Throughout the latter part of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus begins to warn his disciples that he is going up to Jerusalem, and there he must suffer many things, be killed, and rise again (see Mt 16:13-28, 17: 22-23; 20:17-19). The journey to Jerusalem and death is strangely interrupted by an unexpected moment of glory. As Lent begins, the Church has us proclaim the story of the transfiguration to teach us of Jesus’ true identity and that there is no place for the disciple of Jesus to pitch a tent, to dwell on the moments of success and insight which occasionally come our way. At times we are touched by hints of the glory which lies ahead, but to settle for ‘the seeds of the promise’ while still on the journey would be to miss the promise itself. The season of Lent instructs that we must follow a suffering Jesus along a way of the Cross to come with him to glory.

For more meditations on the Gospel see our Diocesan Lectio Divina video. Click here.