Reflection on Genesis 12: 1-4a;
Matthew 17: 1-9
The journey of those
who believe in God is full of meaning, because they walk hoping to get eternal
life[1]. The human being is a “God’s
seeker” since his birth. After each step, we are invited to take the following one,
because there is within us a force that pushes us forward, telling us that the
“horizon has not yet arrived,” but it is necessary to continue walking. Along
the way, there are many “things” to be left, because each new stage of our life
leads us to find new “ones”.
To reach the full
purpose of our lives, we do not need to hurry, but of decision that accompanied
by faith, finds in God its correct direction. He, who invites us to begin the
great “adventure of living”, is truly attracting us to himself, according to
the theologian Augustine, who said, “O God, you have made us for your sake and
our heart lives restless until it rests in you.” By fixing our gaze on Jesus,
who was transfigured on the mount, it is easy to understand the true meaning of
our life and the whole universe with us[2]. It is in this perspective
that we are invited to reflect on God’s invitation to Abraham to go to an ‘unknown
land’ and the invitation of Jesus to his disciples to walk with him to the ‘top
of the mountain’.
Abraham is known as “our
father in the faith” because he was the first person to believe against all
human expectations. He was invited to start a trip. He did not know where to
go, but he chose to believe in God and accept his promise as a guarantee during
the journey. All things that God said have come true, for he who promised is
faithful. Abraham was not only seeking to achieve a personal project of life,
but - and especially - to do the will of the one who called him. This reality
makes us to remember the refrain of a very beautiful song composed in Brazil,
which says, “Happy is who leaves, who walks and who goes; Sureness in the front
and history in the hands. Happy is he who believes in the promises of the
Father and consecrates his life for the sake of the brothers.” Then, our journey
is not so different from that of Abraham. Maybe what we lack is that faith he
had.
The event of Jesus’
transfiguration occurred six days after he revealed that he should suffer, die,
and be raised from the dead. At the same time, he invited his disciples to join
him in this cause by “denying themselves, bearing their own crosses and
following him.” Truly, this was against all their expectations about the man
they had recognized as the Christ of God. Although Jesus had also spoken on the
resurrection’s issue, their hearts were troubled by the terrible news of his
death and they could not understand well.
Then, Jesus decided to
invite some of them to accompany him to the top of Mount Tabor. This journey
“transfigured” their vision. There on the mountain, Jesus was transfigured
before them. He showed a little of his glory and the future reality of those
who follow him faithfully. Jesus invites them to an experience of the “high” so
that they can see from the “high” and be able to assimilate the meaning of his surrender
and the reality they are called to assume in identification with their Master.
In fact, “Jesus did not have to change anything in himself; what changed was
their vision of Jesus.”
The presence of Moses
and Elijah evokes the reference of revelation in the Old Testament. Both spoke
with Jesus showing that there is no rupture between their teaching and that of
Jesus, but connection and continuity. However, although Jesus’ teaching is
continuity, the voice from the cloud testified that it is he who has the
authority to teach and interpret correctly what was said by the Ancestors.
Thus, the Father testified about his Son, presenting him as the reference in
our life, that is, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” All are invited to
listen to him[3].
Listening is a very significant verb in biblical experience. This is the
correct attitude of the faithful Jew before the Word of God, assuming the
commitment to put into practice what he heard. Therefore, listening is linked with
living.
“They wish to remain
on the mountain, but a voice from heaven invited them to listen to him and obey
him.” Many times God invites us to experience His presence as it happened to
Abraham, or like those on the mountain, for example, to participate in the
Celebrations, in moments of prayer, retreats, etc. Experiences like these
strengthen our faith and zeal for the Work of God. Of course, we want these
experiences should take long. However, our journey of faith is not only about “mountain
climbing” (symbol of personal spiritual experience), but also about “descending
from the mountain” (to face the challenges of fraternal and missionary experience).
Every day we are invited to experience “transfiguration” through listening and
practicing the Word of Jesus. This experience helps us to perceive the
disfigured faces of many brothers and sisters around us and to have toward them
the same feelings and attitudes of Christ. “Listening to His Word gives us the
strength to follow Him to the end.” Then, here we have the proper way to be
also “beloved children” of God.
Fr Ndega
[1] Here I make a reference to the author L.
Wittgenstein in his reflection on the mystical and religious factor in the
human being. According to him, "to believe in God is to understand the
question of the meaning of life. To believe in God is to affirm that life has
meaning. About God, who is beyond this world, we cannot speak. Moreover, on
what we cannot speak, we must keep silent "(Tractatus, 7). This thought is
completed with the statement of Ernest Bloch, quoted by LB in his article “The
religion as a source of saving utopias”, which says: “Where there is religion,
there is hope.”
[2] It is opportune to cite here a fragment of a
great theologian who continues helping us with his profound reflections in
non-ecclesial sectors: “Jesus is only the first of many brothers and sisters; Also
humankind, the earth and the universe itself will be transfigured to be the
Body of God. So, our future is the transfiguration of the universe and all that
it contains, especially the human life... Maybe this is our great hope, our
absolute future.” (LB)
[3] Jesus is the greatest revelation of God. No
other can reveal God as he does. In fact, God spoke to our Ancestors in the
past. Therefore, “in these days,” all that God continues revealing to the people,
he does it through his Son Jesus. Even those who do not know Jesus receive the
revelation of God through him. In that brother whom they can help because they
are needy, they can meet Christ, who has identified himself with the needy of
all times (Mt 25, 31-46). The measure is love/compassion. Their acts of compassion
speak of Christ.
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