Sunday’s gospel recounts the story of the Transfiguration when Jesus went to the mountain with Peter, John and James to pray. Jesus has asked the disciples who they think he is and Peter has made his confession of faith by declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. This declaration is followed by Jesus teaching about the demands of discipleship and then the account of the Transfiguration. While on the mountain top two men appeared in brilliant light; Moses and Elijah, and discussed with Jesus the events that were about to take place in Jerusalem. 

God’s voice from the cloud claims Jesus as his Son, the Chosen One and then goes on to instruct those present – and we, the readers – to ‘Listen to him!’ For the disciples, this was a message not to get carried away with their own ideas about the Messiah but to listen to what Jesus was saying about the suffering he must endure and to what he was saying about true discipleship. Jesus tells us that to be a follower of his involves sacrifice, hardship and often unpopularity. During the season of Lent it is this message we must listen to as much as the promise of salvation.