RAPHAEL from Urbino died in Rome on Good Friday, 1520. He was only 37. The whole city mourned. His masterpiece, The Transfiguration, was unfinished. It was close to his bed as he was dying, and was carried in the funeral procession to the Pantheon.
The wondrous painting has moved countless hearts to stillness, to Gospel prayer and to love of the Redeeming Christ. Tomorrow across the world, the people of God will reflect on the Gospel event that inspired Raphael's tribute of repentance, of adoration and of generous love.
The painting speaks to us at three dramatic levels. We see our Redeemer raised in glory with His garments dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Him as to how He would soon fulfil the Father's plans by dying in Jerusalem. From the clouds a voice was heard: "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"
The Gospel word and the immortal picture call to us today. The Lenten season is our holy mountain where we can, for a while, be alone with Jesus and accept from Him His saving Word. To us will come the healing call of love, as we withdraw from our confusion, and from voices hostile to the Gospel. We respond to our truest calling when, with heart made clean, we listen to Him, and say, with Peter: "Lord it is good for us to be here!"
On a lower plane, Peter, James and John speak for all of us. We plead with the Saviour: "Lighten our darkness!" And in this healing Lent will come the merciful word of our Good Shepherd: "Arise, do not be afraid any more!"
On the third level Raphael, with a touch of genius, shows us a family in agony for their sick, child. One disciple in the crowd points upwards to Jesus, who alone can heal. Another disciple points out for us the pain and terror of the innocent one and summons us to ease the suffering of Christ's helpless ones: ". . . Whatever you, did for them you did for me.
The Transfiguration is a prophetic sign, a wondrous apocalyptic moment pointing at once to the glory of the Risen Christ and to our own promised transfiguration if we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit. We are called each day in Lent to repent, and to believe the Gospel. Selfishness and folly and infidelity may have scarred times past. We now can walk in love filled days towards a total transfiguration in the joy of the Resurrection won for us by the death on Calvary of Mary's Son, the "Radiant King of Friday".
Even our feeblest efforts towards a generous Lent will cause in us that "Configuration" with Christ that leads, at the end of the pilgrim road, to the joy of the transfiguration promised today.
The night is dark and I am far from home
Lead thou me on. .
Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see
The distant scene, One step enough for me.
We are at one with Raphael across the centuries. St Paul calls us God's "Works of Art". The masterpieces are indeed unfinished. We go forward in hope. That is the call of this healing Lent.
Tranfigured Christ, believed and loved,
In You our only hope has been.
Grant us, in your unfathomed love,
Those things no eye has ever seen
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