Bring the Fruits of Grace

In the Gospel of Matthew, whenever Jesus does or says something important, he goes up a mountain: The Last Temptation takes place on a mountain, the Beatitudes are pronounced on a mountain, he multiplied the loaves on a mountain, and at the end of the Gospel, when the disciples meet the risen Christ and are sent out into the world, they are on a mountain.

In the Old Testament, mountains were places of encounter with God. Moses had a manifestation of God and received the Law on Mount Sinai. The evangelist Matthew intends to present Jesus as the new Moses, who gives the new law to the new people, who are represented by the three disciples.

The radiant face and garments are also common in the Bible. The luminous cloud that enveloped the people was a sign of God’s presence among them as the Israelites were in exodus through the desert. When Moses received the law, a cloud covered the mountain. He, too, descended with a radiant face. The cloud and the luminous face are, therefore, a reflection of God’s presence.

Using these images, the sacred writer describes how Peter, James, and John came to know the world of God, which allowed them to understand the true identity of the Master and the purpose of their journey. He would not be the glorious messiah they expected, but a Messiah who would be fought against, persecuted, and killed.

In the chapter preceding the Transfiguration, in response to the question, “Who do you say the Son of Man is?”, Peter represented the apostles and expressed their conviction that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Now, in the scene of the Transfiguration, the voice from heaven confirms the disciples’ conviction that Jesus is the beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased. And the voice adds a command: “Listen to him.”

In the Bible, the word “listen” means “obey.” God the Father’s recommendation to Peter, James, and John, and through them to all the disciples, including us, is to obey. That is, to put into practice what Jesus teaches. It is an invitation to center our lives on the proposal Jesus makes through the Beatitudes.

In the Bible, the word “listen” means “obey.” God the Father’s recommendation to Peter, James, and John, and through them to all the disciples, including us, is to obey. That is, to put into practice what Jesus teaches. It is the invitation to center our lives on the proposal that Jesus makes through the Beatitudes.

Moses was the one who gave the Law to his people, and Elijah was considered the first of the prophets. For the Israelites, these two figures represented the Holy Scriptures. The manifestation of God’s face is only understood through the Scriptures. We see this most clearly when Jesus had risen and walked with two of his disciples to Emmaus. To clarify for them the meaning of his death and resurrection, Jesus refers to the Old Testament: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Without Jesus, the Old Testament is incomprehensible, and without the Old Testament, Jesus remains a mystery.

From this episode of the Transfiguration, we can highlight two significant elements, summarized in two words: ascent and descent. We need to go to a secluded place, to climb the mountain in a space of silence, to find ourselves and perceive the Lord’s voice more clearly. We achieve this through prayer. But we cannot remain there. The encounter with God in prayer impels us again to “come down from the mountain” and return to the lower part, to the plain, where we find so many brothers and sisters afflicted by weariness, illness, injustice, ignorance, and material and spiritual poverty. To these brothers and sisters of ours who are going through difficulties, we are called to bring the fruits of our experience with God, sharing the grace we have received.

May we, during this Lent, have a gentle heart to hear God’s voice and obey Him in our daily actions with others.

May the Lord always give you his peace.

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish