By: Erika Glover
- 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
In this week’s gospel, Jesus goes atop the mountain to pray. Not anywhere random, but a mountain top-a place above the rest of the world. It’s easy while reading the bible, to forget to read between the lines, to not realize the stuff that isn’t said directly. Jesus could’ve gone to a quiet room or a garden, but consistently throughout the bible we see him going to a mountain to pray. A mountain is just that, a mountain, its tall, rocky, and definitely not easy to climb, so one might wonder why Jesus went all the way up the mountain to pray, time after time. Perspective.
Have you ever had the experience of being lost? Your initial reaction is to panic and to start moving in a frenzied effort to find the way back. However from a young age, we were told, “Don’t move – stop and look around — try to find a hill and climb it; if there is a tree on the hill, climb it! Seek a higher elevation in order to get some perspective.” If not physically lost, most probably know what it is like to “feel lost” — to be confused or uncertain, to feel terribly alone or isolated — and we experience this feeling as well in our life of faith. It’s incredible how that same bit of information we received about being physically lost is relevant when we can’t seem to keep two feet on the right path in life.
In this passage, the three apostles — Peter, James and John — are probably distressed and upset because Jesus has told them that He is about to suffer and die and then be raised to new life. But picture if someone told you that, youd be pretty confused as well. But Our Lord knows they will feel this way and he “took Peter, James and John off by themselves and led them up a high mountain…” Jesus was leading them to a higher elevation where they could acquire a new perspective, quite literally. Their perspective was found when God said this: “This is my Son, my beloved! Listen to Him!”
The Father’s advice gives us the only perspective we need: Jesus. Everything God wants to make known to us is given in His Son Jesus. Jesus is the one word in which all the words God has spoken is contained.
We need to recall and, even more, to deepen our awareness that Jesus is the key to our lives. Lent, this annual retreat we are experiencing, is time for us to learn better how to live the Christian life all year long: how to live with Jesus at the center. As Blessed Pope John Paul II said so often, “Jesus explains to us who we are and who God is; Jesus reveals us to ourselves.”
This lent, try to gain a new perspective of what God is calling you to do with your life- be it a small change in your daily habits or maybe a vocation you’d never even considered. And remember, even when you're confused, lost or can't find a reason, life might seem hard- but never forget that you're climbing the mountain with Jesus to gain your perspective. Listen to Jesus, climb the mountain, and Let the confusion be cleared.
Blessings & Love,
Erika
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