The Transfiguation of Jesus

Jesus invites his three more intimate friends, Peter, James and John, to go up the mountain with him; Luke tells us that Jesus took them up to pray. While Jesus is praying, He is transfigured before them. This Gospel is always the second Sunday of Lent. We need to see Jesus transfigured in prayer and to hear the voice of God the Father saying, "Listen to Him." We, too, are to go apart in Lent to pray and be transfigured by listening. We have these weeks to concentrate on hearing God's voice and trusting God as Abraham did.

Don't forget that you can look at the Concord Pastor's blog linked on the right side of this blog and click on the Bible and find several short but excellent commentaries for the Sunday readings. Since I also have several places listed under prayer resources where you can follow the liturgical readings, I have stopped commenting on them except when the Spirit inspires me to share an experience of them. The Transfiguration has been a favorite reading ever since I began a eight day retreat with it once in Chile and really felt as if I were on the mountain with Jesus.

Here is a verse I read yesterday and thought I could share as it is true that when moving forward into the light we cannot see, but looking back we see so many grace-filled moments of light.

We travelers, walking to the sun, can’t see
Ahead, but looking back the very light
That blinded us shows us the way we came,
Along which blessings now appear, risen
As if from sightlessness to sight, and we,
By blessing brightly lit, keep going toward
That blessed light that yet to us is dark.
—Wendell Berry