This is the second in our Lenten reflection series, written by clergy in the Holy Land. 

Lent 2025 – Week 2: Forgiveness, the Mountain, and the Mission  (Matthew 17:1-2) 

Written by Fr Mamdouh AbuSada, Director of the School of Joy for Children with special needs

“Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:1-2) 

The high mountains around us seem to echo this moment. From their heights, the world looks different—simpler, clearer, and closer to God. The disciples, too, experienced such clarity on the mountain of the Transfiguration. They saw Jesus as He truly is, the radiance of His divinity shining forth in a way that nourished their faith and filled their hearts with awe. 

We all have “mountain moments” in our lives—times when we feel especially close to God, when His love seems so tangible that it transforms everything. Perhaps it’s the silence of prayer, a retreat, a profound experience of forgiveness, or even a moment of beauty in the ordinary that lifts us to unexpected luminosity. In these moments, God speaks to us in the secret of our souls, helping us understand His love and deepening our faith. These moments remind us that we are His beloved, chosen and held in His divine predilection, that we are his friends and his chosen one among his friends, just like Peter, James and John. 

But like Peter, we may be tempted to stay on the mountain. We want to pitch our tents in the glow of this intimacy and avoid returning to the challenges below. Yet the Transfiguration teaches us that these moments of grace are not the end of the journey—they are a preparation. God invites us to descend the mountain, renewed and strengthened, to bring His light to others. 

Forgiveness is one such light, bringing hope is another, also is sharing faith. These actions, we participate in the radiance of God’s love. It is not easy—just as the disciples had to come down the mountain into the messiness of life, so too must we return to our relationships and communities. Coming down demands humility, courage, and grace, yet it is one of the most profound ways we can share the love of God. 

The mountain is a gift, but it is also a calling. God grants us moments of spiritual exaltation not to hold them selfishly, but to be transformed by them, to become bearers of His light in the valleys of life. The light of the Transfiguration is a foretaste of the eternal joy that awaits us, but until that day comes, every gift of God is also a mission. 

In Bethlehem, the light of the Church of the Nativity reminds us of this dual reality. The joy of Christ’s birth here was not just for Mary and Joseph but for the shepherds, the wise men, and all humanity. Likewise, every moment we experience God’s love is not just for ourselves but for those around us, especially those most in need. 

As we reflect on this Gospel, let us ask ourselves: where are the mountain moments in our lives? How is God revealing His love and truth to us? And how are we bringing that light back down to others? 

The temptation to stay on the mountain is real, but Jesus calls us to follow Him—not only into moments of glory but into the service and sacrifice that make His love known to the world. Let us embrace both the gift and the mission, living with faith, hope, and the courage to share God’s love, until the day we dwell eternally in the light of His presence. 

And if you find yourself in a moment of your life where you see no mountains around… don’t despair, God is in the plains as well, even if he might be harder to find.

 To download this reflection, click here.