HOMILY FROM CANON STEPHEN FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF LENT
2nd Sunday of Lent B21
Transfiguration
Can you recall a time when you had an ‘aha moment’? One of those moments when something suddenly makes perfect sense to you. It may have been a long time coming, a combination of various pieces of a jigsaw fitting together or it may be an insight you received from a spiritual practice. These are special moments. We are never quite the same afterwards, something changes, even a small thing, but something in us changes. These moments move us outside of ourselves or beyond ourselves in some way. They are moments of transfiguration.
In the Gospel today, Peter is desperate to stay on the mountain in that blissful moment with Jesus, so much so that he offers to build tents. One can understand Peter’s request, after such an experience of course he would want to stay there. What moments of encounter in your own life do you recall? An encounter where you simply did not want it to end? It may be something very deep and meaningful which gave you a glimpse of God or a moment of complete contentment?
As with all blissful moments, the disciples must come down from the mountain-top. Jesus’ way involves walking a very different path, a path that will not be so easy. Jesus’ way is different to what Peter may have had in mind. These moments of Transfiguration strength us all for walking the more difficult paths, sustaining us on the way.
But this story is a prayer-event between Jesus and his Father and we are invited to see Jesus and the Father as one in the intimacy of their relationship. We can experience this power and presence as a transformation that we call transfiguration. It is a gracious gift from God to us. We are asked to ‘recognise him as God’s Beloved and to listen to him’ as our ultimate destiny as well as all of creation.
On this Second Sunday of Lent we are invited to climb the mountain, to set aside time and space to listen to the voice of God in Jesus and glimpse the presence of Christ that will nourish us inwardly. Lent is an invitation also to come down the mountain, having been inspired by our prayer-encounter with the presence of God and return to where we can serve one another, especially those whose lives are darkened by trouble, hurt, fear, worry, loneliness or poverty.
A good resolution is to decide to listen to people, especially those who are under a cloud for whatever reason. It is from the cloud that the Father’s voice speaks to reveal his Son. This lent let us wait for each person to express themselves and put aside our own agenda, prejudices, personal plans and expectations. So many people feel that they are not listened to in our Church, and as a result people just feel ignored, unheard and not listened to with any depth or sincerity.
Imagine if we told the world that as a Church we do nothing else for Lent, except to listen to people who are ‘precious in the eyes of the Lord’ Psalm 115:15. Imagine if we told the world that we would become a Church that will solely listen to the unheard. It would be a real transfiguration and would show the face of the Church in a new light. It would re-kindle a long-extinguished hope in people’s hearts. It would be a Tabor-mountain-moment and people would glimpse the living glory that is ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14).
