Today is March 16, the Second Sunday of Lent.
At today’s Mass, we read: “A cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son; listen to him'” (Lk 9:34-35).
The dark makes people afraid. Children are often afraid of the dark, especially when their parents put them to bed. Perhaps their parents leave the door cracked so that a small sliver of light offers them comfort, or maybe a night light shines against a wall.
But darkness does not only frighten children. It can frighten adults, as well. A friend once told me of the first time he experienced absolute darkness. Being from the city, he grew up around light even in the dark of night. During a trip into the countryside, he stood outside in the night. Not a light could be seen. He felt terror rise up within him.
This Sunday, we hear the story of Jesus’s transfiguration. When we think of the scene of the Transfiguration, we often focus on the brilliant light coming from Jesus’s body. But the scene does not end that way. The apostles enter a shadow — a darkness — and they become frightened.
Navigating the ‘Lenten darkness’
A similar thing happens with Abraham in the first reading: “As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him” (Gn 15:12).
In darkness, God made a covenant with Abraham. In darkness, God revealed the divinity of his Son to the apostles. In darkness, the light of God’s voice pierces through and brings peace to his frightened children.
As we quiet our senses and silent our wandering minds, we find ourselves in a “Lenten darkness.” This can be a frightening experience. When everything that we depended on for light is snuffed out, we can experience a certain terror as we grasp for meaning, comfort and support. It is in those moments that the voice of Christ pierces through our hearts more readily and assuredly, like the sliver of light in the darkened room of a child, bringing our frightened hearts hope and peace.
Let us pray,
O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
