HOPE
by Nick Emanuel
"Lord, it is good that we are here." St. Peter, maybe a little impetuous, proclaims what James and John must have been thinking as well. And as Jesus' face "shone like the sun," one can only imagine the overwhelming sense of hope that filled their hearts at that moment. And without this hope, how could they have suffered the trial of Jesus' crucifixion? Would Peter have become another Judas, if he had not seen the glory of the Lord and been filled with hope?The Transfiguration of our Lord which our former Holy Father, John Paul II brought to the forefront with the luminous mysteries, is a sign of hope. It points to things yet to come, it is the promised glory of our Lord's Resurrection. During this season of Lent, meditate on the Lord's shining face and how it brings hope in the midst of suffering. Hope tells us that all will be well, that in the end there will be no darkness, only light. That all will be transformed in the love of the Father.
Second Sunday of Lent: Mt. 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,and led them up a high mountain by themselves.And he was transfigured before them;his face shone like the sunand his clothes became white as light.And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,conversing with him.Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,“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.”While he was still speaking, behold,a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,then from the cloud came a voice that said,“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;listen to him.”When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrateand were very much afraid.But Jesus came and touched them, saying,“Rise, and do not be afraid.”And when the disciples raised their eyes,they saw no one else but Jesus alone.As they were coming down from the mountain,Jesus charged them,“Do not tell the vision to anyoneuntil the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
1 comment:
We all need hope don't we? It seems that there is so little of it shown in our world today. I am a student of the Spanish language and I know that the infinitive verb "esperar" means to hope, and therefore the word despair literally means "un-hopefulness". Let us pray especially for the students in Illinois after the tragedy that must have left them in darkness and without hope that in time they will see light again. I think it is in Hebrews where it says that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for". Let us hold fast to assurance and hope
Joan
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