The Feast of the
TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
5-6 August 2023, St. Lambert
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Pt 1:16-19
Mt 17:1-9
Praise be Jesus Christ!
But Jesus came and touched them,
saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
…they saw no one else
but Jesus alone. I
have recently concluded that we need to do more to defend ourselves from the
deleterious effects of social media consumption. We need to do more to protect
our eyes, our hearts, and our minds, and for those entrusted to the care of
others, to protect the vulnerable in family and society as well.
You will probably have
thought to yourself, maybe you said it out loud, or heard someone else complain
that they spend too much time scrolling on their phone or that screen time
wasted on any number of devices has become a trap for them, for us. We complain
and yet remain for the most part hooked, even if it’s just to playing solitaire
or some other game. Some of these games claim they’ll keep your mind young and
alert or maybe spare you from Alzheimer’s or senility. Dream on! As convinced
as we may be that we want to break with these things, we still fall back into
the habit and find that our housework, our schoolwork, or our job is not
getting done or suffers as a result of our (let’s call it) addiction. We’re in
a rut and perhaps even losing out on needed sleep time.
I
can remember coming home from college (1968-72) and sitting down occasionally in
the afternoon with Mom for her two favorite soap operas on TV. Despite never
watching them myself at school, I never had the impression during those brief
holiday visits of having missed out on anything in the months I was at school.
It was never hard to pick up the storyline. At some point Mother must have concluded
that those programs were a waste of time, because one vacation I returned from
school, and noted that her world no longer stopped for that hour in the
afternoon for those two shows. I asked what had changed and her response was
that she had given them up as they made her nervous. As the years went on, I
noted that, except for a couple programs on EWTN, TV held no interest for her
at all. Instead, Mom eagerly retired to the easy chair in her bedroom not only
for some privacy while doing her COPD breathing treatments, but more and more to
pray her rosary and to do spiritual reading, especially from her Magnificat.
I
suppose I should properly be preaching about this Sunday’s great mystery, the
Transfiguration, about how seeing the Lord in glory on the mount in the company
of Moses and Elijah helped prepare Peter, James, and John for the scandal of
the Cross. Instead, I keep coming back to those words just quoted. But Jesus
came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the
disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
…they
saw no one else but Jesus alone. Not only screentime but our social life abounds
with popular opinions and disbelieving attitudes which distract us from the One
only Who is necessary, Jesus. Our Lord elsewhere in the Gospel chides Martha, the
sister of Mary and Jesus’ friend Lazarus, telling her to stop fussing about the
details of hospitality and to leave her sister Mary alone to continue there at
Jesus’ feet, focusing entirely on Him: “Martha, Martha… Mary has chosen the
better part and it shall not be taken from her.”
What
did Peter, James, and John see up on Mount Tabor? They saw the beloved Son of
God the Father, all radiant, lifted up and confirmed by the witness of the Law
and the Prophets (Moses and Elijah). They were instructed, enlightened if you
will, about how Jesus alone should always and everywhere be sufficient for them.
That would be my point to you, also my message for us.
In
our first reading the Prophet Daniel covers the same ground. “The one like a
Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and
languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be
taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”
“This
is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
What
is Catholicism all about in its essence? What should we be celebrating at
Sunday Mass? What is the point of everything we say and do in our lives? The
message of the Transfiguration clarifies that point by stating clearly that Jesus
alone is enough.
St.
Peter in his letter has another nice way of putting it. We ourselves heard
this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is
altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp
shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts.
So,
in good company with St. Peter I will recommend to you the same. … we
possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to
be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and
the morning star rises in your hearts.
Maybe
the fulness of Gospel truth has not quite dawned on us yet. Maybe we need to
expend a greater effort to stay focused on what is central to our faith. Don’t
go chasing after novelty, scrolling up and down on your phone. Live as Peter,
James, and John did the grandiose experience and truth of Christ’s Transfiguration
but do not just be amazed by God in Christ. Follow through as they did without
or beyond any glorious visions or manifestations. Simply let Jesus come and touch you. Start by
forgetting all the lesser distractions, the screens, big or small. It would be
well worth it if you could hear Him saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And never forget or doubt the message. …when the disciples raised their
eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. God in Christ alone matters.
All the rest just makes us nervous or dumbs us down.
Praised be Jesus
Christ!
PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI
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