Readings:
Gn. 15:5-12, 17-18; Phil 3:20-4:1; Lk 9:28-36
“This is my Chosen; Listen to Him.”
1.
In the first reading, God initiates a
covenant with Abram, putting His life on the line and promising to make Abram’s
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Despite being old and seeing
no immediate fulfillment of this promise, Abram places his faith in God,
trusting that He will remain faithful to His word.
2.
In the Gospel, Jesus is transfigured on
the mountain during prayer. Like God, He commits His life to saving His people.
The transfiguration signifies the new life we can have with God. Just as God
promised the children of Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, Jesus, the
new Adam, will guide us to a life of everlasting happiness in heaven. At the
Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about His impending death (his
Exodus) and its purpose in saving humanity. ‘Exodus’ means to remind us of the
Israelites’ flight from Egypt. Through His death and resurrection, our lives
will be transformed; our pain will turn to joy, and death will give way to life,
with Christ reigning in us forever. Jesus will lead a new exodus – liberating
not only Israel but every race and people, not from bondage to Pharaoh but from
slavery to sin and death. He will lead all mankind, not to the territory
promised to Abraham in today’s first reading, but to the heavenly commonwealth
that is described in today’s Epistle. Moses, the giver of God’s law, and the
great prophet Elijah were the only Old Testament figures to hear the voice and
see the glory of God on top of a mountain (Exodus 24:15-18;1 King 19:8-18).
3.
However, we must first follow the example
of Christ. His transfiguration was preceded by prayer. To pray is to change; to
be transformed further requires sincere and frequent prayer. We connect with
God in prayer by lifting our minds and hearts to Him, constantly praising and
adoring Him. During prayer, we seek God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness for our
sins. We pray because we desire to be in communion with God. Without
communication with Him, we may find ourselves “running well but off the road.”
Through prayer, God establishes a covenant of love with us, transforms our
appearances, and clothes us in a dazzling white garment, preparing us for the
celebration of Christ’s resurrection.
4.
When we pray, we listen to Jesus. “Then
from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.’”
God the Father invites us to heed Jesus. This is what He desires from us: “You
have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to
do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah
6:8). Jesus teaches us to forgive those who have wronged us, love our enemies,
and do good to those who hate us. He encourages us to give to everyone who asks
of us and to treat others as we would like to be treated. Christ urges us to
stop judging and condemning others, to share what we have, and to treat
everyone with the same unconditional love that God shows us (Luke 6:27-42). We
can fulfill these teachings only through prayer, which brings us into the
presence of God and effects change in our lives.
5.
When we pray, God transforms our
appearances and our relationships, making it possible to forgive those who have
hurt us. Prayer inspires holy thoughts, allowing us to echo Peter’s sentiment:
“Lord, it is good for us to be here.” The “here” that Peter longed for was to
be at home with God. Jesus will transform our lives, making them like His in
glory. May it be so now and always! Amen.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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