Genesis 12:1-4/ 2 Timothy 1:8-10/ Matthew 17:1-9
Whenever it is dark and especially when it is pitch dark, the first thing that we would want to do would be to switch on the light.
But when there is no light to switch on, then probably the only thing to do will be to stare into the darkness till we can slowly make out something.
And even in places where we think it is pitch dark, like the jungle in the night, we will be surprised that it is not that dark after all.
If we are the adventurous type and dare to move around in the outdoors at night, then we will know about fire flies and glow worms.
Well, these creatures give out light, and we can say that they make their own light.
But we are more familiar with something else that glows in the dark.
There is a story of a man who went to France for a business trip. On his way home, a roadside peddler persuaded him to buy a box that contained a decorative roundish stone, and the peddler said in halting English, “Glow in the dark.”
Quite amused, the man bought it and brought it home. Then after dinner, he took out the box, switched off the lights, and asked his wife to come and look at the stone in the box that is supposed to glow in the dark.
But when he opened the box, the stone was as dark as the surroundings and he felt that he was cheated.
The next day, the wife opened the box to look at the stone and saw that there was a small piece of paper with a few words in French.
She had it translated and it read like this: If you keep me all day long in the sunlight, I will glow for you all night long in the dark.
So, the stone was actually a fluorescent object which has certain pigments to absorb light and then emit it out.
We also call these luminous objects and some rosaries are even made of this type of material. (Not that advisable to wear them around the neck and walk around in the dark!)
What we heard in the gospel is commonly known as the Transfiguration.
Jesus was described like this – His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light.
Jesus was not some luminous object that was glowing with light. He was radiating light; He is the Light.
But why the Transfiguration? Well, if we had bothered to notice, it happened in chapter 17 of the gospel of Matthew which was somewhere like the middle of the gospel (which has 28 chapters).
At that part of the gospel, there was a darkness that was encircling around Jesus.
Opposition was mounting against Him from the religious leaders.
His own disciples were squabbling over who was the greatest and who would sit on the right and left.
Everything was turning dark and so Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John up that high mountain where they could be alone.
And it was there that Jesus let the light shine forth from within Him and the voice from heaven announced: This is my Son, the Beloved; He enjoys my favour. Listen to Him.
And that was enough for Jesus to continue His mission and to go right on to the end.
And as we listen to this gospel message, the light of the Transfiguration of Jesus also shines on us, and shines the light into our hearts.
And we need to listen to Him as He tells Peter, James and John, and as He tells us: Stand up, do not be afraid.
Afraid of what? We might ask. Well, afraid of the dark, a darkness that is created by doubt.
And if we want to talk about doubt, then it has to be Abraham in the 1st reading.
When the Lord told Abraham to leave his country, his father’s house for a land that God will show him, Abraham had every reason to doubt.
He was already 75 years old. What can God expect of a 75 year old man? But Abraham went as the Lord told him, and he became for us the father of faith.
Last year, on the 13th March, God called another 75 year old man. God called Jorge Bergoglio to be the Pope, to be Pope Francis.
And that 75 year old Pope is changing the Church and changing it for the better.
In his book, “The way of humility”, he had this to say: Those who have fallen into the habit of being suspicious about everything, little by little lose the peace of mind that comes from trusting confidence in God.
That can be summarized as the Singapore “Kia su” syndrome.
If we are “Kia su”, is it because we don’t trust in God and we let the darkness of suspicion and doubt overwhelm our minds and hearts.
But Jesus tells us: Stand up, do not be afraid. Jesus is shining His light on us.
Let us open our hearts to His healing light and we will shine even in the darkest of night.