|
Dear Friend,
At Mass on the Second Sunday of Lent, we heard the powerful Gospel of the Transfiguration. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a high mountain—and there, before their very eyes, His glory is revealed. His face shines like the sun, His clothing becomes dazzling white, and suddenly Moses and Elijah appear, speaking with Him.
Take a moment and place yourself on that mountain.
What would you feel? Fear? Awe? Breathless wonder?
Would you want to pitch a tent and stay in that moment forever? And when the Father's voice thunders from the heavens, would you fall to the ground in trembling reverence, longing for Jesus’ reassuring touch?
And then—imagine walking back down the mountain with Jesus. He tells you to keep this extraordinary vision hidden until He has “risen from the dead.” Could you hold that mystery quietly in your heart, not yet understanding what He meant, yet knowing you had witnessed something profoundly holy?
These are the questions I have been holding in prayer since Sunday. The gift of the Transfiguration was given to Jesus’ closest companions to strengthen them for the dark and painful days to come. They would carry that vision—and His words—deep within their hearts. And later, when everything seemed lost, those memories would become a source of strength, courage, and unshakable hope.
I imagine that as they watched Jesus suffer, die, and be placed in the tomb, it must have been incredibly difficult to cling to what they had seen and heard on the mountain. And yet, on Easter morning, when Mary Magdalene came rushing to them with the astonishing news that she had seen the Lord, they knew instantly. This was what He had promised. They ran—not to confirm an empty tomb—but to meet their Risen Lord.
As we continue our Lenten journey, I pray that hope fills your heart as it filled the hearts of the three on the mountaintop. We may not be able to build tents and remain in those radiant moments forever, but we are assured of this: Jesus walks with us wherever life leads. And if we listen closely, we can still hear His words echoing gently in our souls— “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
Blessings,
Sister Mary Sue IHM
| 
