important that we put this passage into its proper context for what we are celebrating today is not the Feast of the Transfiguration (that is August 6th), but the 2nd Sunday of Lent.
We know the Lenten season to be one of penance. For that reason our liturgical color is violet for it is a reminder of our need to undergo penance. Our Blessed Lord took with Him Peter, James, and John to this mountain where He was transfigured in their sight. This is important for very soon they would undergo the events of the Lord’s Passion. Here their faith would come to be tested and they would be tempted to flee.
The Transfiguration serves as a reminder of the Christian virtue of hope. The Transfiguration points us towards hope because it serves as a foreshadowing and reminder of the Resurrection. During this Lenten season it is for the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection that we now prepare. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Christ’s Transfiguration aims at strengthening the apostles’ faith in anticipation of his Passion: the ascent onto the high mountain prepares for the ascent to Calvary. Christ, Head of the Church, manifests what his Body contains and radiates in the sacraments: the hope of glory.”
In our world we need this same reminder of hope especially when we are attempting to stay close to the Lord. It would be a grave mistake for us to rebuke the cross in our life. Instead we must come to embrace it. It would also be a grave mistake for us to allow the weight of the cross to smash us because hope always remains in the eventual Resurrection of the Lord. Each and every one of us will continue to be called to embrace the cross, but through its loving embrace we will grow in our love and service to the Lord.
If we are convinced of these coming realities and desire to prepare the way for them it is a necessity that we participate in the Sacrament of Confession. How sad is the soul that wants nothing to do with this sacrament for they reject our Lord’s desire to bestow His merciful love upon us? Confession is not something to fear for it cleanses our soul and bestows grace upon the receiver. If we desire to more clearly see our Lord and rejoice with Him we would frequent this sacrament of His love.
When is the last time that you have received this Sacrament? If your answer is pushing a year I encourage you to rush back. If your answer is beyond a year please return without delay. There are seven sacraments which have been given to us by Christ and who are we to say that we are not in need of this gift? This Tuesday we will have a total of nine priests who will be at our parish to hear confession starting at 7pm. If you don’t remember how to make a confession or are worried about not knowing the prayers just return to confession and the priest will be more than happy to walk you through the process.
Very soon we will undergo the events of our Lord’s Passion and we will come to rejoice at the Good News of our Lord’s Resurrection. May we prepare for these days which lay ahead in order that we may more greatly come to behold the splendor that is revealed unto us through the event of the Transfiguration.
