SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT A

Second Sunday of Lent A
First Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9  

The desert fathers have a story about a young monk who asked an older one, "How come that so many people come here to join the monastery, but after some time they leave?" The old monk thought for a while and then answered. "Sometimes as you stand here in front of the monastery, you will see a rabbit chased by the village dogs, barking and howling. After some time the rabbit comes back but there are only one or two dogs are in search for rabbit. These are the dogs who actually saw the rabbit; the others were only following the barking dogs. Likewise, if we are to continue in our search we must have a glimpse of the rabbit - the Lord, and not just be following the barking dogs." The Transfiguration is one of those moments of seeing the rabbit for Jesus, for the disciples and for us.

St. Mathew tells the story of the life of Jesus as a journey towards Jerusalem where he was to be rejected, crucified, to die and rise again. The story of the transfiguration on Mount Tabor comes at a time when the tables have turned on Jesus. His popularity with the masses is dying and the opposition of the authorities is growing. The Human Jesus is full of fear and anxiety, and the transfiguration is a time of needed reassurance. Elijah, the prophet, and Moses, appear to him and from the cloud comes this word, "This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him." In this story the writer is telling us of some kind of mystical deep experience of the Father that Jesus had at this time to sustain and encourage him as he continued on his fearful mission.

The disciples also need a glimpse of God to sustain them. They were going to be disappointed in Jesus as he would be in them. We must never forget that the disciples had a very limited understanding of what Jesus was about. They had some idea of the Messiah but the only way in which they could imagine his role was that he should drive out the Romans and deliver the people from political oppression. However, Jesus' kingdom was not of this world and instead of being lifted up on a throne as a king, becoming a political leader, he was lifted up on a cross to die as a criminal. While all of this was happening the disciples proved themselves to be disloyal and cowardly. So they needed a memory, a glimpse of glory, which they got in the Transfiguration, to sustain them when their hopes about Jesus were shattered and they had to face their own failure.

They got a glimpse of God, a glimpse of glory, at the transfiguration and that was to sustain them through the disgrace of Jesus and through their own failure. Sometimes early on in prayer the Lord can give us a glimpse of himself - a moment of closeness, a feeling of certainty about his presence, a call to commitment to the work of prayer and of greater openness in our relationship with him. Then that becomes a memory which will later sustain us in the bustle of everyday life and in the dryness of distracted prayer periods.

The big temptation is that of Peter to want to build a tent, a monument - to freeze the moment of presence. The poet William Blake said, "He who binds himself to a joy, does the winged life destroy, but he who kisses the joy as it flies, lives in eternity's sunrise." 

Moses had an experience of God in the burning bush which had to sustain him for the 40 frustrating years in the desert. We tend to want to stay forever around the bush and never venture out into the true experience of God in the desert.

The genuine presence of God is like something seen in a rear view mirror. It has gone when you notice it. And that is as God wants it to be. We do not seek his consolation but only to be for him. This is what we do each time we meditate. But if we have had some transfiguration experience, some glimpse of the rabbit, it will do much to give us courage on our weary, yet, joy-full journey.

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Second Sunday of Lent A\

Second Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

A doctor once said  to his patient, “You will pull through, but you are very sick man.” The patient replied, “Please, Doctor, do everything you can for me. If I get well, I will donate thirty thousand pounds to the fund for the new hospital.” Several months later, when the patient was completely well, the doctor reminded him: “You said that if you got well, you would donate thirty thousand pounds.” The former patient replied, “If I said that, then I really must have been very sick.”

Our promises made in storms are often forgotten in calms, even if it was a good mouth-filling promise. Can’t we find examples for this in our own life? Yes, we are in very difficult moments, in trying circumstance, when we find that even the most trusted one’s are unable to help us, make many sweet promises to God. But when we are out of the trouble, when we experience peace and calm again, we easily tend to forget our promises to God. 

What about God’s promises? Are they like human promises? No. Not at all. “God’s promises are not like ours. He made a promise to Abraham that he would have a great progeny and posses a land of full and  plenty”(Gen 15:5,14) and he did fulfil it. Ordinarily the weaker partner in a contract has to accept more obligations than the stronger one. But in the covenant with Abraham, it was God who bore the brunt of obligations, promising, that independent of the faithfulness of the other party, he would be faithful.

God is at his best in faithfulness. When we were captives to sin, he sent his only Son as he had promised, who made captivity itself captive, so that we can now enjoy freedom: a freedom which has a thousand charms that slaves  never know, including the freedom to enter one day into eternal life. Yes, men tore up the roads that led to heaven and Jesus came to make ladders to it. It is into the open face of this heaven that the disciples had a sweet glimpse when Jesus was transfigured on Mount Tabor and that was a sneak preview of our own resurrection to come when “he will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own  glorious body.”

But the road we all have to take to our glorious destiny passes over the Bridge of Sighs, as Jesus himself had to pass through passion and death into his glory – a subject of discussion between Moses and Dlijah on Mount Tabor. The same is true for us. No pain, no palm, no thorns; no throne; no gall, no glory;  no cross, no crown.”

Let us ask ourselves, do we easily lose hope when we undergo suffering and pain? Do we understand that we have so much to learn from each and every unpleasant experience? Instead of trembling in fear, do we try to face each situation with courage, confident that God is with us? Are we able to look at the cross of Jesus as a magnificent sign of God’s great love for us? Are we ready to take up our daily crosses as a sign of our love for God? Let reflect on the following in this second week of lent and ask God’s blessings and courage to face all sufferings and pain boldly and carry his cross in each and every situation. Amen

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Third Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

William Bennett in his “Book of Virtues”, repeats an old Jewish folk story about two simple city boys who had never seen a farm. One day they decided to roam into the country. There they saw a farmer ploughing. They said to each other, “This man must be foolish, to be tearing up a beautiful green field.”Then they saw him sowing seed, an act which also confused them, especially when the farmer covered the seed as if burying it. Laughing at the farmer’s foolish actions, they returned to the city. Later they went once again to the country. Now they admired the standing crop of wheat in the field, but to their a amazement they saw the farmer cutting down the stalks. They went  home disappointed and as they got into their home, they opened a loaf of bread to make a sandwich, with no understanding of how  bread came to  be.

This beautiful story throws light on today’s human situations. We live in a world where godliness and mystery do not have much place or they are conveniently taken for granted. Everybody wants to enjoy the bread, but does not perhaps understand the process of making it. A seed has to go through the suffering of being buried in the soil and decay, die and sprout in order go become a plant. It then flowers and finally produces many seeds. Before the seed can become fruitful, it has to endure burial and decay. We obtain life from dying; we gain from losing and we receive by giving. We attain the glory of Jesus, through the unconditional participation in his way of the cross and cruel death.

In today’s Gospel we get a glimpse of what glory awaits us when we “listen to Jesus”. Even as we struggle to overcome our human weakness and sinfulness as we tread alone on our paschal journey, we already see the glory that awaits us. We are encouraged to embrace the cross of discipleship, because we already know the promise of resurection.

The discipleship, who experienced the transfiguration of Jesus, were really overwhelmed with wonder and awe. So much so, Peter wanted to stay on in the experience. It is then they hear the voice from the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” The Father acknowledges his Son and urges the disciples “to listen to him”. This unique experience of the disciples, though it frightened and baffled them, will give them courage to radically commit themselves to their Master and continue his mission here on earth. The Transfiguration of Jesus reminds us to come to terms with costly discipleship. This event is a wonderful example of dying and rising, of humiliation and glory.

In our life, we do everything we can to avoid hardships, sufferings and crosses. The road to glory will never be trodden, unless we accept and endure them in love and commitment, as Jesus himself did. Even for Jesus, life was a journey of faith. On Mount Tabor, he had wonderful experience of the closeness of God his Father. This strengthened him for the journey on which he was about to embark-the journey to Jerusalem where a violent death awaited him. The cost of discipleship is not something we would naturally embrace. Today’s Gospel motivates and challenges us to be disciples because we already see what becomes of a faithful disciple. The transfiguration points beyond the suffering and death of Jesus to his resurrection and his glory. We will participate in his glory provided we are willing to walk down the mountain with him and become his true disciples. Amen 

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Fourth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

One could summarize the past two Sundays and today with a three-word theme: Transfiguration, Temptation, and Trust. On the last Sunday of Epiphany we went to the mountaintop with Jesus and witnessed the Transfiguration. On the first Sunday in Lent we reflected on his temptation in the wilderness at the start of his public ministry, and today we have the subject of trust personified in the patriarch, Abraham, the writing of St. Paul, and in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. 

Abraham is the ultimate ‘trust in the Lord’ kind of person. He is asked to leave everything behind and go to a new place, unknown to him, and begin a new life with God. For a person whose identity was grounded in land, ancestry, and family, this was a risky endeavor. Yet he leaves country, kindred, and his father’s house to go to a new land with the promise that he will found a great nation. If somebody announced God had called them to do that today, we would put them on tranquilizers!

The point, of course, is not that Abraham is deluded or demented. His developing relationship with God has led him to this trustful action. The Abraham cycle in Genesis has to be read as a whole to understand how this relationship grew from one of doubt into trust.

St. Paul, in Romans, recalls Abraham as our ancestor and as one ‘who without works trusts him’. There is, in Paul’s mind, a great reward for those who trust in God without evidence, or in the face of doubt. Trust comes out of a relationship that grows and flourishes amidst hardship and suffering. Abraham is not rewarded for being good, but for being faithful, trusting that God knows what God is doing, and God knows how to use him as an agent for the plan of salvation. For Paul that is enough. Is it enough for us?

Nicodemus, a righteous man, comes to Jesus deeply troubled. Something in him is stirred by what Jesus is teaching, but the little voice behind his ear keeps saying, “Be careful now; don’t get taken in.” You can feel the tension in their conversation. John, the Evangelist, uses this conversation as a platform for his famous phrase, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” And after hearing that, Nicodemus is treated to a revelation: God is not interested in condemnation, but salvation. People who trust in God are saved. Life in the Spirit is living in trust, even in the midst of despair. And the Spirit blows the breath of trust into us at the times we most need it.

A middle-aged man, afflicted with aggressive cancer, continues to pray regularly for whatever God will do. His treatments have left him weakened and uncertain; but surrounded by his family, his trust that God will deliver him in some way keeps him faithful, even to the point of asking for prayers for a fellow patient who has been given only a few weeks to live.

A woman sits shattered as her husband tells her he wants their marriage to end. What will happen to her? But she tells her pastor she knows God has something in mind for her future, that there will be life after the death of this relationship. 

Experiences like these are faced by people every day “job loss, sickness, being a victim of crime, losing loved ones” all these events confront us with the question: Can we trust in a God who allows these things to happen? No easy answers here. There is, however, the journey of Lent to teach us about trust. If we make the journey that ends at the foot of the cross on Good Friday with Jesus’ cry of despair, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Then we are ready to discover that God always keeps promises, whether we trust God or not. 

The empty tomb at Easter is the powerful affirmation, but it does not make sense unless we first make that Lenten journey with Abraham and Jesus. Make the journey of Lent. Come to the liturgies “all of them” and you will experience a growing trust in God through the ministry and passion of our Savior. As Abraham discovered, trust comes from a growing relationship with God. We can experience that same relationship in our Lenten journey with Jesus.

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Fifth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9
 

The man had lost everything. He had a drug and alcohol problem. At one time he had a great job. He had a wife and family. He owned a nice house in a great neighborhood. His friends loved him and his co-workers thought he was great. When his problems first started everyone thought it was going to be alright. It was just a phase and he would pull out of it.

However, little by little his life changed. As time went by he became belligerent. His attitude toward everything changed. His job, his marriage, his children, his friends all took a back seat to the euphoria. The only important thing in his life was his next opportunity to escape reality. He felt he couldn't function without the booze or the drugs. Truth be known, he couldn't function at all under the influence of the booze and the drugs. Furthermore, he wasn't much better off when he wasn't on them.

He lost everything. One day, in the shower at a friend's house he realized what had happened to him. He realized what state he was in. He admitted he needed help. He got that help from people and from his faith in God. His life slowly became transformed. He became everything God had ever wanted him to be.

Transformation is a change in us, in our direction, in our attitudes. They can be positive or negative. The disciples of Jesus after the resurrection are transformed, but it was not instantaneous. Their transformation was part of a journey. One of the first parts of the journey was three years long. It was the time they were with Jesus. They walked the long dusty roads with him. They saw him heal. They heard his teaching. They ate with him and watched him feed others. They finally saw him die though he broke no law. They saw the empty tomb on that third day. The three years then made sense and their understanding helped move them into more transformation of themselves. What became important was sharing this story of God's revelation to the world.

Now transformation is not what we are celebrating today. We are celebrating the Transfiguration. Transfiguration has a different meaning than transformation. Transfiguration is the revealing of God's nature present in the Son, Jesus Christ. The divinity of Jesus is revealed to a small group of the disciples. They become witnesses of Jesus' complete identity as fully divine and fully human. Jesus is not transformed into something else. There is no change in his direction or status. Jesus is revealed for who he is.

This event is very important in both the life of the disciples and in our own lives as well. For the three disciples, Peter, James and John, this event will help them understand later what Jesus has been saying to them now. See, eight days before this event Jesus had told the disciples about his death and resurrection. This event is an exclamation point on his teaching about his mission and ministry. It is to prepare them for what is to come. From this event one would hope that they would be strengthened and less anxious about his future death and resurrection. They should be able to see a little clearer that God's plan for the Messiah is not what they have understood from other teachings. And yet, they don't get it.

In one respect it is kind of funny. From another aspect is incredibly human. Think about it. They go with Jesus up the mountain. His appearance changes before them. He literally begins to glow. They see Moses and Elijah with him. Moses is the one who received and interpreted the Law for God's people. Elijah is the greatest prophet who shares with the people God's plan for salvation. From the cloud they hear a voice identify Jesus as God's Son and command them to listen to him. Yet, they still don't get it. Peter wants to build booths for them to stay on the mountain. Jesus has told them he has to go to Jerusalem. Before them has stood Moses and Elijah speaking to Jesus and they don't see that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. They don't understand it now on the mountain and they won't understand it in Jerusalem after the crucifixion. They will only begin to see the picture more clearly after the resurrection. When the resurrection occurs, the pieces start to fall into place for them. Jesus' birth, life, Transfiguration, death and resurrection become one full picture of God's love, compassion and will for us. God's salvation is freely offered to all people.

Which brings us to why this event is important to us. We are the recipients of the Gospel story as it has been told and read through the ages. The Transfiguration is an event that cannot be separated from the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a part of the whole picture. What is interesting for us today is that there are two groups of people who call themselves Christians. I suppose these two groups have been around forever. There are those people who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They might not believe in every aspect of the scriptures. They do believe in Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection. They believe in the full divinity of Jesus Christ, as well as, his full humanity.

The other group believes in Jesus as something other than the Son of God. Perhaps he was great moral teacher. Maybe he was a prophet of Israel who overstepped his bounds and was put to death for it. There are even those who believe it is just a story. Jesus really did not exist, but the teachings are great and something by which we can live. This group also calls themselves Christians. After all, some dictionaries define a Christian as someone who believes in the teachings of Jesus. While they might be right by a dictionary definition, this definition falls short of what the Christian church has taught and what the disciples believed.

The question before us then is, what do we believe? The Transfiguration is an important event in that decision. Do we believe that Jesus' identity was revealed as the Son of God or do we not? Since we can't separate this event from the rest of the story, if we believe Jesus is the Son of God then we will behave one way. If we believe that Jesus is a moral teacher, prophet, or simply a good story we will behave another. Our lives are formed and transformed by what we believe about God and what we understand and believe about Jesus Christ. The reason is simple. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God then we might see ourselves as children of a loving God who cares for all people. Jesus died and rose for all people. Therefore, we should treat all people with respect and dignity. The focus of our lives would then be on telling the story and sharing with everyone the love of God. However, if we believe Jesus was just a man who was great teacher or prophet, then the outcome might be different. After all great moral teachers do not hold any hope of eternal significance. Their focus is only on the here and now.

What do we believe about the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ? The answer we give might hold the key to transforming our lives. Amen.

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Sixth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

“Twins, a sister and brother were talking to each other in the womb. The little sister said to the little brother, ‘I believe that there is life after birth!’ Her brother protested and said: ‘No, no, this is all we have and there is nothing else, no life after birth. This is a dark and comfortable place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling on to the cord that feeds us.’ But the little sister insisted: ‘There must be something more than this dark place, there must be something else where there is light and freedom to move.’ Still she could not convince her twin brother. Then after some silence, she said hesitantly: ‘I have something else to say, and I am afraid you won’t believe that either, but I think there is a mother!’ Her little brother now became very angry: ‘A mother, a mother, what are you talking about? I have never seen a mother and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have so let’s be satisfied and happy.’ The little sister finally said: ‘Don’t you feel this pressure sometimes? It is really unpleasant and sometimes even painful.’ ‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘what is special about that?’ ‘Well,’ the sister said, ‘I think this pressure is there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our mother face to face! Don’t you think that is exciting?” 

My dear people, in this story the twin brother did not believe there was anything beyond what he could see, hear and touch while his twin sister believed there was a life beyond what she could see, hear and touch. This story reminds us of life. We are like the twin sister; we say “we are only passing through,” meaning that this life is preparation for eternal life. We live in strange times with lots of tragedies and awful accidents, and many people are dying young. During times like this, we need more than ever to remember that our lives here on earth are a pilgrimage to God. We are sons and daughters of our heavenly Father since baptism. Like the sister in the womb who could not see her mother, we to believe that eternal life follows this life and that there is more to this life than we can see, hear and touch.

On the mountain, Peter, James and John saw that there was more to Jesus than what their eyes saw. During the transfiguration they got a glimpse of the future glory of Jesus’ resurrection. Like them we too get glimpses of the presence of God in our lives. We get glimpses of God in the love we receive from other people. We get glimpses of God when badly needed help and this help suddenly comes to us from out of nowhere. We see glimpses of God when we see someone making a sacrifice to help somebody else. We see glimpses of God in the beauty of a fine day, a nice beach or a beautiful sunrise or sunset. We see glimpses of God when a passage from the Bible or a homily strikes a chord in our hearts. We get a glimpse of God when we spend time in prayer and experience the loving presence of God in our lives. We get more than just a glimpse of God when we receive the body of Jesus in Holy Communion. The Transfiguration that is coming early in Lent encourages us to continue our Lenten penances because it reminds us of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead.

When Jesus and the disciples came down the mountain Jesus, ordered them not to tell anyone about his transfiguration until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Of course they did not know what he meant. Unknown to them the glory of Jesus’ transfiguration was preparing them to accept the scandal of the cross. They would understand this only afterwards when looking back. The good times take us through the bad times. So when our cross is heavy or when we are tempted to despair about the meaning of life, let us look beyond the pain of the present moment and remember those times when we got glimpses of God, those times when God sent us his consolations. Let us look beyond the pain of life and see the presence of God in our world, and the offer of life that God wants to make to each of us. Let us look beyond the illusion of happiness that this life offers to the real happiness that God offers us. Let us look beyond this world to eternal life with God. 

My dear people, with faith we can see what we cannot see with our eyes. The girl in the womb knew there    was more to what she could see, hear and touch. On the mountain Peter, James and John looked beyond the appearance of Jesus and saw his future risen glory. Let us look beyond, and see that God is really with us. God has not left us on our own, God is with us and He will be with us, what is required is a deep faith in Him. So let us ask his choicest blessings and Grace that we may have this faith to see him face to face one day.

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Seventh Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

The world is full of manifestations of God’s glory. Every morning, from the depth of darkness rises the sun, transforming the sleeping, inactive and dull earth into a vibrant planet teaming with life and activity. The light and warmth emitted from the rays of the sun enlivens every blade of grass and burst open every bud longing to blossom. This transformation of nature has been a mystery wondered at by poets, pondered over by philosophers and absorbed by the artists.

Today the Gospel presents before us the   scene of the transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus was seen with two great prophets of Jewish tradition- Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Jewish law and Elijah represents Jewish prophecy. And Jesus is shown as the keeper of the new law and the new prophecy.

The Jewish leadership had rejected Jesus, in spite of his unquestionable teaching and unimaginable miracles. Majority of the Jews revered him, but not understood the divinity of Jesus. The disciples could not understand the suggestions of Jesus’ teaching. In this background Luke highlights several prominent features of this event.

Luke says that the outward glory of Jesus was momentarily displayed. To the disciples who were constantly discouraged by the rejection met with Jesus, it was a source of strength.

Many a time Jesus was challenged to manifest His glory. When he was tempted by Satan, Satan challenged Him to manifest His glory by jumping from the pinnacle. His listeners challenged Him to manifest His splendour. The Jewish leaders challenged Him to reveal His majesty. But on this one occasion the veil of His humanity was momentarily lifted and His divine splendour and glory burst forth. 

The momentary sight of Jesus’ glory on the mount filled Peter with enthusiasm and he declared instinctively “It is wonderful to be here.” Peter realized that it is always wonderful to be in the presence of God. Peter never wanted to lose this great event. So he said; “we shall build three tents. One for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter wanted to be with them in their glorious state forever.

All the people who have experienced God’s divine touch testify that it is wonderful to be with Him. Throughout the psalms the psalmist expresses his love for the House of the Lord.  “I was glad when they said to me let’s go to the house of the Lord.”

  

Joseph A. Robinson wrote the following lines describing the experience of transfiguration:

How good, Lord, to be here!
  Your glory fills the night;
  Your face and garments, like the sun,
  Shine with unborrowed light.

How good, Lord, to be here,
  Your beauty to behold
  Where Moses and Elijah stand,
  Your messengers of old.

In the year AD 302, Diocletian, emperor of Rome, issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the army should be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Pagan gods. But one of his soldiers, George objected and with the courage of his faith. George loudly renounced the Emperor's edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers and Tribunes he claimed himself to be a Christian and declared his worship of Jesus Christ. Diocletian attempted to convert George, even offering gifts of land, money and slaves, but George never accepted. Recognizing the futility of his efforts, Diocletian was left with no choice but to have him executed for his refusal. This is the story of St George, who found life in Jess more wonderful than anything else in this world.

As Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain today He takes us to the church where we have the glorious presence of Jesus. When we are able to spend some time in the silence of the church before the tabernacle, we will feel that it is wonderful to be here. Like the psalmist we will feel that being in the house of God will fill us with serenity.

The Three apostles were out of themselves with joy when they were granted to have a glimpse of Jesus’ glory. When you are in the house of God,

“Your hearts will be full of joy

And that joy no one shall take from you” (Jn 16:22)

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Eighth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

Most people like to know where they are going, and I'm one of them. I might tolerate being blindfolded on my way to be shown a surprise, but, generally speaking I like to see where I'm going. The simple point I want to make today is that God does not leave us blindfolded in our following of Him: He has shown us where we are going, and that is a major part of what the Transfiguration was all about, as we heard in today's gospel.

The Transfiguration happened at a very significant moment: Our Lord was heading to Jerusalem where crucifixion and death awaited Him, and He had predicted to His disciples that He was going to die. Obviously, if they had understood Him, this would have been a deeply discouraging prediction. To remedy this discouragement Our Lord took three of His chosen disciples, Peter, James, and John up the mountain and showed them Himself in His transfigured glory. The sight of that glory was given to sustain them through the suffering of the crucifixion. The sight of that glory was to give them a foretaste of the glory that awaited Christ in His resurrection. And, the sight of that glory was to give them a glimpse of the glory that awaits every follower of Christ if we follow Him in carrying our cross, if we follow Him in our own personal crucifixions in life                .

Back to my opening point: I said a moment ago that God does not leave us blindfolded in our following of Him. Now, there is another sense in which, as St Paul says, "we walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7): there are many details of what will happen to us in life that we simply do not know, we do not know the exact manner of our Lord's presence and support to us in our life.          

But, I want to illustrate the point that God does not leave us blindfolded in our following Him, He does enables us to see our way and does so in at least three ways:    

First, as I just said, in the Transfiguration and His Resurrection, and the revelation of Heaven, He has shown us the glorious DESTINATION that lies ahead for those who are faithful in following Him. 

Second, we have His PROMISES to encourage us to set out in following Him. In our first reading we heard the example of God's promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-4), when Abraham was called upon to leave behind the country and people he knew and head off for a distant land he did not know, and what he was given to enable him to make that departure, what he was given was the Lord's promise, a promise that we know the Lord was faithful to –that included the promise of BLESSINGS to help him on the way. The New Covenant that we belong to likewise promises even more blessings and strength to us on our pilgrim way towards Heaven.       

 

Third, the Lord enables us to see the way we must follow Him by the fact that he has shown us the WAY OF LIFE that we must lead: He has shown us the virtues, the commandments, and, the particular focus in this LENTEN season, He has shown us that we need to carry our cross.     

All of the ways in which the Lord shows us how we are to follow Him, the promises we have to support us in our following of Him, and the goal that our following Him is heading towards, all of these things have a greater importance when we are in difficulty, when we are in hardship. And, that holds especially for the hardship of discipleship, which includes the hardships of being faithful to our Lenten resolutions. As we heard in our second reading (2 Tim 1:8-10), there are many "hardships" involved if we are to pursue the holiness that we are "called" to achieve. But that same St Paul reminded St Timothy that we do not do this by our own strength but we do it "relying on the power of God".    

So, to conclude, Lent is a time for purification, a time for struggling against sin, at time of employing the remedies for sin: prayer fasting and alms giving. To strengthen us to endure these hardships today's readings remind us of God's promises to us of the destination, and of the transfigured glory of that final state. God shows us the way; He does not leave us blindfolded.

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Ninth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

 Mountains are perceived to be locations of God-experience in many traditional cultures and in many world religions. The gospel readings of the first two Sundays of Lent follow a certain pattern in all the three year cycles.  The first Sunday of Lent we always meditate on the temptations of Jesus, and on the 2^nd Sunday on the transfiguration of the Lord.  The focal point of the event of transfiguration is a mountain. The narration from Matthew describing the transfiguration clearly has three parts:

1.      Going up the mountain

2.      The moment of grace on top of the mountain

3.      Coming down the mountain with the fruits of that experience

Going up the mountain: The gospel reading of Ash Wednesday, proposed a programme for the spiritual journey of the season of Lent: fasting, prayer and alms-giving. These three ‘strategies’ are relevant not only for the season of Lent, but throughout our Christian life.  The season of Lent is but an intense way of living out our Christian life. Therefore fasting, prayer and alms-giving are ways to go beyond ourselves, extend our hearts to God (the vertical dimension – in prayer), and to stretch out our hands to our neighbours (the horizontal dimension – in charity).  These two dimensions of our Christian life journey is like going up the mountain and coming down it.  What does the gospel text of today tell us about going up the mountain, and more precisely about Christian prayer?  It is Jesus who “took with him Peter and James and his brother John went up a high mountain where they be alone.”  It is God himself who enables us to pray.  Just as it was God who invited Abram to enter into a covenant with Him, as we heard in the first reading of today (Gen 12:1-4), it is God who invites us to enter into a relationship with Him in prayer.

On the mountain-top: On top of the mountain the three disciples are privileged to witness a theophany despite their own inability to be present to God. Other Gospels tell us, “Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep…” (Lk 9:32). They see Jesus in the company of two great men in the history of Israel: Moses and Elijah.  Moses stands for the Law and Elijah for the Prophets, thus showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures.  And “suddenly from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him’” (v.5)! This was for the disciples an experience God in the person of Jesus. The reaction of the apostles to this theophany is “fear” (awe) and a total prostration: “the disciples fell on their faces” (Mt 17:6).

Coming down the mountain: The Gospels tell us: “As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, ‘Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead’” (Mt 17:9).  God experience invites us to silence and contemplation, so that the effects of the experience could be deepened, at least until the right time. Secondly, this silence is not necessarily a permanent isolation from the world.  It is also something that is carried forward to the market place, to our daily life, to our homes, to the place of work and study. This is the significance of coming down the mountain.

The spiritual exercises of the Lenten season are meant to offer us the possibility of experiencing God more deeply (going up the mountain), and to carry that experience to our encounter with people (coming down the mountain).

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Tenth Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

A dying rich man called his wife and said: “When I die, I want you to sell this house and all my properties and place the money in my casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife.” His wife promised him to follow his dying wish. The man finally died. During the funeral, when the casket was about to be closed, the wife remembered her promise. She then placed a box in the casket. A friend of hers said, “I hope you weren’t crazy enough to put all that money in the casket.” She said, “I made a promise to my deceased husband. I’m a good person. I must fulfill my promise.” “You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?” the friend asked. “I sure did,” said the wife. “I got it all together, put it into my bank account, wrote him a check, and then placed his check in that box in the casket.”

In a world where everything is eventually left behind, what remains? The desire to hold on to something or someone, or stick around with them for as long as possible, or be assured that we will be just fine during and after a storm— all this is but a natural part of who we are as human beings. We are simply plastered with trepidations; dread is our shadow. Goodbye is oftentimes unpleasant, and partings could be devastating. We are not conditioned to just let it go or discard something wonderful without brandishing a pained emotion. There is a reason why our hands are designed for clasping and our arms for hugging. We pull or push when deemed appropriate.

In today’s gospel, Jesus went to the mountain with his three favored disciples— Peter, James, and John. Bible scholars agree that it is difficult to reconstruct the historical details of this mystical experience. Yet, in this episode, Jesus’ transfiguration could be ascertained by the clarity with which the disciples recalled it. The Lord’s manifestation bedazzled the three, his face turned luminous—a reminder of Moses in the Old Testament whose face was radiant and bright when he returned to the people after the Mount Sinai revelation. And so Moses indeed appeared together with Elijah, just as Jesus was transfigured. For Peter, the event brought him immense happiness. Overjoyed, he wanted to hold on to it; hence, he suggested that tents be built, saying “Lord, it is good that we are here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Nice try, Peter, we could hear ourselves commenting had we been there. What was he really saying?

No doubt, Peter was overwhelmed by the presence of ‘celebrities’. Moses and Elijah were after all heavy weight figures of the Old Testament. Who would not want to have them stay longer? Who would not like to hang around with superstars, be seen or identified with them, as we savor the breath-taking impact of their presence? However, exhilarating though it was, the experience was short-lived. Before Peter could start working on his proposed ‘tent project’, puff!!! — the two were gone and Jesus was back to his usual self.

We got our own similar stories, too. We have had days of being up on a mountain, Cloud 9 encounters, instances when we feel we are on top of the world, and worries, sadness and fears are nothing but fading memories of a distant past. Our happy moments are good to remember, that is why we take photos of them, post them online, share them with friends, or keep them in our photo albums. Peter could not take photos or video; the technology was not yet available in his time. All he could do then was to make the moment last for as long as possible. He was disappointed it did not. In no time, the three disciples had to come down back to the hard realities of life.

How much longer do we want to stay on a ‘mountain top’? How much farther can we go without getting lost in the convoluted mess of sorrows, failures, and tragedies? Not very far. Life’s moments of radiance are few and far between; darkness is just lurking in almost every corner. For each hearty laugh we share with friends, there is a veiled sadness in our sighs and empty gazes. A bed of roses is wonderful but it still is just a bed. We need to put things into the perspective of the eternal, simplify our needs and wants in terms of what remains and is truly relevant.

A story is told of an American Indian who went to a judge in order to get his name changed. “What is your name?” asked the judge. “It is: the train that blows its whistle twice as it comes around the bend,” came the reply. “And what do you want it changed to? inquired the judge. “Toot, toot,” the man answered.

In the end, the transfiguration of the Lord changed the disciples. They began to see themselves in another light. They acquired new identities and a clearer sense of purpose. They went down the mountain no longer the men they once were, no longer as weak, doubtful, uncertain and fearful as before. Although they did not manage to pitch tent on the mountain, they pitched it just the same---in their hearts. The memory of their encounter with the Father together with His revelation of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah has carved in the memory of remained of their hearts. And so they went down the mountain happier, more at peace, hopeful and assured. What remained in them is something that made them remain in the Lord.

We pray for the same for ourselves.

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Second Sunday of Lent A

Eleventh Sermon

Gen 12:1-4a; 2Tim 1:8b-10; Mt 17:1-9

THE GOSPEL of the Second Sunday of Lent brings us to one of the important events in the life of Jesus. That is, his transfiguration on a mountain during which his face was transfigured and shone like the sun, while his clothes became white as light.  This episode is now part of the “Mysteries of Light,” if you will. Let us try to go over the important moments in this gospel passage.

First, the gospel passage says that Jesus invited three of his friends, Peter, James, and John, to go to a mountain and pray. These three disciples are among the most-mentioned names in the gospels. The invitation of these three disciples by Jesus highlights the importance of communal prayer. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray in private. While private prayer is important, communal prayer is important as well. One nice practice among Catholic communities and organizations during the season of Lent is the holding of Lenten recollections and retreats. These prayerful activities recall the experience of Peter, James and John, that is, communing with Jesus. The season of Lent is a call to prayer. Therefore, if opportunity permits, we should spend time for it so that we can enter into the paschal mystery of Jesus. Moreover, this makes our celebration of Easter more meaningful.

Second, Jesus transfigured. The transfiguration previews the glory and splendor of Jesus at Easter and beyond. It is a foretaste of what is to come. On the part of the disciples, the transfiguration gives them a preview of the glorious figure of Jesus. Then Jesus is shown talking to Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the prophets. The appearance of these two figures shows that Jesus is in continuity with the Law and the Prophets. This puts Jesus within the context of the salvation history of the People of God, Israel.

Third, Peter cries out to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here.” This statement of Peter is something we should reflect. Peter speaks of something “good” which may be translated into joy. Peter feels good and happy in that moment. There is joy of praying with Jesus. Community life gives us joy; communal prayer is also an experience of joy. Fr Patrick Peyton says, ‘A family that prays together, stays together.”  But there is more of it. A family or community that prays together is a family or community filled with joy. This is also what we should feel in the holy Mass. Each time we celebrate the holy Eucharist, we should also exclaim like Peter, “Lord, it is good that we are here!”

Fourth, it is significant that the transfiguration takes place on the road to the crucifixion. The disciples have some sense that Jesus is on the road to suffering and death. However, Peter’s proposal to Jesus, “lf you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” was a way of evading the pains on the cross. One spiritual interpretation of this statement could be building up of comfort zones. Certainly, for Peter, staying in the mountain could be more advantageous than going back to the lowland because there Jesus would encounter his own death. Jesus did not utter any response to Peter’s proposal. The gospel tells us that after the Father speaks, Jesus told the three disciples. “Rise and do not be afraid.” The transfiguration gives them strength and confidence that God is at work in the life of Jesus. It also gives them the courage to continue with their work because of the assurance that God is or would be with them. After the transfiguration event, the disciples became committed to face the future struggles.

The Transfiguration is a story of determination and hope. Our tendency is to build comfort zones in our life. Our tendency is to evade the pains and struggles that are there. What God wants us is to have the capacity to face all these. We need a determination to face life’s difficulties and at the same time, cling to the hope and promise of glory. Let us remember the often used adage, “No pain, no gain.”

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