The
LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will
make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Upright
is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. R. Lord, let your mercy be on
us, as we place our trust in you. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear
him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine. R. Lord, let your mercy be on
us, as we place our trust in you. Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you. R. Lord, let your mercy be on
us, as we place our trust in you.
Beloved:
Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
He
saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time
began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“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.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
I remember one time, a moment, when life finally
became very clear for me, at least for a while; when I knew
in my heart that I was one with Jesus and so full of the joy
of his presence. Everyone and everything was alive with
music and beauty, blue skies and fluffy white clouds;
crystal clear water trickling over moss and fern;
contentment and peace between brothers, parents, sisters,
and children, friends, and neighbors. This moment in time
was a revelation to me, a time when I thought I really knew
what my life was all about. I was on a retreat at the White
House Retreat Center near St. Louis. As I walked along the
ridge above the banks of the Mississippi, with rosary in
hand, the birds were singing and so many beautiful flowers
were in bloom. One could see the faded sunrise hide behind
the fog that filled the river in the early morning, only to
burst through in brilliant light within only a few minutes.
The wonder and amazement of it all seemed so transparent,
yet remarkably real and present to me. It was almost as if
it were beyond a physical connection to what was around me,
but more so a divine connection to the awesome wonders of
God.
I wonder if the Transfiguration was something like
that for Jesus? Did his human nature suddenly blossom into
the divine nature that he shared with his Father and Spirit
who were one with him? We might never have known about it
if three of his disciples, whom he had chosen, had not been
privileged to witness, and for the moment when Moses and
Elijah stood on either side of Jesus and showed him the life
that was his. We may appreciate that the Transfiguration
happened to Jesus in some historical sense, but what if
could happen to us?
We will never experience the Transfiguration that
is told in this gospel concerning Jesus, at least not in
this life, and we most likely would never have known about
it had those disciples had adhered to the words Jesus told
them. But like what I experienced on that retreat all them
years ago, it is possible to allow ourselves to be immersed
in an environment that will take us to a deeper presence of
the Lord in our lives. And the good news is that it doesn’t
have to be away from our own homes. It doesn’t have to be
some place else if that is not possible. That deep presence
of Jesus can be achieved in the everyday ordinary
experiences of our lives. It can be achieved by simply
willing our being to be with his, totally fixed on him and
not the distractions that so often become a barrier. It
doesn’t have to be dramatic. In the simplicity of our morning
prayers; in the kiss or hug we give our children as they
set out for school, or leave home; in the warmth of the
sunshine on a Spring day,
Whenever we put God first in our lives, not always
so easy, but those moments that we do; those moments that
we reach out in love to the poor, the homeless, the elderly,
the sick and suffering, the lonely, the depressed, and those
less fortunate than ourselves, to the victims of such
tragedies as an earthquake, tsunami, tornado, volcano
eruption, or any natural disaster, we are allowing that bright
light of the Transfiguration of Jesus, through us, to be
shared and experienced with others, in the simplicity of our
everyday ordinary lives.
Perhaps, this is the punch line of this reading.
The Transfiguration is not just a past moment in the life of
a long ago dead and risen prophet. It was about us. Lent
can transfigure us, if we but let it. It can flood us with
light, dazzle us with possibilities. But any kind of a
Transfiguration for us can only happen if we truly believe
in Jesus. And though it man seem like a very difficult
thing to do, given the uncertainties of what is going on in
the world and especially this country of ours, it can
happen. If we stand together as a people of God, and
put God first and foremost in our lives, it can happen,
knowing that He is in complete control of His world.
Lent prepares us for what we are to become. We
strip away our old self, through prayer, sacrifice, fasting,
and almsgiving – those coats of grey that cover us. We
scrape away the layers of dead skin that has accumulated
over the past year or perhaps even our past life. As
for me, I look at the sinfulness of person who I am, and ask
our Lord for his forgiveness, for I know that my sinfulness
has to do with people, with relationships, with loved one.
I look at the weakness that I am, and I draw strength from
knowing that Jesus loved me, as you does you, so much that
he made the decision to give life, that we may enjoy eternal
life. We scour
ourselves down to the radiant persons we are to become,
heirs of God’s Kingdom, and keepers of God’s world.
In the creed, we profess faith in a God of things
“seen and unseen; God of God, Light of Light, True God of
True God.” Today’s reading show us the bright like
features of Jesus and then turn a mirror on us and proclaim,
See, you too are God’s daughter, God’s son. Prepare to
accept who you are.” Today, it was for Jesus. Get
ready this Lent, because we are next!
“Dear Lord,
Please help me on my daily walk -
I want to be a better person, your help I need.
It is not enough just to go to church to talk,
Nor is it enough to say “My Bible, I read.”
I know in my heart that I can be better -
Perhaps the person you made in your image so bright,
But I cannot do it alone, so I am writing this letter -
I need the help of all those who walk in your light.
You know who they all are dear Lord -
I do not need to say their names,
For they are the ones
Who always hold us up in prayer
When we are hurt or in pain.
I ask you dear God, in the name of your Son -
Who shed his life's blood for my sins,
To guide and mold me until I become -
Someone who is worthy of being of with Him .
When it is my time to leave this earthly plane -
And join those who have gone on before me,
May I be one who has not lived in vain -
But gave back something and helped others to see.”
God's great love encompasses the future and the past -
And our debts were paid in full on Cavalry,
So remember, all we have to do is just ask -
As He even forgave a sinner like me.
“Thank you dear God for listening to me -
Someday I pray, in your loving presence I'll be,
With all my dear friends, my little one, and my family -
Blessed Savior, sweet Jesus, to You all the praises be.”
