HOW WE ARE CHANGED BY THE TRANSFIGURATION

Such moments are few and far between, yet their grace and inspiration last a lifetime

Feb. 28—2nd Sunday of Lent

Readings: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Psalm 116, R. I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.; Romans 8:31b-34; Gospel—Mark 9: 2-10

My batch at Ateneo de Manila was blessed to have such inspiring leaders of the Church as part of our graduations. In 1972, we had for our grade school Baccalaureate Mass Fr. Ben Villote of the Archdiocese of Manila as the celebrant and homilist. Then Fr. Horacio dela Costa, S.J. in 1976 for high school, and Jaime Cardinal Sin for college in 1980.

Father Villote’s homily became one of the “classics” of Ateneo. Years later, the homily was used—and I believe is still being used—as the opening reflection for the course of Tulong Dunong at the Ateneo de Manila High School, one of the best and most effective programs of the school.

“Bumaba Ka Sa Bundok” was a homily on today’s narrative of the Transfiguration. Later on, in 1981, one of the classes of Tulong Dunong composed a song, with the same title for the annual songwriting contest of the school, and won first prize. This, too, became one of the “classics” of Ateneo High School, the anthem of the Christian Service Program.

Jesus instructing His disciples to go back to the world, so to speak, to go down from the mountain of the Transfiguration, gives one key element of prayer and spirituality of mission.

Life-changing moment

The Transfiguration is a privileged encounter of Peter, James and John with Jesus, seeing Him in his glory and majesty, prefiguring both His Resurrection and His coming again glory. We referred to this as a life-changing moment of grace.

Such moments are few and far between, yet their grace and inspiration last a lifetime. These are moments that transform our lives because of the encounter with grace, with Jesus himself.

We all have these moments, some more dramatic than others, but we all have these moments. This is one grace we pray for during Lent, as we try to spend more time in prayer, reflection and penance. All this is a means to an end, which is the graced encounter with God, or at least to renew and revisit such a moment in our life.

I invite you, this Season of Lent, to constantly pray and reflect on this moment of encounter with God, to renew its graces.

The Gospel gives us a second important element of this encounter, emphasized by the image of “bumaba ka sa bundok.” The grace of the encounter is for sharing in mission, and is lived out in service. Thus, the imperative to go down from the mountain.

This is why the song “In Omnibus Amare, In Omnibus Servire” strikes a chord in our heart and soul. In all things to love, in all things to serve the Lord, for all encounters with Jesus are encounters of love.

This encounter of love is so transforming that our response is to love Him in return—returning love for love, in the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Furthermore, Ignatius adds, love is best expressed in deeds; loving service of God and others.

Final grace

There is a final grace in this narrative. Perhaps both a grace and wise counsel. The Father tells Peter, James and John, “This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him.”

“Listen to Him.” The grace we ask for, bring with us, live by as we come down from the mountain and go into the world.

It is the grace of prayer and contemplation, of listening to God in the midst of the activities and the busyness of every day life.

Max Erhmann opens his beautiful prayer, poem wishing us this grace: “Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Perhaps it’s not simply the stillness of the body, but the stillness of the heart and soul, living life daily contemplatively.

In this stillness, in this silence, we encounter God. At one and the same time we say, “Nothing else matters,” and yet it sends us forth into the world to love and to serve him in all things, bringing him to others that they, too, may encounter him and listen to him.