Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The disciples are depressed when they hear the news of the impending passion and death of their leader. So, Jesus takes three of them up to a high mountain. God always manifest himself on a mountain. With Moses and the commandments on mount Sinai. Elijah meets God on the mountain. Jesus preaches his great sermon on a mountain. Jesus goes to his death on the mountain called Calvary.
Probably you’re coming today with one or more mountains, with sufferings, no? A mountain is something that is way beyond us, something so large that we are not able to handle it. It could be your marriage since eighty percent of them end or will end in separation. It could be your health or your isolation during this time, or a problem of drugs with the kids. We need to be enlightened about our sufferings for sure.
Pope Francis said a few years ago that suffering lifts us up, brings us forward. A Christian doesn’t avoid suffering. He doesn’t evade it. He enters it with Christ. The good news is not that Christ was transfigured but that he gets you and brings you with him. And therefore, the event that you cannot accept is transformed, transfigured into something glorious.
On that mountain, in that suffering, you see the face of Christ transfigured. The apostles are also transfigured. Peter says, Lord, how good it is to be here. And you and I are able to say the same. How good it is to be in this marriage. How good it is to have this cancer. How good it is to be alone with the Lord. This is possible only because the Lord was transfigured before us. This suffering is a sign of love; it is something beautiful.
God has made suffering holy. It can be transforming if we enter it. When we enter that suffering, we see the face of Christ, we see the risen Christ and enter into peace. And we can say, it is good to be here.
On the mountain there is a cloud, and from it comes a voice that says: this is my beloved Son listen to him. In the event that you do not like or accept in your life or the one you despise, you can find Christ. Enter that mess and listen to Him. When you enter this Lent, Christ will go with you, and you can pass from death to life. We cannot do it alone. We need Christ to do it and he makes this promise to us this week.