2rd Sunday of Lent 2022, Year C, Lk 9, 28-36
One of the greatest privileges of being a priest is hearing the stories of loved ones who have died. The stories make it clear that much goodness and love is being poured into the world all the time. The downside is the knowledge of not having spent much time, if any, with the person at the source. The person would have been inspiring and their charism a source of nourishment and uplift. The uplifting message is that their stories make very clear that God is working overtime healing, inspiring, supporting, comforting, forgiving and loving. God is transforming the world through us and we often fail to see it!!
The Transfiguration story encourages us to become more aware of God’s transforming power happening daily in our lives. This power is experiential not an explanation, however good. We call it Mystery because we are unable to adequately put this kind of experience into words, being so much greater than words could ever convey.
Transfiguration Malcolm Guite
For that one moment, ‘in and out of time’, on that one mountain where all moments meet, the daily veil that covers the sublime in darkling glass fell dazzled at his feet. There were no angels full of eyes and wings just living glory full of truth and grace. The Love that dances at the heart of things shone out upon us from a human face. And to that light the light in us leaped up, we felt it quicken somewhere deep within, a sudden blaze of long-extinguished hope trembled and tingled through the tender skin. Nor can this blackened sky, this darkened scar eclipse that glimpse of how things really are.
Helen Keller, who was blind and Dumb, calls her faith a spiritual searchlight:
Observers in the full enjoyment of their bodily senses pity me, but it is because they do not see the golden chamber in my life where I dwell delighted; for, dark as my path may seem to them, I carry a magic light in my heart. Faith, the strong spiritual searchlight, illuminates the way, and although sinister doubts lurk in the shadow, I walk unafraid toward the enchanted wood where the foliage is always green, where joy abides, where nightingales nest and sing, and where life and death are one in the Presence of the Lord.
Pope Francis: Our Father said to the Apostles and says to us as well: “listen to Jesus, because he is my beloved Son”. This week let us keep these words in our minds and in our hearts: “listen to Jesus!”.
by Fr Thomas O'BRIEN a.a