_{Holy Spirit Catholic Church}

_{Homilies
Archive}

_{SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
March 4, 2007}

A very disturbed and depressed man, standing on a high cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was contemplating suicide.  Just then he heard music so beautiful that he became startled.  He looked around to see where it was coming from.

Sitting on a nearby picnic table he saw a young, barefoot boy playing a guitar.  The sound of the beautiful music and the sight of the innocent boy touched him profoundly.  Suddenly he realized that there was a lot of beauty and goodness in the world.

The man said later that the barefoot boy, playing his guitar, was a gift from God.  It inspired him and gave him the grace and strength to go on and not give up.

That story gives us an insight into how Peter, James, and John must have felt when they saw Jesus transfigured in today's Gospel.  Moments before, they too were disturbed and depressed, for a few days earlier, Jesus had bluntly told them that he was going to suffer much at the hands of the leaders of Israel.

He also revealed to them that they too would suffer a great deal.  No doubt this was one of the reasons why Jesus took them up the mountain as he saw how his words had disturbed and confused them.

In any event, while Jesus was praying in their presence, "his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white."  "...A cloud came and cast a shadow over them...from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him!"  And suddenly, like the man standing on the cliff, they too were transformed by what they saw and heard.

The disciples never forgot that moment as long as they lived.  Years later, Peter described it in one of his letters.  He said:  "With our own eyes we saw his greatness.  We were there…when the voice came to Jesus…We ourselves heard this voice…on the holy mountain."

And so, as the faith of the man on the cliff was strengthened and transformed by what he saw and heard, so the faith of the disciples was strengthened and transformed by what they saw on the holy mountain.

In a similar way, in today’s first reading from the Book of Genesis, Abraham's faith was strengthened and transformed by what he saw and heard as he stood under the star-filled sky.

Theologians sometimes refer to such experiences as "moments of grace."  They are blessed moments when for a split second the wall separating heaven and earth seems to dissolve before our eyes and God’s glory shines down on us, filling us with new strength and new hope.

Most of us have experienced similar moments in our own lives.  For me it has occurred watching a majestic sunset while standing on the north rim of the Grand Canyon or walking along the beach alone at sunrise and listening to the waves rolling in.

More often than not, these moments come upon us suddenly and unexpectedly.  And more often than not, they come at a time in our lives when we need them most. 

Here we need to keep in mind that we cannot merit such moments.  We cannot win them.  We cannot program or choreograph them into our lives.

At best, we can only pray and keep our hearts open to them.  If God wishes to give them to us, well, that's up to God.  And when God does give them, we should simply rejoice and give thanks for them…as the disciples and Abraham did in today's readings.

Finally, more often than not, God gives us such moments to prepare us for some work that he wants us to do; just as he gave them to the disciples and Abraham for this purpose.  In our case, it may not be something great and far reaching, as in the case of the disciples and Abraham.

Rather, it will be something more like what we ask for in the Prayer of St. Francis that we are all very familiar with.  It is a beautiful prayer that we all should be living!  Lent is a wonderful time and opportunity for us to open ourselves to a "moment of grace."  It is a wonderful time and opportunity for us, as St. Francis says to sow love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and joy to everyone we come in contact with!

Let us remember Pope Benedict’s request that this Lent we focus our reflection and prayers on the Cross, on the Crucified Christ!  As you travel on the Lenten journey from "Ashes to Easter" I pray that God will grant you moments of grace!