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Transfiguration of the Lord, Cycle A

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Today we celebrate Our Lord’s transfiguration, the moment where he gave his closest disciples a glimpse of his divinity and glory in order to help them for the ordeals of his Passion that were about to come.

Today’s First Reading recalls the prophet Daniel’s vision of one “like a Son of man” receiving a lasting dominion and glory from the “Ancient One,” long before the Incarnation. This prophecy concerned the Messiah appearing before God the Father in glory. Note the nuances of the language. He is “like” a Son of man. In prophetic language “Son of man” refers to human beings, yet this Messiah is “like” a human being. Christ is truly God and truly man: he is “like a Son of man.” The night his Passion begins, standing before the Sanhedrin, he quotes the passage of Scripture to identify himself as the Messiah, and the Sanhedrin condemns him for blasphemy, even though he has spoken the truth: “the high priest said to him, ‘I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him in reply, ‘You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion?’ They said in reply, ‘He deserves to die!’” (Matthew 26:63–66).”

In today’s Second Reading Peter recalls the experience he had on the mountaintop to remind the believers that the wonders of the Lord’s earthly life we not just myths, but events. The first listeners of Peter were familiar with the pagan gods that surrounded them and the myths that tried to fuel their existence in the minds of the pagan believers. Our Lord was not a myth: he was born in Bethlehem, lived in Galilee, preached the Kingdom through Palestine, and died on Calvary. He was also Transfigured on a mountaintop and raised from the dead. There were eyewitnesses to both the Lord Transfigured and the Lord Risen. All believers are not just repeating myths, but handing on testimony, as the Apostles did.

In today’s Gospel the Lord reveals his divinity and glory to his closest disciples: Peter, James, and John. It’s an event recalled in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In Matthew’s account the Lord’s clothing becomes as white as light. John in the prologue to his Gospel described the Lord as the true light that enlightens every man. Christ is not only illuminated, but illuminating. The Lord is flanked by Moses and by Elijah to show that he is the culmination of the Law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah). They converse with Jesus and show their deference to him. It’s interesting that Peter says something to Jesus in “reply”: Jesus doesn’t seem to have said anything, but the scene speaks to Peter and he struggles to formulate an adequate response in the face of so much glory. Maybe a shrine? This gradually paints the portrait that Our Lord is not only worthy of glory, but divine. He clothes don’t just radiate light, but his face as well. The Messiah is not just an incredible man; he is God. If there was not already enough evidence of his divinity the voice of the Father booms from Heaven and declares Jesus to be his beloved and pleasing Son, worthy of their attention. That’s too much for the apostles, who fall prostrate in fear. Almost as soon as it happens it is over: Jesus gets them up, tells them to not be afraid, but also makes sure they will recount the vision to the others after he is risen from the dead. Even the Transfiguration is an event meant for everyone, not just a trusted few.

Our Lord on that mountaintop was flanked by Moses, Elijah, Peter, John, and James. He was praised by God the Father. Our Lord was at the center on that mountaintop because he is the center of everything. Salvation history prepared for him and salvation history was never the same after his Incarnation. The Law prepared for his coming, the prophets testified to him and what he would do. The Apostles gave witness to who he was, what he did, and what he said, with the testimony we’ve received from the evangelists regarding this event as a case in point. However, before all this, the Father created the world with his Son in mind. If the Lord is at the center of your life, everything will fall into place and click, not necessarily according to your plans, but according to God’s plans, which are the best plans for you. Peter needed lots of time to process this, and he betrayed Our Lord and reconciled with him between the event on the mountaintop and his testimony in today’s Second Reading. Start processing and don’t get discouraged by setbacks. No matter how often the Lord is “off-center” in your life you can always put him back at the center.

Readings: Daniel 7:9–10, 13–14; Psalm 97:1–2, 5–6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16–19 Matthew 17:1–9.

17th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading the Israelites are so disturbed by the change in Moses’ countenance after conversing with the Lord that he needs to start wearing a veil when dealing with them in day to day affairs. His face now reflects something unearthly, something divine. The face is one of the most expressive parts of the human body: your countenance is like a window into your mood, even your soul. Imagine what transformation had taken place in Moses after encountering the Lord.

Moses spoke with the Lord face to face. He was transformed by having such intimacy with the Lord. The rest of us here on earth would have to wait until the Incarnation to be able to see the Lord face to face in Jesus, but that encounter transforms us too. When we live our faith, something changes in our life, and people notice, especially those who haven’t experienced God in their life. In the Old Testament looking upon the face of the Lord risked death; in the new we give witness to the fact that we have seen the face of God in Jesus Christ.

Lumen Gentium, the constitution of the Second Vatican Council on the Church, says the Church reflects the light of Christ. Let’s all try to reflect the light of Christ in our lives.

Readings: Exodus 34:29–35; Psalm 99:5–7, 9; Matthew 13:44–46.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

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Modern society often seeks solutions, but in many times it has stopped seeking wisdom. Today’s readings remind us that the just and wise society we seek will take shape to the degree in which we strive for and seek the Kingdom of heaven.

Today’s First Reading recalls why King Solomon was considered one of the wisest kings of Israel, so much so that almost all the wisdom literature in the Old Testament was believed to have been written by him. His father David had established a united and prosperous kingdom. It was a tough act to follow. When the Lord offered Solomon help as he began to reign, he didn’t jump straight to specific needs for addressing specific problems: wealth, power, military strength. He knew something would help him address them all: an understanding heart that could distinguish right from wrong. Moral wisdom would not only ensure that he was a good king, but that the good of his subjects under his leadership would endure as well, because the common good is just as important as the good of the individual.

In today’s Second Reading Paul reminds us that if we really want things to work out we must love God in all things. Love for God is the wisest course of action. Complex situations, difficulties, and trials all bear the risk of separating us from God, but only if we distance ourselves from him in those moments. Throughout salvation history God has taught us how to face all these things, until finally the Son came and showed us how to face them, all the way to Calvary. In Our Lord we find embodied all the moral wisdom for which Solomon could have hoped, but something even more: the spiritual wisdom and power to be holy. The Lord calls everyone to holiness, and those who respond to the call are put back on track through the grace of justification and, if they persevere in holiness, aided by grace, they will one day be glorified.

The three parables in today’s Gospel teach us about what summarizes, epitomizes, and reflects the moral and spiritual wisdom that the Lord has not only woven into creation, but revealed and announced: the Kingdom of heaven.

First, like a hidden treasure its worth is something that takes us by surprise and is found in the most unexpected of places. In finding it you don’t just feel smart; you feel fortunate. It doesn’t come free, and it doesn’t come cheap: if you’re willing to spend everything on obtaining it, it must be of more value that what you already have. The Kingdom of heaven should put everything we have, everything we are, into perspective. When we invest ourselves completely the returns will be unimaginable.

Second, the Kingdom of heaven, like finding a great pearl after a lifetime of smaller ones, is something comparable to all the things we value in this world, but much greater in comparison. The Kingdom of heaven is not going to be something totally different from the “treasures” we hold and experience in this life. When we seek the true, the good, and the beautiful in this life, we are paving the way for the Kingdom, already present in those things, to come to full fruition.

The final parable reminds us that the Kingdom of heaven will come one day fully for everyone. If we understand the Kingdom as not only the work of salvation, but all the other natural goods that in some way result from that work–a healthy society, solid families, true concern for the spiritual and material needs of others, etc.–we can understand how it is not just identified with the people who are actively working to be a part of it and to extend it. All kinds of “fish” end up in the “net.” Like any society there are good members and bad members, and part of society’s duty is to help all its members be good members of society, even, when necessary, through penal measures applied to those who are bad with the hope of helping them to reform themselves and to not present a danger to themselves or to society.

At the end of history, when the work of the Kingdom has definitively run its course and reached everywhere Our Lord wants it to be (and that, in the end, is everywhere and everyone), no one will remain unaffected or beyond its reach. That could be a chilling thought if we didn’t remember that the Kingdom equates to salvation and a good and just order of things that spreads and takes hold forever. Each person in the end chooses how they’ll end up in the Kingdom, in that “net”: the bad will have squandered all their opportunities to be good and will be cut off from the goods of the Kingdom forever. The good, through their efforts and God’s aid and mercy, will enjoy a beatific life: they will possess God and receive all the promises Our Lord made on the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 5:1–12) in full. We must work for the good of others, not just our own good, but in the end each person will stand or fall on his or her own merits and no one will be able to ride on another’s coat tails on Judgement Day.

A rule of life summarizes the rules and principles that you consider important for a happy and successful life. Some are published for the benefit of others, while others are very personal.For some that can simply be a philosophy of life. For others, a specific career goal or achievement that requires preparation and perspiration. For believers, the monastic rules of life, such as the Rule of St. Benedict, can be adapted for living your life more in accord with basic Gospel values. Spend some time this week in prayer to take stock of your life and the rules and principles with which you live it. If you have difficulty sorting things out, consider seeking out a spiritual director.

Readings: 1 Kings 3:5, 7–12; Psalm 119:57, 72, 76–77, 127–130; Romans 8:28–30; Matthew 13:44–52.

16th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Year I

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In today’s First Reading it doesn’t take long for the Israelites to prefer the thought of full stomachs and slavery to hunger pangs and freedom. The Exodus is not just a historical event; it is also the drama of man turning away from sin physically while still feeling its attraction spiritually and psychologically. Egypt in this story represents sin, which is spiritual slavery, no matter how much it seems to satisfy us. The satisfaction of sin is a hollow one. It promises contentment, but only delivers misery.

The Lord has led the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt (sin) to form them as his people in the desert (conversion and purification). Conversion and purification can be as dry and unsatisfying, humanly speaking, as wandering the desert on an empty stomach, but it reminds us that true spiritual freedom is worth any price, any suffering.

Don’t become discouraged when your thoughts drift back to whatever slavery you’ve left behind. Savor the freedom instead. It’s an acquired taste, but a much more satisfying one.

Readings: Exodus 16:1–5, 9–15; Psalm 78:18–19, 23–28; Matthew 13:1–9. See also 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A and 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday, Year II.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord teaches us that evil will be present in the world until the last days of Judgement, when the fruits of all are measured. Evil festers in hearts; it is not always seen on the surface. Holiness is characterized by meekness and humility, so it is not always seen on the surface either. Like wheat, holiness is in the world trying to grow into something good. Like weeds, evil is at work doing the opposite, preying on the good in parasitic way to serve nothing other than itself. It can be hard to tell the difference and, therefore, we need to be on guard against a holiness that is only skin deep.

Today’s First Reading reminds us that we can try to be masters of moral disguise, but the Lord sees beyond the surface and measures us by our deeds, not just appearances. The Lord never misjudges anyone, yet people still try to deceive him, if they believe in him at all. The Lord gives the unjust time to change their ways, to seek his forgiveness, usually for far longer than we would, because he truly cares about them. The Lord is willing to put up with a lot of things, but in justice he cannot ignore insincerity. When we sincerely try to do good and to be good, even with moments of weakness, he forgives and helps us, and that gives us cause for hope. If we’re insincere we don’t trust him, and all that’s left is justice. The Lord shows us justice is necessary, but that doesn’t put kindness on hold.

In today’s Second Reading Paul reminds us that holiness is something that comes from the depths of our soul, because it consists of making the Spirit of God our spirit. The special ingredient in a Christian life is that even when we’re weak the Holy Spirit helps us to be holy. The Spirit is the protagonist in our sanctification, from the sacraments we receive to the prayers we say. If the “one who searches hearts” finds the Holy Spirit there, he knows he has found one of the “holy ones.”

The three parables in today’s Gospel teach us that holiness is often hidden, even small in the eyes of the world, but makes good things spread and grow, unlike parasitical weeds. The moment of harvest is a moment of reaping fruits. Our Lord’s listeners in Matthew’s Gospel have just heard the parable of the sower (see the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle, A), and now they hear their lives compared to wheat, leaven, and a tiny mustard seed. Wheat is not very glamourous, but if we want bread, a symbol of life, it is essential. When we eat a sandwich we don’t think much of the wheat that went into it, but we certainly enjoy the sandwich.

Leaven is useful not only for baking bread, but for baking delicious bread. When we receive the Eucharist, made from unleavened bread due to Passover traditions, we note the difference from the bread we eat every day. Leaven does its job by quietly being sifted throughout the flour used to make the bread, but it makes a big impact on the recipe.

Mustard seeds average between 1-2 millimeters in size and may seem small and inconsequential, but on a hot day the shade and shelter of a tree that grows up to twenty feet tall and wide is not to be ignored. The mustard seed in today’s parable also shows that the Church may start small and seemingly insignificant, but is meant to spread far and wide.

Today’s parables present us with two things representing two opposed lifestyles: yeast that leavens and weeds that feed. Which one am I? Leaven is often hidden and unappreciated, but as an ingredient it makes recipes go from good to great. Weeds sprout where they don’t belong and engender other weeds, choking out the lives of the plants around them. The parable of the weeds and the wheat doesn’t leave room for weeds becoming wheat, but the Lord does, as the First Reading reminds us. It’s never too late to be a leaven for good in the Church and the world.

Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16–19; Psalm 86:5–6, 9–10, 15–16; Romans 8:26–27; Matthew 13:24–43.