Homily: 2nd Sunday of Lent

March 16, 2025

My dear brothers and sisters, the readings of this second Sunday of Lent shed light on the forth coming eternal glory which is the ultimate purpose for which God created us. In the second reading, St Paul writing to the Philippians reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. We are not only Canadian citizens, ultimately, we are heavenly citizens. The remaining life span of the Canadian citizenship of youngest person in this Church to live more may be about eighty-five which are these little kids, but our heavenly citizenship will last forever. The gospel narrative of the Transfiguration of Jesus underscores this eternal truth. The transfiguration of Jesus is one instance when Jesus permitted His divine glory to shine out when He was physically on earth.

This episode of the transfiguration of Jesus is a practical demonstration that the message of eternal glory to come is not a cock and bull story. Revelation 22:3-5 shows the vision of the city of God with the throne of God and of the Lamb and the servants of God moving around the throne with the name of God on their foreheads, a city where there will be no need of light from hydro or solar because God will be the light for His servants and they will reign forever and ever. The events of the transfiguration of Jesus verifies that these types of eschatological passages scattered over the Sacred Scripture are not mere figment of peoples’ imaginations neither are they mere scholarly academic treatise, no, they point to a reality that one day will be dawned on us yonder. They remind us of the fact of the immortality of the soul.

We can see from the transfiguration narrative how within a twinkle of an eye, the whole mountain became filled with the shekinah glory of God, the appearance of Jesus changed, and His clothes became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah, men who died thousands of years ago reappeared, which showed, they were actually alive somewhere. The voice of God was heard confirming Jesus as His beloved Son whose message we are to pay heed to for our salvation. These events were not just spiritual visions of the next world or conjectures, no, it happened somewhere in Israel, three human witnesses: Peter, James and John were present and testified to it. About twelve years ago, a few months after my priestly ordination, I went for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and we ascended this mount of Transfiguration. Most probably, I must have stood at the very spot where Jesus stood to hear the voice of His Father telling the world, “This is my beloved Son.”

Another significant aspect of the transfiguration of Jesus is the testimony of these great spiritual giants who were present. One can say that the entire history of salvation of humanity was represented in this singular event. Biblical scholars usually describe the Old Testament as the Law and the Prophets, Moses is seen as the chief bearer of the Law, it was him who received the Decalogue on a tablet of stone at Mount Sinai, and Elijah is seen as the greatest of the prophets. So, the presence of Moses and Elijah was very symbolic as representative of the Law and the prophets that became fulfilled in Jesus. The voice of God the Father was heard confirming this and asking us now to listen to Jesus. Peter, whom Jesus made the head of His Church was present with two other apostles to take this instruction. Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk away from the message of Jesus. This message has perdured today through the ministry of the Pope and the bishops as the successors of Peter and the apostles respectively and we all as Christ’s disciples.

The transfiguration of Jesus reminds us of our own forth coming transfiguration. St Luke emphasized it well that Jesus transfigured while He was at prayers communicating with His Father. He was not just having a nice time with some wraps of shawarma and cold beer and suddenly became transfigured, no, He was in deep spiritual dialogue with His Father. Our own transfiguration to glory will also occur when we are in spiritual communion with God that comes through prayers, good life, penance, works of charity, obedience to God’s commandments.