Today’s first reading tells the story of God’s call to Abraham to leave his homeland and go to a land he would reveal. This story reminds me of my own call twenty-three years ago, when I was summoned by the apostolic Nuncio and told that the Holy Father had appointed me to be the new bishop of Kabankalan. I was so stunned that I remained speechless for almost a minute. The nuncio must have been alarmed that he started tapping me saying, “Obey, obey… you are a Salesian; for Don Bosco the Pope’s every wish is a command.”
“I have no problem with obeying, Your Excellency,” I said. “It is just that Kabankalan is a totally strange place for me, and I’m afraid I would not be of much service there.” I then told him of my many apprehensions. I never had any pastoral experience. All my priestly life was spent only in schools and the seminary. And now that I am sent to Negros, commonly known as a social volcano, I feel utterly unprepared and unequipped, etc., etc., etc.
The good Archbishop Antonio Franco simply looked at me and said, “You’ll be alright. Just be yourself.”
Abraham was called by God to leave his home in Haran and settle in an unknown land. He was 75 years old. Putting his faith in God he obeyed. Soon he began to witness the unfolding of God’s promise to him to be the father of a great nation.
Remembering Abraham’s story, I feel ashamed of my own puny spirit. Compared to Abraham I was so much younger when I received my call. While Abraham was sent to an unknown land, I was sent to Negros, an island just across my native Cebu. Having to start from scratch, Abraham did not just step out of his comfort zone, he veritably leaped into the dark and the unknown.
Somehow, I too felt the same as I started my life in Kabankalan. However, as the years passed, I realized that moving to Kabankalan was moving to an even more comfortable zone, thanks to the magnanimity and unqualified acceptance of the priests and the faithful there. It is in this ambiance and relationship that I gradually grew and became more effective in my ministry.
The call of Abraham illustrates the dynamic of spiritual life. It is a call for each of us to step out of our comfort zone and take the unchartered path; to go out of oneself and find our better self; to let go of our attachment to self and let God lead us to himself.
During my seminary days, I loved to read the inspiring books of Richard Bach. One was about Jonathan Livingstone Seagull who always felt that there was more to life than scavenging from the trash littered on the docks. So, one day he left the flock and explored the heights until eventually he learned to fly at the speed of light.
The first reading fittingly introduces us to the theme of today’s gospel. In the presence Peter, James, and John, Jesus is transfigured. His face shines like the sun and his clothes become white as light. Moses and Elijah then appear conversing with Jesus.
The Greek word used by Matthew and Mark for “transfigured” is metemorphōthē. Used in the passive form, it means “he was transformed” or “he changed into a [higher] form.” The Greek word is the root or etymology of the English word metamorphosis.
In front of the three apostles, Jesus unveils his humanity to reveal his divine identity. The transfiguration does not only manifest the Lord’s glory to the apostles; it also transports them beyond time and space, taking them to a higher dimension where Jesus converses with the great personages of the past.
We too hold something divine within us. Because we are created in God’s image and baptized in the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in us. But in order for Christ to truly live in us and shine through us we need to strip ourselves of self. Only when we die to self, our pride, our greed, our lust, our vices and sins can Christ transform (transfigure) us into himself. As Paul clearly articulates, “And when I am crucified with Christ, I live, no longer I, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)
It is interesting to note that when we speak of the birthing of a butterfly we use the same word the evangelists use for transfiguration. And fittingly so, because before a lowly pupa can assume a higher form of life and metamorphose into a butterfly, it needs to die to its former way of life and break through its incarcerating cocoon. Only then can it unfurl its wings and fly.
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