From the Mountain to the Mission

March 18, 2026

A favorite movie of mine is the “Dead Poets Society.” The main character, John, is played by Robin Williams, and he is an English professor at a college prep school in New England. The school has a long history and is quite conservative in nature. John, however, is a new teacher filled with enthusiasm and new ideas.

At one point in the film, John wants to demonstrate to his students that the vantage point from which a person looks at a situation can make all the difference. To make this point, he stands on top of a desk and describes to the students how he is able to see things in the classroom from this vantage point as opposed to standing by the blackboard. This is his invitation to his students to look at life differently.

During the holy period of Lent, the Lord invites us to walk with him as we pray, fast, and do acts of kindness for 40 days. On the Second Sunday of Lent, the Lord brings us along with his disciples Peter, James, and John up into the mountains, where he is transfigured before their eyes. The disciples see Jesus in a completely new light as they hear the voice in the cloud cry out, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Jesus is joined in this Gospel passage by Moses and Elijah, two powerful figures from the Hebrew Scriptures. Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the best of the prophetic tradition. The powerful image given in this Gospel is that both the law and the prophetic tradition are fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

On the mountain, from a different vantage point, the disciples are able to recognize who they have been journeying with throughout Jesus’s public ministry—he who is the beloved of God, the Son of God, the fulfillment of the dreams and aspirations of the Jewish people, and so much more.

This powerful encounter in the mountains is a turning point in the Gospel, because Jesus’s most trusted disciples see the revelation of God in Jesus. This revelation is incredibly important, for while they have witnessed this revelation and Jesus’s greatness, they will soon see the same Jesus be mocked, discouraged, and crucified in Jerusalem.

It is interesting that the disciples wish to stay in the mountains and set up three tents. However, Jesus knows the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God does not take place in the mountains but amongst God’s people.

The season of Lent give us all an opportunity to pause, to pray, and to reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus. It invites us to look at him in a new way and be open to his powerful presence and love in our lives.

So, as we come to the table of the Lord to celebrate this Eucharist, we, like the disciples, are nourished and encouraged by the very presence of Christ, the Son of God, to proclaim the Good News of the Lord’s eternal kingdom in what we say and how we act.