Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent, and each Sunday brings us closer to the mysteries we will celebrate at Easter.
The Church invites us to meditate on the Gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus according to Saint Luke. This manifestation of God is part of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and already reveals the newness of the New Covenant that He comes to fulfill for the salvation of humanity. During this transfiguration, Moses, the guardian of the Law, and Elijah, the father of the entire lineage of prophets whom John the Baptist will complete, appear. These two friends of Scripture represent the pillars of the teaching of the Old Testament, bearing witness to the coming of Jesus for the salvation of humanity. God is always faithful to His promises.
Through this Gospel, we understand that the Transfiguration is the fourth Luminous Mystery, which we meditate on every Thursday when praying the Rosary. It invites us to contemplate the transfigured Jesus and calls us to be witnesses, like Peter, James, and John, who were the first to see Jesus in all His glory and who saw Moses and Elijah. Like them, we are invited to engage in the world as true witnesses of Christ, whom we encounter in His Word and in the Eucharist, by being actively involved in our parishes and our daily environments. The Transfiguration gives us a glimpse of what we will be at the resurrection of the dead: we will be clothed with a body of glory (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:54). The voice heard on Mount Tabor echoes the words spoken at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan: Jesus is the only one to be listened to; He is the living Word, the Word of life and truth (cf. John 14:6). Listening is what defines the disciple. This teaches us that there is a close connection between Baptism and Transfiguration. In Christ, we are accepted by the Father for a new life as children of God and co-responsible for the mission of the Church. The attitude of the three disciples—Peter, James, and John—teaches us about the revolution brought by Jesus Christ: with Him, God, who was invisible and inaccessible according to the Old Testament, became man in His Son, Jesus. He makes Himself visible and unites with human nature.
Thus, man, created in the image of God, can now speak to God as to a friend, a brother. At times, we may be overwhelmed with emotion, like Peter, who exclaimed, “Let us build three tents…” Following such a beautiful experience, we may feel incapable of coming down from the mountain to return to the realities of life. Yet, we must remember that we are greater than our emotions.
Dear Scout brothers and sisters, the Transfiguration also invites us to look to the Lord Jesus, who desires to transform our lives, making them more beautiful in Him. To achieve this, we are called to attentive listening. Just as in the Maxims (the sayings of Baloo), the guiding principle “Do Your Best” for Cub Scouts and the values promoted by Scouting can continue to support us. Indeed, when we were Cub Scouts before becoming what we are today (Scouts, Pioneers, Rovers), we learned that we must first think of others (as Simon Peter did when he wanted to build the three tents), that we must open our eyes and ears to listen carefully to the leader’s word, and that by following the good examples of our elders, we learn community life, the culture of peace, and loyalty to our homeland and the Church. The Leader we are called to listen to is Jesus. Yes, brothers and sisters, it is essential to listen to Him in our cultural environment in order to fulfill His will, to listen to Him so we may work for the transfiguration of creation, and to listen to Him to live and strive for a new earth, a renewed spiritual, physical, moral, socio-political, and economic environment in accordance with God’s will. As long as we have not succeeded in living out the transformation to which the Word of God calls us each day, may this Lenten season grant us the grace to listen. Through this listening, the world will be transfigured and will grow for the glory of God and the salvation of all humanity.
A blessed and fruitful Lent to all.
Father Jules N’Doua
Chaplain ICCS Africa