As we enter the second week of Lent, we offer this antiphon prayer, “To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul; in Thee, O my God, I put my trust: let me not be ashamed.” (Ad te, Domine, levavi animam meam: Deus meus, in te confido, non erubescam.) It is a prayer of resignation and abandonment to God of our soul and trust in Him without putting us to shame.
The epistle today from the 1st letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians focuses on spiritual growth and maturity of faith for which Paul advises them to do unceasing prayers and to walk together in holiness. I believe that God is deeply concerned with our openness to accompany each other in order to live our Christian life. We are all children of God, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord; therefore, listen to God’s word. He wants us to grow in the knowledge of the truth and to get into heaven. If we continue to live in darkness and in a sinful world, we refuse to live as children of God and refuse to know and love Him, or maybe just know God only to a limited degree.
In this 1st Letter to the Thessalonians 4:1-7 are specific instructions concerning, sexual purity, and the succeeding verses, 9-10, are about brotherly love and verses 11-12, are about concerns of orderly living. I encourage you to make this your personal meditational reading material.
St. Paul says, “how you ought to walk and to please God” is a reminder that we need to walk in order to please God by keeping His will and working on our sanctification. This points to the original plan of God to follow and be faithful to Him. However, Paul was aware of our constant struggle and tendency to follow our desires rather than the sovereign will of God. We struggle to follow the desires of the flesh and mind which oftentimes is contrary to God.
God has created everything good. I don’t say that all those desires are evil; however, if we seek satisfaction that brings us away from Him because we give preference to personal pleasures opposing to God’s will, then we need to question ourselves.
Sex is not evil; however, what makes many of man’s desires evil is the self-centeredness or selfish commitment to follow those desires against God, like adultery, fornication, exploitations and taking advantage of others. We all know that God knows our human conditions, for some called for celibacy, single-blessedness and marriage. For those who accepted marriage, it calls them to a sacred or sacramental union, and sex is part of the couple’s mission to procreate and be partners of God’s creation. I believe that is the dignity being shared in the sacrament of marriage, becoming also witness of God’s continuous love for His Church. In the holy scriptures, we read specifics of God’s will clearly, and for St. Paul, exhortation is generally to achieve our sanctification that we are chosen and set apart. According to the Greek language, “Hagiasmos” means to set apart, consecrate, dedicate, and sanctify.
The gospel story is about the transfiguration of Christ. Jesus, together with Peter, James, and John, went up to the mountain. These three disciples were given the rare opportunity to witness an extraordinary religious experience. Maybe Jesus brought them so that they may share with other disciples their experience with Jesus when the time comes. We know that they were warned by Jesus saying, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
What are important lessons and spiritual insights we derive from this story about the transfiguration?
First, Jesus has enlightened us that He is the fulfillment of salvation history. St. Matthew writes this, “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 Jesus. It is an extraordinary event witnessed by his three apostles, which Moses represented the “Law” and Elijah represented the Prophets. This is a significant description in the story to see Jesus being the central actor.
Second, Peter, James and John were called to accompany Jesus on the mountain. Abraham was called by God to lead his people which eventually became a great nation. Timothy was chosen to lead the Christians of Ephesus. I have come to the conclusion that God has chosen individuals to take a special role for God which they have not chosen beforehand. God called personalities to cooperate with Him, to tread the path that God has intended them to do. We must also be open and attentive to what God has been calling us. We need to pray about it.
Third, “Transfiguration” is indeed a revelation and tangible presence of God felt by Peter, James, and John. They were not transfigured per se, but I am sure that they were changed by their own experience.
I know that in this season of Lent, there are many experiences we have encountered, but we never have the time to recall or to reminisce within our consciousness and hearts that which speaks about the real presence of God. Our experiences of love, kindness from people we don’t even know, and fascinating spiritual moments filled with awe and wonder make us yearn for more which we never expected to cause us to change as a person. Those beautiful transforming experiences draw us closer to the Lord.
This is also our own “Transfiguration,” which calls us to sanctification or holiness. Our intense desires to look back, in retrospect, and cravings to go over the most consoling event in our life graciously give us that moment of God’s presence. We might think that like the three apostles, we become fixated not to go down from the mountain because we are afraid to face our challenges. However, we need to walk and follow Jesus, not to look for comfort, but rather to be ready to be with Him in His passion, death, and resurrection.
We have the promise to look forward, that is our final eternal abode with God. It is God’s will that you and I should be sanctified and that you should avoid sexual immorality. Learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the unbelievers, who do not know God. Do no wrong to anyone and do not take advantage of others.
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
