2025 3 16 – Homily –430 and 800 mass – 2nd Sunday Lent – Yr C Lk 9 28-36 – Transfiguration
Focus – encouragement to bear our crosses now on earth
Today we have a moment of encouragement for our Lenten journey, for our earthly journey.
(pause)
A lot of people are going through difficult times right now. Worries over health, family members, anxiety over the economy and jobs, and uncertainty about the future.
SLIDE:
Hope and
Encouragement
For our challenges
Encouragement for our trials
The transfiguration is hope and encouragement for the challenges we face in life.
The transfiguration “gives Jesus’ disciples an opportunity to see his glory, in order to prepare them for their supreme trial of faith”– the passion and death of Jesus. (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture – Matthew, p. 215)
The Transfiguration represents the ultimate taste of heaven revealed to mankind.
Aquinas says that it was fitting for Christ to be manifested in his glory to his Apostles because those who walk an arduous path need a clear sense of the goal of their journey. The arduous path is this life, with all of its attendant sufferings, failures, disappointments, and injustices. (Bishop Barron)
With all of this negativity, a pilgrim on life’s way can easily succumb to despair unless one is granted a glimpse of the glory that comes at the end of our striving. And this is why, Aquinas argues, Jesus, before journeying to Jerusalem to walk the way of the cross, for a brief moment allows the light to shine through him. (Bishop Barron)
The transfiguration should give us encouragement for our trials today, poor health, difficult marriages, unsatisfying work, and financial difficulties.
The promise of heaven is our reward for following God. Reward for putting God first before all else. The reward for picking up our cross daily and following Jesus. Glorified, new and improved bodies. Streets paved in gold and walls made with jewels.
SLIDE:
We need to be transfigured
Transformed
Transfigured also means transformed to experience this heavenly reward we need to be transformed.
To be glorified like Jesus we will need to become transfigured like that of Jesus, either now or in Purgatory. We must become more and more like Christ to be able to stand before him and see him like he is in all his glory and not fall down like the 3 disciples. We must seek to shine like Jesus. Rise above our small world. Seek the peace and serenity of God, the peace and serenity that can be ours right now!
We must cast off all that is unworthy of God or stands between us and God. We must put our minds on things above and trust God more and more to give us what we need.
And if we stumble, and we all will, remember, saints are only sinners that get back up.
(pause)
For additional hope,
In heaven in addition to a new glorified body and supreme joy we will see our deceased relatives and friends!
Death does not have the last word, we will all live forever
SLIDE:
Death is not the end
We will live
Forever
In our Gospel reading today, Moses and Elijah appear alive talking with Jesus. Moses had died 1300 years before Jesus! Elijah had died 850 years earlier! Jesus says in the Bible, God is God of the living not the dead. All are alive!
But not just Moses and Elijah are alive. All who have passed from this life to the next are alive. Abraham Lincoln is alive. George Washington too. All our family members who have gone before us are alive.
All three great monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam believe in life after death. Even eastern religions like Buddhism believe in life after death. The Dalai Lama has said the passage from this life to the next is just a change of clothes.
In conclusion:
We all need this encouragement. The road of life can be difficult. Temptations abound. But as Saint Paul said, all sufferings pale In comparison to the glory to be revealed.
Saint Paul in our second reading reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven and that the Lord will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body. And so he encouraged us to stand firm in the Lord.
The Bible says – “eye has not seen, and ear has not heard … what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Heaven will be more amazing, more beautiful and more joy that anything we can imagine.
Also, in the Bible “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Romans 8:18)
In other words, any cross or trial you experience here on earth will seem as nothing compared to the joy of heaven.
This is encouragement and hope for all of us to bear our crosses here on earth.
God bless you all on this journey!
