SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (2005)

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (2005)

Readings:

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Psalms  27:1, 7-9, 13-14

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke    9:28-36

Last Sunday we began our Lenten journey by entering the wilderness and sitting ringside where an all-star battle was raging between the Prince of Darkness (the devil) and the Son of God.  It lacked the astounding fakery of a WWF bout (if that sounded insulting to my WWF friends I apologize), but it was surely the most significant fight in history.  Judges from the outset rightly said it was a mismatch, and that it was.  Armed only with cleverly selected quips from the Scriptures (the Word of God), the Son of God had the upper (heavenly) hand, and the fight was over in a quick thirteen verses.  Everyone who left the Wilderness Stadium that night were filled with the hope that they, too, could do battle with the devil and win.

This weekend’s liturgy has us traveling up a mountain with Jesus, Peter, James, and John, to grab some quiet time to pray.  Like last week, the tradition of the Transfiguration is so embedded in the Jesus tradition, that the story appears in all three synoptic gospels.  Tired and exhausted, no doubt from their climb, the apostles’ first inclination is to take a nap.  They awake to the sound of conversation, and witness Jesus, whose countenance has changed and whose clothing has become “dazzling white,” talking with two men, who appear to be Moses and Elijah.  The apostles were no doubt stunned by this appearance, and Peter possibly hoping that this is the beginning of Jesus’ earthly reign, announces what he is feeling: “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.  But he did not know what he was saying.”  Suddenly, an ominous cloud overcame them all, frightening the apostles.  From the cloud, not unlike the cloud that gathered over Jesus’ baptism, was a voice that said: “This is my chosen Son, listen to Him.”

Abruptly the guests disappear, and what was witnessed was so unexplainable that it provoked silence.  Why does it all come to such an abrupt end?  Probably because Peter was thinking so wrongly, a point made not infrequently in the gospels.  Peter wanted to set up three tents – who would not want to stay on this glorious mountain, with a glorified Jesus and two extraordinary guests?  With the ‘Law’ (Moses) and the ‘Prophets’ (Elijah) on our side, Peter mused, we can begin our messianic plans to eradicate Roman dominance.  The covenant made with Abraham (first reading) was meant to make us a great people.  Now seemed the time for greatness.  Besides, who wants to go back down the hill to the smelly, clawing crowds who cannot seem to get enough of Jesus?  Might Jesus have sensed what was truly on Peter’s mind, thus making it necessary to bring even the most glorious of moments to an end?

The reality is that the most glorious of moments always come to an end, and Paul boldly tells us why in the second reading: “Many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their shame.  Their minds are occupied with earthly things.”  Things are no different now than they were in Paul’s time.  We live in an imperfect world.  Moments of glory don’t last.

If I had to think of my most glorious moment, I would go back to June 19th, 1976, the day I was ordained a priest.  Like Jesus on the mountain I was surrounded by family and friends, and what was happening to me was beyond my comprehension.   I was filled with the vigor and impetuousness of youth, and mistakenly thought it could last forever.  It didn’t, of course.

Glorious moments, like that of the apostles on Mount Tabor, are meant to teach us that God’s reign is possible, if we cooperate fully with God’s grace.  Because we are human, and because we are not always focused on God’s will, we sometimes stand in the way of what could be God’s glory shining through the darkness of this world.  Furthermore, we are a lot like Peter – we don’t want to go down the mountain where the hard work awaits us, yet that is where the glory of Christ is to be found.  Paul’s words above are painfully real, but Paul never lets his readers end on a down note.  Paul further stated: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body by the power that enables Him also to bring all things into subjection to Himself.”  As Paul says, “stand firm in the Lord,” for our most glorious moment lies ahead, in the kingdom God has prepared for each and every one of us.