Homily Cycle C 3-17-19

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031719.cfm

Well welcome to the 2^nd Sunday of Lent, [for the Irish among us, which today is everybody, Happy St. Patrick’s Day] our readings refer to God’s covenant; our citizenship in Heaven and the Lord is our light and salvation. 

In the Gospel God the Father tells us to “LISTEN TO JESUS”, to listen to My Son, a profound message on how we are to live.  The Biblical meaning of Covenant is - to come together, an agreement.  Three of the better-known Old Testament Covenants are: Noah, Abram and Moses.

The “New Covenant” is fulfilled in Jesus Christ; true God and true man, our light and our salvation.  Jesus’ Covenant promises forgiveness of to sins for those who believe in and follow Him.  Jesus sealed the New Covenant with His body and blood, the same body and blood that He gives us in the Eucharist.

God said to Abram, “I will be your God and you will be my people.  That promise is fulfilled with Jesus’ Transfiguration, when He reveals that He is true God and true man, both the promise and the fulfillment.

St. Paul reminds us that we are passing through this life - we are “citizens of heaven.”

If you want to experience a little bit of heaven this Lent follow Pope Francis’ “Do You Want To Fast This Lent?”

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

The last one is most important, “… be silent so you can listen.”  God wants to speak to us, but we must be quiet to hear what God has to say.

In today’s Gospel Peter, James and John are told to “This is my Son; listen to him.”  We are given the same instruction, the same command, the same invitation, the same Covenant.

As Peter, James and John contemplate the wonder and grandeur of the divine, they witness the unfathomable beauty and awesomeness of the divine.  Experiences of the divine can occur any time & any place, but they are rarely as spectacular as the Transfiguration.

This story is “A pretty good kid”

You’ll think [a pretty good kid] when you’re watching your son or daughter live like a follower of Jesus.  It could happen when they play a sport selflessly, or when they help someone in need, or when they bend down to help another kid up, or when they say just the right words to bring peace and healing to a difficult situation.  You will think, “You know, we raised a pretty good kid.”

Our lives are filled with such moments of transfiguration: when the love of God is visible in our lives … when the ordinary is transformed into the holy. [Adapted from Connections 3/17/19]

We are privileged to experience the divine, the holy each time we receive the Eucharist. 

On September 10, 1946, while on a train ride to make her annual retreat Mother Teresa received her "call within a call."  Teresa experienced Jesus taking over her heart and becoming the driving force of her life.  “We can hope for such a moment in our lives when we will be transfigured by our calling to enter the world of the poor.”  [Celebrations, 3/17/19]

Lent prepares our minds, hearts, and souls to experience the divine in our live, prepares us for the divine.  Don’t waste this Lent; use it to grow in the Lord.  For a few minutes, in silence, reflect how you can make this Lent this best one you have experienced.

May God Be Praised!