Feast of the Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-9) “Listen to Him”

Feast of the Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-9) “Listen to Him”

         We often hear preachers talk about praying before making decisions.  But how often do we do that when we have a choice to make?  We probably weigh the options.  We might do some research.  Usually, we ask friends for advice.  But do we ask God what we are to do?

        We believe that Jesus came to the earth with a mission.  He also had a plan to implement.  Jesus seems to be sure of the path that he wants to take in the Gospels.  If we believe Jesus had it all figured out from the start, we are not considering the humanity of Jesus.  Part of him was probably unsure what to do, the human part of him. 

        We hear about Jesus going to Mt. Hermon today.  The mountain overlooks the Jordon Valley.  The peak is some 12,000 feet above the floor of the valley below.  Jesus was coming from Caesaria Phillipi.  Six days before he had asked his disciples what people were saying about him.  He had announced his plan to go to Jerusalem to die.  Peter had argued about this plan.  We can imagine the other apostles were not happy when they were told that they were to face a similar fate.  We are left to wonder if Jesus was shaken by the push back of his friends.  Was he searching for assurance? 

        Whenever Jesus was seeking a way forward in his life, he seemed to go to a mountain.  Jesus went to the mountain of Transfiguration looking for guidance.  He wanted to pray over his plans.  He takes Peter, James and John with him to the heights of Mt. Hermon.  Mt. Hermon is like a lot of mountains.  Clouds can come up without notice.  If anyone has ever been to the Rockies, you have seen this phenomenon.  Clouds appear in the afternoon gathering on the side of the mountains.  Somehow it seems like they get caught there on the peaks.  Mt. Heron was known for these same phenomena.  Clouds would gather quickly.  Clouds would dissipate quickly.  A cloud came up to cover the mountain while Jesus was praying. 

        We also hear of Moses appearing.  He was the law giver.  Elijah comes.  He represents the prophetic wisdom of the Old Testament.  Jesus is affirmed by the Old Testament scriptures as he turns toward Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny.  Out of the cloud on the mountain comes a voice, the voice of the Father.  “This is my beloved son, listen to him.”  Jesus receives the affirmation he is seeking.  He moves forward with his mission.

        At great moments in church history, we have seen this scene repeated.  We celebrated the feast of St. Ignatius Loyola on Monday.  St. Ignatius was a soldier of fortune.  He had a conversion experience after being wounded in battle.  While recuperating in Spain, he decides to change his life.  In 1521, he went on a pilgrimage.  His first stop was at a mountain shrine called Montserrat.  At that shrine was a statue of the Black Madonna.  Ignatius decided to keep vigil at the statue all night asking what he should do.  The answer that he received from God was that he was to give up worldly ambition in order to serve Christ.

        When morning came, he removed his sword.  He laid it on the altar.  He took the belt that held his dagger off.  He hung it up by the statue of our lady.  From that day he served Christ with all his mind, heart and soul.  He began his life of poverty, chastity and obedience.

        We are left to ponder today if we take time to pray for the answers that we need in our life.  We are also left to reflect on the swords and daggers we need to lay down.

Do I lay down my selfishness in order to make my family life happier?

Can I give up my craving to have more and more things?

Can I let go of past hurts so I might be more generous?

Could I lay down my need to always be the dominant voice in the room?

Am I willing give-up my desire to control my children, friends, and spouse, so that they might grow as they need to?

Am I willing to let go of the hunger to fulfill my own pleasures so that others might have the necessities of life and so the environment might be protected?

In what other ways do I abandon my will so that I may cooperate with God’s will?

Am I willing to be transfigured today and each day of my life?  If so, will I fulfill my mission of radiating God’s love to everyone I meet?

Reflection Questions:

What does the Transfiguration mean to me?  Is it about Jesus or me?

Do I need to lay something down in order to grow?  What is it?

Dear Parishioners,

         On August 19th and 20th, we will be having what we call a stewardship weekend.  We try to have these Sundays periodically.  Some hear the word stewardship and feel it is all about money.  But it is also about giving our time and talents to the community.

        No one needs to tell us that we have gone through a difficult time as we struggled with the COVID 19 pandemic.  This was a hard time for churches.  Our liturgical schedule was thrown up in the air.  We dropped Masses, added Masses through months of uncertainty and this led to ministers having an erratic schedule.  We are still trying to recover some sense of rhythm.  Some parishes have cut back on Masses because they could not get people to help with ministries.

        At Sacred Heart we have gone back to our pre pandemic schedule, but we need liturgical ministers if we are going to function in a reverent way.  That is why we are asking for new people to step up to be ministers.  If you attend Mass and have attended Mass and never helped with a ministry, I ask you to make a sacrifice and lend us a hand.

        I am not asking you to volunteer for life or to be here every Sunday.  Many hands make light work.  The more ministers we have the easier it is for everyone.  Please pray about what you might do in the coming days.  Christ is calling you.  Can you respond in faith?

        May Our Lady Pray for us,

         Fr. Mark