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From the Pastor’s Desk
If you have ever been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, chances are good that you visited Mount Tabor. It is there that Scripture scholars tend to agree that the event of Transfiguration occurred. At the summit of Mount Tabor there is the Church of the Transfiguration. The present church was built just about 100 years ago atop the ruins of a Byzantine edifice that dates from the 5th or 6th century. The main church is cared for by the Franciscans of the Holy Land. Atop the mount there is also a Greek Orthodox monastery with its own Church of the Transfiguration.
To get to the top of Mount Tabor today, you have to take taxis that traverse a very narrow and winding road with no guard rails! Whether going up or down, you come to realize that you’re placing your life in the hands of the driver. Prior to this mode of transportation, there was a stairway that encompassed some 4300 steps. It took much sacrifice for monks and pilgrims to negotiate a path to this sacred place; it’s phenomenal to comprehend.
As we hear the story of the Transfiguration this Second Sunday of Lent, we need to keep in mind the sacrifice of Christ to win us the glory that is revealed in His Transfiguration – but not the full glory of the Resurrection. Maybe Peter, James and John came to realize their participation in the sacrifice and the climbing of Mount Tabor (without the convenience of stairs!) with Jesus only later. Sacrifice is a central part of our lives as Christians. But it is not suffering for sufferings sake; suffering is an effect of sin. Redemptive suffering seeks the forgiveness of sins, mine as well as the willingness to forgive the sins of others. As Christ has done, so we cooperate with Him for the salvation of the world.
Love,
Fr. Tom