“Our Transfiguration"

During Lent, we are all invited to spend more time in prayer to examine our lives, to discover or re-discover who we truly are, why do we exist, what life is all about and what God calls us to be and to do

Therefore, our Lenten journey must be transformative. It is not just about giving up something like chocolate or Facebook. There must be transformation in our lives during Lent – and so, at Easter time – we need to ask ourselves – Am I a better person now, am I a better Christian than I was at the beginning of Lent? Have I grown in virtues and obedience to God and trust in God? Have I overcome my sinful habit or habits?  Have I become more like Christ?  Or is this Lent just another Lenten season that has come and gone? … and we continue with the same way of life we had before Lent; so, hopefully not.

Whatever our past may have been, it is not too late… we can always begin anew.  Even if we do not know what to do with our lives – we have hope.  We have Christ to lead us to fullness of life - if we follow Him… if we imitate Him and therefore rise to new life in Christ.

The story of Transfiguration is a story of Divinity breaking through into  ordinary human experience.

The transfiguration experience of the apostles boosted the apostles’ faith because – by seeing the glory of Jesus – it prepared them so that they will not be overwhelmed by the scandal of the cross… their transfiguration experience was to fortify the apostles’ faith to withstand the coming tragedy of the Passion… by giving them a glimpse of Jesus’ glory and triumph.

In our lives, there are experiences that can break us, to say the leas,t and even challenge our faith in God. Therefore, we need to be reminded that this troubled world is not our final destiny.  The Gospel story of the Transfiguration of Christ gives us a glimpse that there is life after death, there is another world that is just as real as this world we live in….

An occasional glimpse of the other world, of life after death can bring meaning and strength and hope to this present world.

As we heard in the Gospel: “Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Jesus.”  Moses and Elijah lived and departed from earthly life centuries before and yet, there they were living and conversing with Jesus…sharing in His glory… giving us a glimpse of the eternal dimension… that there is life after death… with transfigured or resurrected body… reminding us that heaven is our true home 

So - can we somehow expect a Transfiguration-like experience, to prepare us – to encourage us to carry our crosses daily in our lives to follow Jesus?  to boost our faith?... to strengthen us and give us hope? 

The answer is, yes; that is what Jesus is preparing for us at this very Mass we are celebrating. Our experience might be greatly different from what Peter, James or John experienced.  There will not probably be any voice speaking from the clouds but our experience can certainly be just as powerful…

Our Eucharistic celebration reminds us that Jesus is always with us… Our Eucharistic celebration is our own Transfiguration experience – divinity breaking through into ordinary human experience - ordinary bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Christ… and then we partake of the Eucharist – and then we become what we partake – We are transformed into the Body of Christ… We become what we receive - with the Holy Spirit living in us.  THAT IS WHO WE TRULY ARE!... the Chosen Ones of God.

Of course, that will not happen by some kind of magic.  Our own transfiguration experience will depend on how much faith we bring to the experience… meaning, depending on if our hearts are open… if our minds are open.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the efficacy of the sacrament – meaning - the grace we receive in the sacraments – like the Eucharist - depends on our disposition – depending on our openness, our willingness to cooperate with the grace of God.

There is a common phrase – “You get out of it what you put into it.” 

Those who get bored during the Mass – others even fall asleep…. Those who say that they get nothing out of the Mass…. They should actually ask themselves this question… What are they bringing into this celebration?  What kind of attitude do they have coming into church, to Mass? 

How much thought and how much preparation did they have or how did they prepare themselves for the Eucharistic celebration? Again, “you get out of Mass what you put into it.”

In just a few minutes, we will offer to God the bread and wine – along with our offerings of ourselves, our struggles, our hopes, our dreams – through Christ, with Christ and in Christ – WHO makes our offerings acceptable to God, our Father.

At the consecration, the Holy Spirit will change our gifts - into the Body and Blood of Christ.  Then - at Communion, when we receive the Body of Christ - Jesus will fill us with his glorious presence.  In that moment we, ourselves, can be transfigured, if you will... because we become what we receive; we become what we eat – We become the Body of Christ… As St. Teresa of Avila beautifully said:  Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Yours are His eyes, yours are His hands and yours are His feet.  Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

That is why at the end of the Mass, we are sent – in the peace of Christ – to be other Christs in the world. …to be the living witnesses and sacraments of God’s love, grace and mercy… That is why at the end, we say: “God in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1268):  By virtue of our own baptism in Christ, we, too are "a chosen race (just as Jesus is the Chosen One, as we heard in the Gospel). We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of God who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  That is who and what we are.

Peter wanted to stay or extend their stay up in the mountain because as he said: “it is good to be here.”  The same thing with us.  Yes, it is good to be here and join in the Eucharistic celebration and enter into communion with the Lord.

But - after our Eucharistic celebration - we need to go down into the valley, so to speak, of our day-to-day existence – into the ordinariness of our lives – because, in essence, the Mass never ends because the Mass must be lived. 

We do this by living our lives in such a way that we reflect the presence of God in that unique way that we were created to do… that people whose lives we touch – that they experience the love, grace and mercy of God through us.

That is why we need to be united to God in every aspect of our lives and at every moment of our lives.  We cannot give what we do not have.

Realistically, admittedly, at times - we get so bogged down by struggles and temptations in this world and we lose perspective of what life is all about and what really matters, therefore, at times we do not and cannot hear the voice of God anymore with all the worldly noises – and so - we need to get away from the world, so to speak – spend more time in prayer every day – to listen to the voice of God every day… even for a few minutes each day…

Our parish church, St. Catherine’s, is literally on top of the hill – so we can say – this, here is our Transfiguration mountain top – where we worship, pray and receive the Eucharist, the sacraments - to nourish us in our journey of life.  But, we cannot stay here - there are works to be done down in the valley – where we are called to follow Christ – to care for the sick and the elderly, the poor, to strengthen our families, to share the good news, of God’s love.

The Eucharist we celebrate and receive – actually gives us a glimpse and foretaste of heaven - where Jesus and our life comes together. Here is our mountain of Transfiguration. Each Sunday is our Transfiguration Day. Here we bring life and face it with Jesus. Here our life mingles with God’s life. So, how then can you say you are bored during mass or how then can you say you did not get anything out of the mass? Whose fault is it then? 

Here we enter into Communion – God with us and we with God. And then, with Jesus we go down the mountain into the valley and face life for another week. We do this while on earth, until one day, our lives will become totally one with God and share in our future glory in heaven.

Amen.