Second Sunday of Lent 2011

… he was transfigured before them; 

his face shone like the sun 
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.

No one saw the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples had fled; the soldiers were sleeping; and besides, no one expected anything to happen. Saint Matthew says the women saw an angel descending to roll the stone away from the tomb, but the tomb appears to be empty already.

When artists describe the resurrection they turn to Jesus’ transfiguration. This is where we find his face shining like the sun and his clothes dazzling white. Already, before his passion and death, Jesus gave his disciples a mystery to ponder in preparation for that day.

When they witness the full horror of the crucifixion – the humiliation and torture of their beloved master, his naked wretchedness, the gore and blood, his cry of despair, and the utter contempt of his enemies – they will need the memory of Mount Tabor.

But even at that moment they were not sufficiently overwhelmed with the glory of Jesus. Peter would exclaim,

“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here, 
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Perhaps he was thinking of God’s appearance in Genesis 18, when the Lord appeared as three men to Abraham and Sarah. Perhaps he thought he should imitate the hospitality of the Patriarch. But Peter was too eager to take charge of the situation. In reply he heard,

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”

With that he collapsed into terrified silence. Perhaps he also heard the unspoken command, “Don’t just do something, stand there!”

As we prepare for Easter we should contemplate the mystery of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We want this signal event to change our lives utterly. As W. B. Yeats wrote,

All changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.

When we have integrated this historical event fully into our lives, nothing will be the same for us. Jesus Christ is the beginning of everything we do, and the aim of every endeavor. Our work and play, family life, friendships, and acquaintances, our sexual, religious, political, economic, social and intellectual lives, our eating, sleeping and breathing are all oriented by the cross.

The word orientation comes from the word Latin word for east. Traditionally our churches are built facing east, with the altar against the east wall, beneath the cross. As we gather each Sunday we face the east, the cross and resurrection, allowing these sacred mysteries to reorient, realign – or true -- everything in our lives.