Pastor's Reflection - March 1, 2026

The Transfiguration: Grace for the Journey

This Sunday’s Gospel brings us up the mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John to witness the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36). In a moment of radiant glory, Jesus’ face and clothing are changed, and Moses and Elijah appear to speak with him. The disciples hear the Father’s voice: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him.” The event is a foretaste of Christ’s resurrection and a sign that God’s saving plan is unfolding.

Why does this matter for our Lenten journey? Lent is a time of penance, self-examination, and spiritual struggle. We often find ourselves in wilderness places: suffering, temptation, confusion, or fatigue, where it’s hard to keep our eyes on Christ. The Transfiguration reminds us that God does not leave us alone in those places. He offers the grace we need, and he reveals that the path through suffering leads to new life.

Notice two practical lessons from the story:

• God’s light breaks into our ordinary moments. The disciples were doing what Jesus asked; they went up the mountain with him. When we intentionally take time to be with Jesus in prayer, Scripture, Eucharist, or silent adoration, we make space for God’s transforming presence. Grace often comes quietly in those faithful, repeated acts of communion with him.

• Seeing Jesus’ glory strengthens us for what comes next. The Transfiguration was not an escape from the cross; it was preparation for it. In the same way, the consolation we receive in prayer and the sacraments doesn’t remove trials immediately but empowers us to endure them with hope and fidelity.

The Lord so often uses music to bless me with moments of transfiguration. I remember driving around Tukwila towards the end of my dad’s bout with cancer. I was incredibly sad we had arrived at this moment, wishing we could have a little extra time, and out of nowhere, my iTunes app started playing a song titled “Come And Fill My Heart”. It was just what I needed to hear, and it gave me the grace to press through that difficult moment.

This week, consider a small, concrete way to “go up the mountain” with the Lord: add ten minutes of quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, read a short passage of Scripture each morning, or simply invite Jesus into a particular difficulty in your life during your daily prayer. Trust that as you spend time with him, he will give the grace you need to remain focused, faithful, and hopeful. Scripture reminds us to “cast our cares upon him who cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7).

Let us pray that, like the disciples, we may hear the Father’s voice calling us to listen to his Son and be strengthened by the light of his presence on our Lenten path.

In Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor