by Joan Mitchell, CSJ
Mount Tabor, the scene of Sunday’s gospel, is steep. Today a harrowing taxi ride to the top snakes around twenty-three hairpin turns. The hike probably left Jesus and the three disciples who accompanied him breathless. Like all difficult ascents, the view from the top rewards the journey.
This part of Galilee is the Iowa of Israel, its rural breadbasket. From Mount Tabor, west of the Sea of Galilee, one sees fields of grain stretch out across the Jezreel valley. Herds of cows and sheep graze on the slopes or in fields that have been recently harvested. Villages and farm buildings dot the landscape. Everything is verdant, the result of irrigation and hard work.
Jesus’ village of Nazareth lies a few miles to the northwest. To the south, some 90 miles away, is the city of Jerusalem. For Jesus, at this midpoint in his public life, the view includes his past, the present, and the future — his childhood in Nazareth, his ministry in Galilee, and the journey he is beginning to Jerusalem and his suffering and death. On this mountaintop Jesus’ disciples also catch a glimpse of what their future will be.
Most of us have moments that capture the essence of the person we are becoming. I heard in the laughter and conversation among the nuns at my college a call to be a sister. For someone else, the birth or adoption of a child is a vision of life forever revolving around this other being. Experiencing the joy of working with others to pass an important piece of legislation or build a Habitat home makes another see new possibilities for making a difference.
- When have you had a vision of your past, present, and future? How has your vision shaped your life?
