So often, people base their impression or opinion of a person based on nothing more than first impressions. This is a false and inaccurate way of knowing a person. Were it based on first impression, my mother would never have married my father, the man she loved with all her heart for over 55 years. We quite often discover that situations often reveal the “true face” or nature of a person. The way a person responds to a situation reveals character and strengths we never assumed they possessed. Conversely, people we assign virtues of great character and strength, reveal that they possess neither when confronted with crisis situations.
In today’s Gospel, the true nature of Jesus is revealed to Peter, James and John on the mountain top. He, whom they assumed was an itinerant rabbi/ carpenter is revealed to be the Son of God. They are both startled and delighted. The revelation disappears as suddenly as it appeared, and Jesus, once more assumes the human form with which they are so familiar. He instructs them to say nothing about what they saw until he has risen from the dead. This last instruction ends up as perplexing for them as the vision they beheld.
We, who are baptized, have within us the divine nature of Jesus. For some people, it may be quite evident to others. For others, it may have been suppressed so much so that it goes unnoticed by others. When we look into the mirror and gaze into our eyes, can we detect the divine nature that was imparted to us by God at our baptism? May this 2nd Sunday of Lent remind us that God’s divine presence is, indeed, present within us just waiting to be revealed to the world around us. May our journey throughout Lent reveal, day by day, week by week, our true self to those we love and those we serve.
