Listen to Him

We live in a noisy world where there are voices around us and within us that compete for our attention. These voices want to tell us what to do, what to believe and what’s happening around us. In the world of social media, the spread of fake news is common. Scammers are everywhere. There is a lot of finger-pointing over who is to blame for any man-made disasters. Others are in denial about what’s actually happening and want to erase history. Worse, they want to replace it with their own version of truth. We live in a generation when most of us invoke our right to speak our mind as we cry for attention. There is a clear need to discern which voices are worth listening to. We need to be able to distinguish the voices that are helpful and can do good for us.  God the Father helps us make that decision. He instructed us to listen to His beloved Son.  Peter, James and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus when his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. They also heard a voice from the cloud saying, «This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.»

To understand this instruction given to the three apostles, I believe that it is important to know the words of Jesus before and immediately after his transfiguration. Six days before Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountain, he explained to them and the rest of his disciples his upcoming suffering in Jerusalem at the hands of the elders of the people.  He told them that He would die and on the third day be raised again to life. After the transfiguration, he touched his three companions and told them: “Rise, and do not be afraid.” On their way down the mountain, he told them again about his death and resurrection.

Jesus invited his apostles to pay closer attention to everything that he says. He invited them to walk with him in his suffering. The transfiguration of Jesus gave the apostles a message of hope. The instruction from the voice in the cloud to “listen to him” was to tell them to believe in the words of Jesus. This would help them be prepared for the horrors that they would witness in the coming days. The foretaste of heavenly glory during the transfiguration could strengthen the faith of Peter, James and John and give them courage in the face of suffering and persecution.

May God grant our ears and hearts the ability to listen and hear the words of Jesus as we pray and meditate on his teachings. So that when we experience heavy doubts and are consumed by fear, the instruction to “listen to him” would remind us of his words for the three apostles: “Rise, and do not be afraid.”

Fr. Danilo Vallejos Mutia Sch. P.

Sunday, 5 March 2022 | II Sunday of Lent

Mt. 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, «Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.»

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, «This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.»

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, «Rise, and do not be afraid.» And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, «Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.»