Second Sunday of Lent B: February 25, 2024

What did the Transfiguration mean for us? For Peter, James, and John, it was certainly a startling event. Perhaps it was meant to give them courage, because Jesus had just announced his passion and death. If so, they seemed to have missed the point. Even if this was its intended meaning, the Transfiguration does something more. It shows how changed Jesus would become after his resurrection. It shows us what happens to our human person when we allow ourselves to follow Jesus in turning upside down the way the world looks on what is valuable and just. It shows us what we will be if we take up our cross and follow Jesus wherever he goes and with whomever he puts us. We can be transfigured.

A good example of this kind of transfiguration is written about in the novel Les Miserable. The first person is the Bishop Myriel. On the face of it, the bishop is not a likely candidate to show such a transfiguration. He was born into a noble family, married, lead a life devoted to aristocratic pursuits, then fled France to Italy to escape the French Revolution. It was only after his wife died that he had a conversion and returned to France a priest. Through a chance meeting with Napoleon, he was made a bishop. But instead of assuming the aristocratic way of life of most bishops of the time, he became a person know for welcoming anyone into his home and being devoted to the poor and his ministry to them He was thus transfigured from a superficial life to a life that embodied Christ.

The next transformation was that of Jean Valjean. He was a poor young man sentence to 17 years in prison for stealing a small loaf of bread to feed his niece. He was paroled as a bitter and angry man. He got a meal and a nights lodging with Bishop Myriel. And in repayment for that kindness, Jean got up late a night and stole the bishop’s silver plate. The police caught him before dawn and brought him to the bishop to confirm the theft. Instead the bishop told Jean he was glad to see him because Jean had forgotten the silver candlesticks he has also given him. The police were amazed and released Jean. The bishop then told Jean to “use the silver to become an honest man.” This Jean did to an exemplary extent. He too became transfigured into an image of Christ.

So, transfiguration can be contagious. From the complete change in the bishop came the complete change in Jean Valjean. The touch of divinity exists within each one of us as well. God is present within us inspiring us to do good and holy things, and they can change us. What spark of God is within us can ignite the same spark in another. As Father Hubert van Zeller wrote in one of his books, “...we must not only see but look; not only look but point out to others.” Then we see as God sees. In this sense ‘to see’ is passive, our eyes just take things in. But ‘to look’ is to take what we see and bring it into us, to make it ours. But ‘to point out to others’ has us take on the attitude of Christ and share what we have seen and looked at, to share our life in Christ.

Our Lenten observance can aid us in our transfiguration. To be transfigured is to live outward toward others and not turn in on ourselves. How can our kindness and forgiveness be a means of transfiguration to others? How can it do so for ourselves?