<p><em>Fr. Mario Zanotti, OSB Cam.; Fonte Avellana, Italy</em></p>
<p>A recent Lenten reading from The Gospel of Mark (9:14,29) narrates the healing of a boy with a mute spirit, unable to speak, and deprived of the possibility of a full human relationship. This spirit who dwells him causes him convulsions, self destructive acts, falls and other epileptic symptoms. All this makes his life really inhuman.</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; In this same gospel, Jesus has already announced his own death and resurrection, and he has shown himself transfigured to Peter, James and John.&nbsp; What a great contrast between the image of the transfigured Christ and the disfigured boy. It seems that the evangelist Mark wants to pose this question to us: “What is a human person? What is the human countenance?” To respond to these questions, we must ask ourselves: “Which is the true countenance of Christ?”&nbsp; That which the crowds see? The transfigured countenance which the three apostles see? Or the disfigured countenance of Christ on the cross? Jesus has completely assumed our human nature, has lived all the fragile and suffering human condition, even to the point of losing his divine countenance, and his human countenance is disfigured by his suffering and death.&nbsp; Precisely by assuming suffering, sin and death, Jesus has shown another countenance of humans - that transfigured, anticipation of that of the risen one.</p>
