Photo credit: Gonzalo Gutierrez (Cathopic)
After the announcement of the Passion, Jesus went to the mountain to pray in the company of Peter, John and James, it happened then that his face changed and his garment shone white, thus revealing his Divine nature and his eternal and intimate relationship with the Father.
Moses and Elijah then appeared, speaking of what was to come, confirming that in Jesus was the fullness of the law and the prophets. Then, as at the Lord’s baptism, a voice was heard from heaven saying, “This is my Son, the chosen one, listen to him” (Lk 9:28b-36).
So yes, baptism was the beginning of the Lord’s public life where, with words and deeds, he presented the reality of the Kingdom. In the Transfiguration Jesus shows that he is ready to give everything for the Kingdom, even going through the cross that leads to the glory of the Resurrection.
Thus it is in the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28-36) that the union between the Divine and the Human was made present, demonstrating, among other things, the profound relationship between the Created and the Creator; this relationship continues to be present in everything and in everyone, especially in the face of those who suffer and in creation that groans in travail (Rm 8:22). If we stop to contemplate the pain, we could say: “At last I have seen the face of Christ in the cry of the poor, in creation”.
WATCH: Be inspired to respond to the cry of the earth and the poor:
And after recognizing God, who also reveals himself in pain, it is necessary to strip ourselves of so many securities and return to what is fundamental: to listen to God who makes himself present in everything and everyone, and to discover in the beauty of creation the beauty of its Author (Wis 13), to approach his Word with a willing heart, to allow ourselves to be challenged by the Gospel of creation (LS chapter 2), and to feel loved in the thought that He who made heaven, earth, sea and all that is in them (Ps 146), thought that the world needed a person like me to make the common home a better place. So how can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done me (Ps 116), how can I respond to such generosity?
Perhaps the answer can be found in a sincere ecological conversion “which implies letting all the consequences of our encounter with Jesus Christ flow out in our relationships with the world around us” (LS 217). In other words, in following Jesus, we must allow ourselves to be challenged by the current crisis and not be indifferent to the reality we inhabit, nor to the pain of humanity and of creation, for which reason our Christian response to pain must be that of the Good Samaritan, who stops before those who suffer, devotes time, cares for them and takes care of their needs (cf. Lk 10:25-37), so that creation may become ever new in the mystery of the one who, transfigured, teaches us his divine filiation and invites us to the conversion that renews us.
Therefore, we invite you to enroll in the Laudato Si’ Animators Program, so that together we can join forces and commit ourselves to preach with actions that it is possible for all of us to feel worthy, important, listened to, loved, that is, that we all feel that we are brothers and sisters in the common home we inhabit.