--- title: Daily Readings Reflection for 3/20/11 description: Daily Readings Reflection for 3/20/11 --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2011/03/20/daily-readings-reflection-for-32011#) # Daily Readings Reflection for 3/20/11 Mar 20, 2011 9:00:47 AM  |  by [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) Scripture: Lectionary # 25. Genesis 12:1-4. Psalm 33:4-5.18-19.20.22. II Timothy 1:8-10. Matthew 17:1-9 [Today's Readings](http://www.usccb.org/nab) Last Sunday we saw that Jesus was in the desert-- a symbolic place for the roaming of demons. There Jesus was tempted by the Devil for a lengthy period of time (forty days). Today the symbol of a mountain captures the location of the transfiguration of Jesus. Peter, James and John are chosen to go up the mountain with Jesus. Tradition places it on Mount Tabor a rather low mount in comparison with the snow-capped mountain of Hermon or even Carmel on the coast. The Scriptures do not give the name of the mountain and it helps us to keep it more symbolically and within the context of the contrast of the desert from the first Sunday in Lent. Jesus is bathed in brilliant light which is the central point and far outshines what happened to Moses on Mount Sinai or Elijah on the same mountain. These two are on Jesus right and left. Matthew gives the priority to Moses who represents the Torah and then to Elijah who is the prophet who performs miracles. These are the "preeminent seers of God in the Old Testament." (Benedict T. Viviano, In NJBC, p. 660). The three tents help us think of the Feast of Tabernacles which occurs in Autumn. The luminous cloud stands for the Presence of God or the shekinah, the cloud of unknowing in which God appears saying "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. If we look at all of the references to the Transfiguration in the Gospels we find that Jesus is seen as a Suffering Servant, a prophet, a Wisdom figure, and as the Son of God. Jesus has come to fulfill all that Moses and the prophets have promised. The three disciples are stupified and they want to stay there by building three tents (another symbol of the Feast of Tabernacles, the tent). Like the disciples we have been led from the desert to this experience and in the event we are drawn to prayer, perhaps, contemplative prayer. It is ecstatic for the disciples and for us as we reflect upon the transfiguration of Jesus. We move from the struggles in the desert with temptation to the Lenten practice of prayer even contemplative prayer. The mountain is the ideal place for such prayer. We try to listen to what Jesus is dialoguing about with Moses and Elijah and come to realize the Scriptures help us to think and ponder over the Torah and the Prophets and how Jesus is fulfilling them. We are aware that there are three tellings of the story plus a fourth that is found in John in a more theological dimension ( Mark 9:2-10; Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 9:28-36; and John 12: 27-36). In II Peter we have even a fifth reference to the transfiguration: "We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,"This is my Son, my bleoved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain." (II Peter 1:16-18). This multiple attestation of the Transfiguration is thus presented in five different sources in the New Testament. John, is alluding to it in a more theological way in chapter 12 where Jesus is saying, "I am troubled now. Yet, what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but other said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this indicating the kind of death he would die. So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus said to them, "The light is among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so the darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light." ( John 12: 27-36). The Transfiguration is a call for us to be transformed into other "Christs." We are to become transparent to God and to our fellow brothers and sisters. Our lives are to be conformed to our transfigured Lord who is the light, the way, and the truth. Lent offers us this time of transition on this second Sunday to prepare us for the sufferings, death, and crucifixion that Jesus will soon undergo for us. The mystery of the Transfiguration is a prelude that leads us into his last days and the Paschal Mystery. To do this we experience the light through our faith, we enter the cloud of unknowing through our hope, and we come down the mountain to be on the road to Calvary where our love meets that of Jesus. 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