High Mountain, Great Vision – Gospel Reflection for the 2nd Sunday in Lent

High Mountain, Great Vision

Jesus took three apostles, Peter, James and John with him up a high mountain where they could be alone.  From a mountain height one gets a panoramic view of the winding of rivers, the meeting of roads, the outline of fields.  It is an experience that opens up the mind.  The poet, William Blake described it like this.

 “Great things happen when men and mountain meet

This is not done while jostling in the street.”

On the high mountain Peter, James and John were granted a new understanding of Jesus.  They got a little glimpse of his divine glory.   They had to come down from the height but memory kept the experience alive.  The three needed this memory as they were to be the witnesses of the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane.  Later, as pillars of the early Church they experienced many difficult times.  The Second Letter of Peter lets us know how they tapped into this precious bank of memory.  “We were with him on the holy mountain”.  We must treasure our moments of insight and tap into the bank of golden memories when the going is hard.

“This is my Son the Beloved.  Listen to him”.  In our technological world today it is hard to listen attentively.  People flee from silence by turning up the volume or inserting earphones.   Saint Teresa of Calcutta had her own version of a business card … five short lines.

The fruit of silence is prayer:  the fruit of prayer is faith:  the fruit of faith is love:  the fruit of love is service: the fruit of service is peace. Everybody seeks inner peace. The path is to peace is through prayer … faith … love and service. It is in giving that we receive.

“This is my Son the Beloved.  Listen to him”.

(Extract from Gospel Reflections and Prayers, by Silvester O’Flynn, due for publication in April)