The Lord is my light, my salvation, my refuge, my help; I shall see the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14). Jesus is the chosen Son, filled with God’s glory, we listen to Him (Luke 9:28b-36).
Wait for the Lord your salvation
Psalm 27 is a prayer of complete trust in God. It begins by expressing profound confidence in the Lord. The metaphors of light, salvation and stronghold are combined to reflect different aspects of divine power. If darkness symbolizes not only danger to one’s safety but also the forces of evil, light is the power
that dispels all sorts of danger. Deliverance or salvation is a gift coming out of the beneficence of a helper, a savior. And a refuge or stronghold is where one flees for safety and protection. Thus, God is characterized as having the unique power on which the psalmist places his trust, so much so that he does not fear, even if he is in distress.
Calling directly on God’s mercy, the psalmist pleads to be heard and to be answered, because it is the Lord his heart speaks of and his eyes seek, as it is His presence and His face of compassion he longs for. He begs not to be repelled in anger or cast off, or the Lord’s face hidden from him. Ending with even more confidence in the Lord, the psalmist believes and hopes that he will experience the goodness of the Lord restoring him from his dire situation to full life while still in the land of the living. The final verse as an answer to his prayer is an injunction to the psalmist (from the Lord Himself?): Wait for the Lord, trust Him that all He promised shall be fulfilled.
Listen to Him who is full of God’s glory
The account of the transfiguration of Jesus is replete with symbolism. It was while praying on the mountain that Jesus was transfigured both interiorly with His face revealing divine glory and exteriorly with His clothing dazzled. Moses and Elijah, both glorified too who had encounters with God on mountains and who represent the Law and the Prophets of Israel, joined Jesus and were discussing with Him about “His exodus”, i.e., His death and resurrection, the core in God’s plan of salvation. It means the passion of Jesus was not an unavoidable tragedy, but something known to those representing the religious tradition of Israel.
Peter recognized Jesus in his glorious epiphany. Calling Jesus “master”, Peter voiced his preference that the divine apparition would not end. He wanted to put up three tents as dwellings or tabernacles for the three glorified men. Peter judged wrongly in projecting Jesus as like and an equal with Moses and Elijah. Heaven corrected the misunderstanding—a cloud covered them all signifying the hidden presence of God, and a voice from the cloud proclaimed the divine identity of Jesus. Reminiscent of the voice at the baptism of Jesus, heaven authenticated the person of Jesus as God’s Son and enjoined the disciples to listen to His words, however mysterious and daunting, to trust Him.
Alálaong bagá, Lent is the season, as we struggle against the powers of evil, for our transformation into the new way of life in Jesus Christ. Our full sharing in His life is still to come; like Peter and his companions we might want to bask already in His glory, but we can only do so by sharing in His self-sacrifice, by listening to Him and trusting Him who calls us to follow Him. Conformed to Jesus, we are to be witnesses to the Christian life of commitment and integrity, goodness and compassion, which manifest God’s presence in the world.
Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio-streaming on www.dwiz882.com.