Listen to Him

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

The second Sunday of Lent focuses our attention every year on the Mystery of the Transfiguration during which the Father’s voice was heard by the three apostles: “This is My Beloved Son, Listen to Him!” Since the Father speaks so seldom in the Gospels, it seems important to consider what and why He does. Recall that, at the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, the Father’s voice was heard as well, saying: “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Why now does He say, “Listen to Him”? Context is everything in proper interpretation and the context of the Transfiguration is “Six days later, Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountain…” (cf. Mt 17:1) What happened six days earlier?

It was at Caesarea Philippi and Jesus had entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Simon renamed Peter. Once this had been done, Jesus began announcing His impending doom in Jerusalem at the hands of the authorities while concluding with the assurance that He would “rise in three days”. (Cf. Mt 16: 13-28) Jesus offered three specific prophesies of His passion, death and resurrection to His disciple on the road to Jerusalem, but it was six days after the first time that the Father said, “Listen to Him”. Moreover, with every prediction, the Lord would follow up with His most sobering instructions on true discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:24-25)

The disciples were obviously not ready for these announcements of losing Jesus. Peter’s first reaction, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”, earns him a sharp rebuke. Dismay at this news so prevailed that the Apostles were afraid to ask Jesus more about it, and often like us facing bad news, they ignored it. Rather, they argued frequently among themselves about the first places in the new Kingdom, occasioning further lessons in discipleship: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:4) and “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mt 20: 25-28)

In light of the Father’s admonition on Mt. Tabor, may this season of Lent be for us a time to listen and ponder carefully the twofold message of the Lord on His final journey that, while He is going to Calvary, He calls us to follow Him by denying ourselves and imitating His humility and service to others. To the first, we may ask the reason – “Why Lord?” and to the second ask, “How may I best act in humility and service to others for Your sake, O Lord?” Thus, we may participate more consciously and actively in the Mystery of our Redemption and that of the whole world!