In his book The Ascent of Mount Carmel, St. John of the Cross compares our desire for union with God to the rays of sunlight shining upon a smudgy window. The smudges prevent the sun from illuminating the window completely. It would be different if the window were cleaned and polished. The sunlight will then give the window clarity and transparency.
We can take this image and apply it to our desire for union with God. Just as the Lord was transfigured, he also invites us to deal with those attitudes, events, and situations that prevent the Lord's light from shining in and through us.
In our everyday life God puts us to the test. He will always be there to test us now and in the future. We can either complain when these tests happen or face and accept what is happening to us. In the first reading from Genesis, God puts a very hard test to Abraham. The test was to offer his son , Isaac, as a holocaust. This must have caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for Abraham. But Abraham put his faith in God, and was obedient to Him. Upon seeing Abraham's faith and obedience, God's messenger informs Abraham to offer a ram and to spare his son.
Throughout salvation history, God has always condemned human sacrifice as an abomination. In this account, God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac as a sign that he loves God more than his son. We are called, too, to think of ways that shows that God is more important than the things in our lives. We are to offer to God our very selves and show Him that He is the center of all we do.
In the gospel from St. Mark, Jesus brings Peter, James and John to the mountain and is transfigured before them. In the description from Mark, we hear, "...his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them." (Mark 9:3) What has happened here is that Jesus has been transformed into a more divine manifestation right in front of his disciples. In this vision with Moses and Elijah, many commentators think that Elijah symbolizes the prophets while Moses symbolizes the law (Torah). Traditionally, the law and the prophets was the way of referring to divine revelation. Thus, Jesus is the fullness of this revelation.
As our Lord took the disciples up to a high mountain to see the glory of God, Jesus wants to bring us to a deeper desire for union with him.
How can we do this? How can we remove the smudges of sin from our lives to get into a deeper, more fulfilling, relationship with Jesus? One way may be in how we relate to those in our lives that we have problems with. Whether it's a relative we haven't spoken to in years, or a friend we have had some disagreement with and no longer speak to, we can reach out and seek reconciliation with them!
Also, another way to "transform" or remove those "smudges", we can turn to Jesus in prayer, fasting, confession and good works. By doing these things, by removing these "smudges", we can radiate the love shone forth from Jesus.
As we continue our journey through Lent, let us continue to think and reflect upon our need to get ever closer to the Lord by accepting Jesus' invitation to transform, to change, our lives by entering into the mystery of the Lord's transfiguration.
Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
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