The Transfiguration

Today Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, up a high mountain, and is transfigured before them.  We are told that he becomes radiant in his brightness, and Moses and Elijah appear with him.  The Apostles are overcome with fear and awe.  When they look up finally, Jesus is there alone.

This experience becomes sort of an ecclesial moment, joining the Apostles to the tradition of faith, while revealing the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ; that is the Kingdom of God.  The message from the Father is quite clear, "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him."  The Biblical heroes from Abraham to all the prophets have been faithful to the  Word of God.  Now the Word made flesh is dwelling in our midst, the Apostles, and really we, need to be attentive to his direction and guidance.  Jesus is the promise of the Father fulfilled.

Our obedience in faith is to Jesus Christ alone.  Even today we are invited to walk to Jerusalem with him, sharing in his passion, and witnessing the resurrection.  St. Paul will remind us that we connect ourselves to Jesus in the Paschal mystery, in the midst of our own trials and tribulations, knowing that Jesus has already bound himself to us.  The Transfiguration offers an insight into Jesus' authority, mission, and nature.  Our faith journey begins and ends in the mystery of Jesus Christ.

We look at someone like Peter, who continued to trip over himself throughout the scriptures, is able to state clearly to Jesus, "Lord to whom shall we go, you alone have the words of eternal life"  When we have those insights into God's Kingdom, we develop a broader view of what our faith life is all about, and the mission and ministry of the Church.  Like the Apostles our entire journey becomes one of climbing to a higher level, seeking that which is true-er, and more perfected.

In the Gospels Jesus chastises those who follow him because they like to see miracles, or the religious authorities whose religion has become an end in itself.  Jesus demonstrates a connection here between him and God's plan of salvation.  The beginning of Mark's Gospel has Jesus cajoling his listeners to transform their lives in preparation for the Kingdom.  More so Jesus will state in another Gospel the Kingdom of God is already here.

We might want to consider during Lent in what ways our life is most closely bonded to Jesus Christ, and what compromises that relationship.  We want to be on our way to the higher places in life, using the tools given to us, so that we can experience transfiguration.

Go and Announce the Gospel

Of the dismissals we have at Mass, according to the New Roman Missal, this has to be my favorite.  From the time of the early Church our mandate has been to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Now there were a few centuries there in which we became side-tracked and went down some other paths.  But this has remained a constant of our baptismal faith, that is to pass on the faith which we have received.

This past week I was at a meeting in which the HHS mandate on insurance and contraception was discussed.  During the time one of the Fathers shared an article which had several errors and false statements in regards to the Catholic Church, and it's teachings.  Some there suggested that the Bishop should require some sort of prayer to be said at all of the Masses throughout the Diocese.  While prayer is very important, and we really do not rely on the Holy Spirit enough, we might also catechize.

While I do not expect politicians and journalist to know the basic teachings of the Church, I would hope that persons coming to Mass each Sunday understand the basic teachings of the Catholic Church.  And as such we as catholics should not be shy or embarrassed to speak the truth of our faith, and what we believe in.  It is if we do not want to hurt feelings or seem arrogant, so we remain quiet in pronouncing our faith.  It behooves us to make it clear what the beliefs of the Church are.  Vatican II certainly encouraged the laity, as well as the clergy, to take responsibility for the faith which we pronounce.

More so, it has occurred to me these last several weeks that I have become a regular fixture at the hospital.  While I am not the "official" chaplain by any means, I am recognized by the staff, which feels comfortable in recommending patients who might want to see a priest - catholic and non-catholic.  Now I have gone to the hospital every week, and I go often for emergencies.  So I am there a lot.

But the point is that for many this is a positive image of the Church.  We are not these strange critters who have strange rituals and dress in flowing robes.  The more we engage in the community with our ministries of healing, care for the sick and the poor, and continue to speak up on issues of justice, all the more the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed.

It is important to remain true to the mission that has been given to us at Baptism.  We are Stewards of the faith we have received.  There is a writer who suggested the we Christians do not always understand the power we are invoking.  At Mass we should have seat belts and crash helmets.  Our parish communities have to be an occasion of catechesis.  So, now go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

First Week of Lent

In the Office of Readings today, there is a selection by Saint Aelred of Reinoux, an Abbot of the 12th century, from his text, Mirror of Love.  Aelred discusses the true test of love being the love we have for one's enemies.  He refers to Jesus on the cross in light of Isaiah's description of a lamb being led to the slaughter.  The Gospels will relate to us that Jesus was compassionate and merciful until the very end.  He forgave those that were torturing him.  Aelred has this as a demonstration that real love, or divine love, is the ability to love those who harm us.

There was a blurb on a website which I noted the other day, which spoke about how we as human will probably never get along.  One of the examples it gave was that when we speak about understanding, we mistakenly believe that to understand is to agree.  So when we try to unveil another's point of view, to elicit an understanding, the party of the first part, will often strongly counter, "I cannot agree with that."  What is being asked is to examine another perspective, not to change one's mind.  More so we mistake loving another as being best buddies with the other.

Today's Gospel directs us to live in a righteous manner.  We believe that we are full of God's grace, and are blessed by the Lord.  Well, so is everyone else.  We are on holy ground as we interact and respond to each other.  God comes into our lives, as one like us, so that we can grow in holiness and salvation.  The love which Jesus so readily speaks about is not the weekday afternoon version, but the ability to go to the cross and to recognize our need of God's love as well as a communion with each other.

Jesus does not just wander around with us to do nice things, but to draw us out of ongoing habits of hate and animosity.  The more we can recognize the sacredness of brothers and sisters, the more we will be able to work for justice and peace.  The more we reconcile the less we will allow brokenness to rule our thoughts and actions.  We are to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy.

The Sign of Jonah

"This is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah."  This short excerpt from today's Gospel, found in the Gospel of Luke, shakes us up a bit.  The listeners of Jesus are demanding signs and works that would demonstrate that he is the Messiah.  I think about how children will ask dozens of questions about the 'hows' and 'whys' of all things, until the parent, in frustration, says, "Just because!" 

Jesus pointing to the conversion of a people many centuries before his time.  The people would have known this story.  Jesus is directing his hearers to ponder the faithfulness of these people who turned from Sin and Evil simply on the words of the prophet.  Today we find this same challenge in the words of sacred scripture, and in our faith tradition. 

Speaking with a group of priests yesterday, we were discussing the tendency towards a 'soft-Christology.'  We would like to imagine that Jesus is only going to say nice things to us.  As parents, when our four year old brings the latest crayon drawing to us, it is proudly displayed on the refrigerator door.  We would hope though that when the child is eight or nine, they have moved beyond stick figures.  Recall that Jesus continues to have the apostles open their hearts and minds to the real meaning of the Kingdom.

The love of God is beyond our comprehension.  St. John reminds us that God so loved the world that he sent his Son in the mystery of the incarnation, that we might experience salvation and peace.  St. Paul wants us to understand that Jesus comes into our lives as the sign and symbol of the Father's love for us.  But to paraphrase the psalmist, who asks us, what response can we make to the Lord for all he good that He has done for us? 

Well that response would be one of conversion, a change of heart, and discipleship.  If we do not continue to mull over the Word of God in our lives, we begin to take on the nature of apathy and a lackluster heart.  We are to cling to what is good and refused to be mastered by evil.  The ashes we received the other day are not meant to be a magical potion to keep us away from Sin.  They mark a commitment of belief that draws us out of darkness so as to share His marvelous light.

Forty Days in the Desert

Mark does not take any time to explain or offer a theology of the Incarnation.  From the very beginning of his Gospel, Jesus is drawn into the desert by the Holy spirit, where we are told he is tempted.  More so he thwarts the temptations, and full of strength and Spirit, he calls on men and women to repent and believe in the Gospel.  While the desert is an arid wasteland, for Jesus it is an opportunity to develop a communion with God the Father, and deliver a model of faith.

Over the centuries men and women of holiness have gone out into the desert and have lived faithful and ascetic lives as they try to live with themselves and various temptations.  We do not have to go our into the desert though to try to put up with the brokenness of ourselves and others.  From the very beginning of Mark's Gospel Jesus places the cross before us.  The faithful life of a disciple necessarily includes dying on the cross.  The desert image magnifies the challenges of standing against Sin and temptation, and learning to rely on God.

John's Gospel makes it clear that Jesus is not present to us on his own accord.  But Jesus will muse that the works and words are not about him, but rather they are to direct us to God the Father.  At one point Jesus unfolds a theology of how the Father and he are one, and then much later Jesus will pray for the apostles, and the world, that all would have the same unity and communion as exists in the Father and Son.  The desert experience teaches us about our dependence upon God.

I have from time to time told the story of a small parish community in which the leadership commented that the annual parish dinner was the center of their parish life.  We would like to believe that they really meant to reply that Mass on Sunday was the focus of parish life and vitality.  The desert motif recalls for us our need to hunger and thirst for the holiness of God.  As a Church it is easy to become distracted by the things we do in the name of religion, which should be responses to the love of God.  Our ministries are our way of saying 'Amen' to God who loves and cares for us.

Our trek through this desert needs to be guided by God's abiding presence in everything we do and say.  Jesus models for us how we can thwart Evil by attaching ourselves to what is good.  Jesus must be the oasis who loves and cares for us, to whom we can rely on for help.  By experiencing dryness we can now yearn for the one who gives us whatever is good and true.

Call to God full Throated

One of my pet peeves (one of five or six dozen) has to do with the folks at the 'Y' after the New Year.  There is always this increase of men and women who are going to get healthy and lose weight, as part of a New Years resolution.  These are truly novices who are often in the way more often than not.  About his time of year they begin to dwindle, and by early March they are probably looking at other resolutions.

In regards to our Faith I think that we can very much be this way.  We give up too quickly, or we do our spiritual practices for the wrong reasons.  You know that you are going to stumble and falter when you tell others, "On Easter Sunday I am eating all the chocolate I want,"  or "I look forward to that first beer after Lent."  In regards to our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, it might be good to contempate th real reason behind these act.  And even More so, are we drawing closer to conversion and discipleship.

Isaiah brings the peoples complaint to God (as do the Parisees to Jesus) as to why God is not drawing close to them after their time of fast.  God's response is that the real fast that is expected is the release from oppression and the beginning of reconciliation.  We can fast all we want but if that does not cause us to "hunger" for God, the fast is for naught.  In Matthew's Gospel Jesus quotes the Hebrew scriptures in stating, "It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice."  Our religious acts in and of themselves do not impress God.  But our becoming more 'Godly' draws us into the life with God. 

Even if part of our Lenten practice is to do without one pleasure or another during these forty days, the scriptures remind us that there is a very serious call we have in living on the foundation of the Paschal Mystery.  Hopefully by paying attention to the movement of God in our life, we can come to learn the ways of charity, compassion and peace.  While some of our Lenten things might be monotonous they become those exercises so as to recognize what is good and true.

Lent cannot be so much of a spiritual treadmill as it is a journey with God, within a comminity.  May the good things God has begun in us be brought to completion.  

Repent and Believe in the Gospel

Today hundreds upon hundreds of Christians will begin their Lenten journey, and will have ash smudged on their foreheads.  Now of course the hope is that those who receive ashes will be serious about their Christian lifestyle.  The external sign should indicate that an internal transformation is taking place.  Coming to church today means that we are promising to God, publicly that we intend to really move away from Sin and lived a graced life.

The three main components of this holy season are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  There really needs to be a sacrifice here.  I recall when I taught high school the young'ins would ask whether eating lobster wold qualify as having fish, rather than meat.  Their point was well taken.  The notion of "giving up" has a lot to do with dying to oneself.  The cross needs to remain our focus throughout the Lenten season.  How well do I live the paschal mystery?  So it is the understanding that simply having ashes will not make us any more holy.

Sometimes I will hear a parents frustrated cry, over a child who has made a wayward decision, "We sent them to catholic school and everything."  But by 'everything' does one mean Mass on Sunday's. family meals and prayer together, and understanding of faithfulness to God and Stewardship.  Conversion and Discipleship has to be an interior transformation.

The reading from Joel is awesome today.  It speaks of the angst that we who have sinned posses, and also of the desire for God that needs to be part of our life.  The words from Mark speak loudly to us today, "Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.".