Reflection 2nd Sunday of Lent '08

Reflection for the Vigil of the Second Sunday of Lent 2008
Marcia Ziska, OSB

Transfiguration...a mystery, yes, and yet something we’ve all witnessed, experienced — something that takes place often in each of our lives. Fourteen months ago many of us saw the glow on Sister Helena’s face, shining brilliantly with joy, peace, love as she was nearing her Homecoming. Her hand blessing us and her large smile is an image forever etched in my memory — a beautiful treasure!

Two weeks ago a number of us attended Angie Troesser’s wedding. When the priest invited Angie and Andy to turn to the assembly and introduced them for the first time as Mr. & Mrs. Andy Kropf, their faces glowed. They each were beaming from ear to ear. Christ’s love was shining in them, through them.

This past weekend I attended a three-day conference on supervision of spiritual directors in St. Louis. As I listened to story after story of transfiguration, the energy of God’s love, God’s presence was so tangible, so very real. These stories of transformation invited individuals to greater freedom, to greater growth in love. The face of one individual was radiant with joy as he shared his deep desire to love more, not, however, without having first plowed the depths of pain and sadness.

In the gospel we just heard, the three apostles got a glimpse of the glory of God on the human Jesus. I daresay this was not unlike what I had experienced on the faces of Sister Helena, Angie & Andy, and Clarence. My response resonated with Peter’s: “Lord it is good that we are here.” While the tendency is to want to stay in those moments, to bask in the glory revealed to us, that is not meant to be. These are moments of grace to help us when the going gets tough and one experiences a strong inclination to give up, to turn back, to no longer risk.

Lent is that season year after year where we take time to evaluate our lives, where we are going, how community is or isn’t...to take stock of the things that matter, and if necessary, to do some changing. It’s a time to examine our relationships...in community and outside of community; our relationship with God, and our relationship with ourselves. It can be a time to look within: is there anger, bitterness, resentment that needs letting go? Is there old baggage that needs healing? Are there old wounds to surrender to God for a touch of mercy and compassion?

Traditionally, Lent has been a time of increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. This year, in particular, it’s a time for us as a monastic community to respond to Sister Anne’s invitation to “rend our hearts” and to work on our communication skills with each other...whether at table, in the hallway, in our living areas, or places of ministry. We may be pleasantly surprised at the transformation this will bring.

These next five weeks are an opportunity, in the words of St. Benedict, “to await holy Easter with joyful spiritual desire.” (RB 49.7) The glorious image of God resides in us, in you and me, right here, right now! St. Paul said it very well in our first reading tonight: “we must let our light shine... God’s light has shone in our hearts so that we might in turn make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ.” In the days and weeks ahead, let us not allow those transfiguration moments to pass us by. As we journey toward Easter may we continue to look, listen and know, yes, truly experience the glory of God shining in one another.