Lent is a Time of Drawing Closer to Jesus

SUMMARY: This blog post highlights the importance of having God in your life and how faith will lead you on a path to blessings and positive things in life. The homily emphasizes how hard it can be to put God first, yet also how rewarding it is when one practices humility and shows love to others. It encourages readers to slow down and think deeply about their relationship with God. Lastly, it reassures readers that through faith and prayer, they will be able to find strength and peace.

Our Transfiguration

Our Transfiguration

Second Sunday of Lent. Fr Gregory Pearson ponders on the appearance of the transfiguration story in this Lenten season. What […]

The Dominican Friars in Britain

Good That We Are Here

Second Sunday of Lent (A)  |  Fr David Rocks ponders the fleeting goodness of the world and the enduring goodness […]

The Dominican Friars in Britain

The Truth of Blinking

SUMMARY: This homily supports the notion that there are more things to life than our eyes can see. In today’s Gospel, the disciples experience the transfiguration and receive a glimpse of Jesus’ glory which normally they did not see. This experience tells us that there is more to others than we can see, such as different races, nationalities, sexual orientations and religious beliefs. We must be humble when we interact with them and remember that there are still things we don’t understand. The same applies to evil and suffering in this world. We must accept and respect our limitations by trusting that in time, with God’s help, the light to which our eyes are closed will be revealed.

That Mysterious Light

That Mysterious Light - Word on Fire

On the mount of Transfiguration, Jesus becomes brilliantly illumined. This light signals the radiance and beauty of a world beyond this one, a dimension from which Jesus has come and to which he is luring us.

Word on Fire

Listening to a Higher Voice - Word on Fire

The trouble began when God’s human creatures refused to listen to the divine command; the solution began when one human being—a kind of new Adam—listened.

Word on Fire

Listen! - Word on Fire

Our magnificent first reading is a short passage from the beginning of the twelfth chapter of the book of Genesis. We see that at this point in the creation story jealousy, rivalry, anger, murder, imperialism, arrogance, drunkenness, indeed a wickedness has spread over the entire face of the earth. So what does God do? He sends a rescue operation! The rescue operation is going to come in the form of a people trained to listen again to the voice of the Lord. During this season of Lent we must also become a people trained to listen so as to be rescued by the Resurrection.

Word on Fire

The Barrier Posed by Our Comfort

SUMMARY: This homily looks at the spiritual context of Lent and Jesus’ Transfiguration, emphasizing Jesus’ example of learning from suffering. The piece suggests that we can learn from Jesus’ life, which can guide us on our path of transformation. It also emphasizes that God’s unconditional love for humanity is a reminder of our own divine nature. Ultimately, it encourages readers to use Lent as a time of reflection and spiritual growth, to accept the difficulties of life, and to seek faith and joy in God’s presence.

On Being Transfigured

The Transfiguration of the Lord. This event is so mystical that a word had to be made up to name it. Transfiguration, the Church used this word to describe how Jesus’ appearance was changed on that holy mountain. His face shone as the sun, and His clothes became dazzling white. Was this a glimpse of what Jesus looks like when He takes His place at the Right Hand of the Father in heaven? Are we getting a taste of the Trinity? Perhaps. The Book of Revelation also attempts to give us a picture of the Lord in His Glory, but these are the visions the prophet had of heaven, not the concrete changing of the Lord from physical into mystical on a mountain in Palestine.

Growth in Holiness

God does not tell us what we should expect in the prayer life, because if He did, most of us would never even begin. But He gives the grace at every moment to handle whatever comes our way. In this, we are, again, like Abram: we have to act in faith and trust in God. Sometimes the purifications are so intense that the Saints tell us it feels like they have been abandoned by God. The struggles might not seem so bad if we knew we could just come to prayer and find consolation, but that is not the way it works most of the time.

God is looking for growth in holiness; He calls us to be saints! This means developing the virtues which, of course, develop only when they are tested (remember Abraham). This being the case, we must also realize that the purifications will not only come during prayer, but if we are going to grow in holiness, we will become less like the world and more like God, Whom the world has rejected. This means we, too, will experience some rejection and persecution from those who do not understand. God will use this to help us grow in holiness as well.

A Glimpse of Heaven

In this one instance of transfigured clarity, Peter sees the humanity of Jesus suffused with the eternal glory of God, and in that instant Peter glimpses the mystery of our faith: God became like us, that’s what Peter sees; so that, we might become like God, that’s what Peter eventually learns. The light that radiates from Jesus’ flesh is the same light that spoke the universe into creation. It’s the same light that the world awaits with groaning and labour pains and sighs too deep for words. It’s the light that will one day make all of creation a burning bush, afire with God’s glory but not consumed by it. The transfiguration therefore anticipates our flesh being remade into God’s image so that we may be united with Him. Just as Christ’s humanity is transfigured by glory without ceasing to be human, so too will our humanity be deified, without our ceasing to be creatures. That’s the plot of scripture. That’s the mystery of our faith. This is what makes the suffering of the cross bearable. Without a vision of heaven, our painful experiences in this life would remain hellish and unbearable. And this is the reason why at every Mass, we have a glimpse of heaven. Eucharistic adoration is an invitation to a transfiguration experience. You see, heaven is not just a destination, it is also a motivation. The Eucharistic transfiguration, this desire for heaven, helps us to overcome all fear of suffering for the sake of Christ.

Clergy E-Notes

Pro-life reflections and intercessions related to the Sunday readings

Transfiguration, Flash of Consolation

We know it from our own life, sometimes we go rough experiences which leave us not only drained but also doubting and disappointed. We lack the energy to pick ourselves up to continue the journey.  We begin to question even what we have always held with great conviction.

It could actually be your experience this Lenten season that you may have begun in high spirits, determined to improve something in your life. Unfortunately, in the course of the past few days you probably stumbled onto some issue that has significantly shaken up your life, your marriage, your family or your work so much that the world around you seems to be crumbling. Is it not the moments like that lead some people even to suicide? But wait!

During moments like that we are invited to re-read our life and discover the transfigurations that have occurred in our life. They may not be that spectacular like that of Jesus, nevertheless, they are soothing enough to help us back onto our feet. Just remember that smile that warmed you up from your loneliness, that gesture of kindness that left you feeling positive about humanity. Indeed, no matter how coarse our life maybe yet we are not empty of moments of grace that we recall with relish. That’s your transfiguration. That’s a confirming voice: you are beloved daughter, beloved son of the Father. Yes, such moments are strong spiritual experiences that buoy us up.

However, the temptation is, like Peter, to want to settle as if we have reached the finish line. No! Transfigurations in our life are a pat on our back; God is telling us: go on son, go on daughter. He dresses our sore feet, applies some balm so that we can rise and carry on.

Go Up to the Mountain

We are invited this Second Sunday of Lent to go up to the mountain to manifest our faith and union with God. Today’s First Reading tells us of Abraham’s call and manifestation of faith in God. His faith warrants him to be called our Father of Faith. He accepts to go to an unknown destination and he believed in an unknown God. God blessed him and he received the promise of becoming the father of a multitude. Later, in the reading of Genesis, Abraham had difficulties having a biological son from his union with his legitimate wife Sarah. Even when he finally had a son, God ordered him to offer Isaac in sacrifice on the mountain. Lent is also the passage by mount Tabor, that of Transfiguration. Jesus’ life that ends on the Cross is connected with the heavenly visit he receives on this mountain. God reassures Him of His salvation mission. The Father encourages Jesus to go on as He shall be with Him. The event on this mountain reveals what will happen to Jesus. As God led Moses and Elijah to the Holy Mountain to witness His glory (Ex 33:18; 1K 19:9), so too does Jesus lead the apostles. They also climb the mountain and there Jesus manifests His glory to them. In the transfiguration, the Holy Apostles were introduced to a new range of ideas, into a new sphere of contemplation and into the glimpse of a new heaven.

The transfiguration is one of the most important manifestations of God in the New Testament. Some scholars call it the “summary of all revelation.” The Law and the Prophets spokesmen, Moses and Elijah, (all of the Old Testament) presents Christ to the Apostles Peter, James and John who will be responsible for preaching the Gospel. More than a mere vision, today’s gospel is an excellent example of the ingredients that constitute an intercession, praise or thanksgiving prayer. It tells us that prayer is a response to Christ’s invitation to come up to the mountain, that is, to leave behind, for a while, our ordinary, everyday concerns and place ourselves quietly in God’s presence. It is an invitation to be alone with Christ. The story’s climax is the command from the cloud: “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him”. Prayer consists, above all, of listening and hearing Jesus’ Word.

In this season we are invited, like Abraham, Elijah, Moses and the Apostles, to go up to the mountain and encounter God; particularly nowadays when many live in noisy environments with our senses constantly under assault and our minds distracted. In such a world, we easily become spiritually deaf to God’s voice – and indeed spiritually dumb: unable to utter a prayer either for ourselves or for anyone. We should not only remain on the mountain like Peter “building three tents”, but we are also invited to preach the message of the Cross and resurrection and invite more people to Go Up To The Mountain.

Next Step in Evolution

Last Sunday we saw Jesus as a man immersed in the Scriptures who countered Satan’s temptations. Imitating Jesus we desire immersion in the God’s Word. The importance of the Bible for us as Catholics, we can see from the fact that at our Masses we read from every section of the Scriptures. Not only that, almost every word of the Mass comes from or is based on the Bible.

Still, it’s not enough that words simply enter our ears. We want God’s Word to live in our hearts. Today’s Gospel shows how that can happen.

The opening verse states: “Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Jesus wants us to take time apart with him. In your home do you have some place for prayer? Maybe a corner with a candle, crucifix, or sacred image. I know some people use cell phone apps to pray. That’s great if it works. Most of us need to turn off the cell phone so we can give time completely to Jesus. He desires to lead us to the mountain top.

On the mountain top we can hear the Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” In the Catholic Church we have a time tested way of listening to Jesus – lectio divina. It literally means “divine reading”. Take a passage from the Bible and read it slowly, stopping where it speaks to you. It may speak hope, repentance, trust. What that voice says, listen.

Look Beyond Present Suffering to the Presence of God

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. As we heard in the second reading today,

The Transfiguration and the Voice of the Father

In the very beginning we are told that humanity (in Adam and Eve) walked in the garden in the company of God and freely talked with Him. Through sin, we were cast out of the garden, we lost that free and intimate relationship with God not because God is wrathful as we so often are but because God is truth and cannot abide the un-truth of sin, because God is good and cannot abide the un-good of sin, because God is beauty and cannot abide the un-beauty of sin.

Humanity’s deepest yearning is to once again abide in the garden with God and to live in that free relationship. The history of the people of Israel can be read, in part, as a striving to regain that intimate friendship. Moses (the one person so highly favored by God) begged to see the glory of God and God only granted him the briefest view “of his back” because God knows that no creature wounded by sin can look on his face and live (Ex. 33:18-23).

Jesus Christ is that greatest and most sacred mystery of the Word of God enfleshed (who emptied himself of glory and took the form of a slave) who has come to take upon himself the weight of our sin and be that bridge, that sheep gate and shepherd to return us to intimate relationship with the Father.

Behond the Face of God

On the mountain of transfiguration, Jesus is gazing on God’s face and listening to God’s voice. His whole being is caught up in God’s glory, ‘and his face shone like the sun’(see Exodus 34:29). It is Jesus who brings the Law represented here by Moses, and the Prophets, represented here by Elijah, to their fulfilment, but he also goes beyond them, for he is God’s ‘Son, the beloved’ with whom God is ‘well pleased’. Peter, James and John are told that it is to Jesus that they are to listen (see Deuteronomy 18:15). So it is that when the three disciples looked up ‘they saw no one except Jesus himself alone’ (‘alone’ is emphatic in the original Greek text). Moses and the Prophets prepared the way.

The Long Haul

There is always a further call as long as we tread this earthly road.

• A woman who thinks she has had enough of her professional work discovers a new marvelous power to love and heal.
• A priest at sixty-five taps into vast depths of courage and possibility within himself he had never imagined.
• A man at sixty, dreaming of something new, starts a food distribution program in a poor Central American country.
• A sister at fifty founds a new order.
• A ninety-two-year-old nun goes more deeply into love, forgiveness, and trust than any novice could dare explore.
• A couple married fifty years thanks Marriage Encounter for helping them finally understand each other.

Just think how many centuries it will take for us to delve into the mystery of God.

Following God to an Unknown Land

That first line from book of Genesis seems so appropriate this week. “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.’” There are a couple reasons why this line from Genesis struck me. I am going to begin with my second reason before sharing with you my first reason. The second reason why this line from Genesis caught my attention is because the idea of following God into the unknown feels like what we are going through right now with the coronavirus outbreak. We have seen primary, secondary and even college classes canceled in the hopes of continuing their studies online. We have seen businesses like Microsoft tell their employees to work from home. We have seen people stocking up at the stores, and hoarding toilet paper of all things. It certainly does feel like we are following the Lord into the unknown right now.

We were Created to Please God

After their sin of distrust and disobedience toward God, Adam and Eve transmitted human nature to their descendants in a fallen state. “Disfigured by sin and death,” we remained “in the image of God,” but were deprived of the “likeness” and the “glory of God,” says the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

However, God did not abandon us to the power of death, but helped us all to seek and find him. He inaugurated our salvation when he promised Abraham that in one of his descendants, “all the families of the earth” would be blessed.

The “culmination” of that salvation, the Catechism says, occurred when God the Son assumed our human nature and restored it to the Father’s “likeness,” giving it back its “glory.”

We catch a glimpse of this “glory” in Jesus’ transfiguration. “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzlingly white.” As the Church says in the Preface of the Mass, God filled “with the greatest splendour” the bodily form Jesus shares with us, to show us how what first “shone forth” in the Church’s Head “is to be fulfilled” in the Church’s Body.