THIS IS MY SON, THE CHOSEN ONE. LISTEN TO THIM.

II SUNDAY OF LENT - Luke 9:28-36

In the first reading, God makes a promise to Abram and he sealed that promise with an alliance, meaning that God committed himself to friendship with Abram and put himself as the guarantor of the alliance, to which he will remain faithful forever. The promise and the alliance made to Abram were extended to Isaac and then to Jacob and to all his family. With Abram, a completely new type of religious experience, signified by his new name Abraham. With him, the great journey of faith begins. His relationship with the divine was no longer guided by a magical attitude but was instead a personal relationship with God, initiated with a call to which he responded with faith and trust. This relationship was reinforced by a promise and sealed by an alliance, which implies a mutual commitment between God and Abraham. With Abraham the story of salvation began, that is, the story of God's interventions in human history, which demonstrate His commitment to humankind. All who walk in life guided by faith and are descendants of Abraham, the first believer.

In the Old Testament, God chose Abraham and then Isaac and Jacob. Jesus also made his choice, taking Peter, James, and John with him for them to have an extraordinary experience. Some may ascribe to Jesus a discriminatory attitude, forgetting that God chooses those whom he wills. And when he chooses, he chooses them for the benefit of all, by placing the chosen ones at their service. 

The divine glory of Jesus was manifested during prayer and was contemplated during prayer, a prayer that is mediated by the Word of God, made present and active by the Prophets and the Torah (law). The divine glory of Jesus manifested momentarily, is linked to his death on the Cross. On the mountain of transfiguration, the word of the Father is heard again: This is my Son, my Elect: listen to Him!

There is a Zambian proverb that says: “Ubumi bwa muntu buli mu kutwi” (“Life is in the ear!”), that is, the ability to listen makes it possible to hear and understand. Speaking, we are able to understand each other; however, communication becomes extremely difficult without listening. And in traditional societies, where knowledge was transmitted orally, people were much more aware of the importance of listening; it was a question of survival, since the law, the commandments, the counsels for life as well as all the technical knowledge and all the professions were learned by ear. Our world today is very much dominated by noise, making it much harder to hear and understand. It even seems that we do not need the others and that, by ourselves, alone, we can find out what is essential in life. We may forget that listening is essential for any kind of human relationship. Our refusal to listen is a sign of contempt for the other, who feels humiliated. Listening is a statement of the importance of the speaker. If we read the Scriptures, we realize the fundamental importance of listening to the Word of God. Jesus is the Word - the Word made man. It is by the Word that God pronounces himself, reveals himself and calls us by name. Hence the importance of listening to this Word that is loving presence and action. The Father reveals the secret of Jesus: He is the Son, the Chosen One. Hence, the commandment: Listen to Him.