Transfiguration: A Mirror of What You Can Become

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 2017

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ

In today’s Gospel (Matt 17:1-9), Our Lord takes three of His disciples up a high mountain, and He transforms in front of their eyes! His face shines with the brilliance of the

sun. His garments become dazzlingly bright, and a bright cloud casts a shadow over them with a voice coming from the cloud that says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

What is most important about today’s Gospel  is that we not only receive an image of the glory of Our Lord, but the Transfiguration reminds us who we are to become through the glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Our Lord is transfigured in His glory,  Peter wants to stay on top of the mountain. He is struck with awe. Peter sees Jesus speaking with Elijah and Moses. Elijah and Moses represent the law and the prophets of the Old Testament. The fullness of Divine Revelation is therefore right in Peter’s midst, the fulfilment of the law and the prophets is the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. 

Peter wants to build three tents. But Our Lord reminds Peter that this cannot be. No. They had to come down from the mountain so that Jesus could fulfil His mission to all of humanity by suffering on the cross and rising again.

My brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel passage teaches us Who Jesus is, and it reminds us who we are to become in Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. He is the fulfillment of divine revelation.

As Christians, we become sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ. The same light that emanated from Our Lord in His transfiguration is implanted into our hearts through our Baptism. Yet, Baptism is only the beginning. 

The mustard seed, the seed of grace given us in our Baptism will grow into what the largest

of all plants -- where the birds of the sky will  dwell in its branches (Matthew 13:32).

Our Lord had to accept His cross in order to save humanity from dying in sin. So we too, therefore, must accept the cross if we want to live in the fullness of Christ at the end of this age. We must die to the ways of this world that are not of God’s plan and live for the glory of the Kingdom that is to come.

In the Gospel just a couple of weeks ago we heard the parable of the wheat and the weeds. In this parable Our Lord says that at the final judgment that the wheat will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father.

God wants us to be His wheat! He wants us to live as one with Him for all eternity! Yet, if we want to live with God as His glorious sons and daughters then we must live our baptismal call today. 

Our knowledge of who we are as children of God needs to grow. We must pray often and receive the sacraments with a pure conscience.

When we live for Christ not only do our hearts change and become more alive in God, but even our physical appearances change. The light of God shines through our very selves. We have many saints in our Church who give us great witness to the light of Christ living within their physical bodies. Many saints are even depicted in art and statues as having halos. Other saints have been found to be incorrupt after their death which teaches us that divine intervention allows some human bodies to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their holiness.

On the other hand, when we live for our own selfish desires then the light of Christ within us fades. The more we live in the darkness of sin, the more our actions, our bodies, and our souls reflect this darkness. 

When we live in hatred or anger, then hatred and anger becomes a part of our very being. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must keep our lives focused on the new life we have been given through Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom that is to come.

Today’s Gospel on the Transfiguration calls us to focus on the glory of our Christian life. Last week, Our Lord Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as a treasure buried in a field. A person finding the treasure, goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Our Lord spoke these words because He wants us to put the Kingdom of God before everything in our lives!

Let us open our hearts to the glory of Christ revealed in today’s Gospel passage. Let us reflect on the light that each one of us has received in our Baptism, and let the light of Christ grow within us by living upright and moral lives so that we may live with Him for eternity in the glorious Kingdom that is to come. Amen.

The Story of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai, FMH

The Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 2017

St. John the Apostle Awasi Catholic Church, Kisumu Archdiocese, Kenya

All three Synoptic Gospels tell the story of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36). With remarkable agreement, all three place the event shortly after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter’s eagerness to erect tents or booths on the spot suggests it occurred during the week-long Jewish Feast of Booths in the fall.

According to scholars, despite the texts’ agreement it is difficult to reconstruct the disciples’ experience, because the Gospels draw heavily on Old Testament descriptions of the Sinai encounter with God, and prophetic visions of the Son of Man. Certainly, the glimpse of Jesus' divinity struck fear into the hearts of  Peter, James, and John. Such an experience defies description. They drew on familiar religious experience to describe it. 

Jesus warned them that His glory and His suffering were to be inextricably connected—a theme John highlights throughout his Gospel.

Tradition names Mount Tabor as the site of this revelation. A church first raised there in

Mount Tabor

 the fourth century was dedicated on August 6. The Eastern Church celebrated a feast in honor of the Transfiguration since then. Western observance began in some localities about the eighth century.

On July 22, 1456, Crusaders defeated the Turks at Belgrade. News of the victory reached Rome on August 6. So Pope Callistus III placed the feast on the Roman calendar the following year. He elevated the Transfiguration to a Feast to be celebrated in the entire Roman rite.

The common theme of today’s readings is the Lord sent by God the Father and received

back by Him to be given everlasting kingship, dominion and glory over all nations.

Today’s Gospel describing Christ’s Transfiguration challenges us to rekindle our faith as true disciples of Jesus Christ, just as the passages from Daniel 7 and 2 Peter were written to strengthen the faith of their audiences in times of persecution. In the feast of the Transfiguration, the Church both commemorates the event of the Lord’s Transfiguration and shows us the way to our own transfiguration.

The primary purpose of Jesus’ Transfiguration was to consult his Heavenly Father in order to ascertain His plan for Our Lord’s suffering, death and Resurrection. The secondary aim was to make Jesus’ chosen disciples aware of His Divine glory, so that they might discard their worldly ambitions about a conquering

Jesus Meek and Mild 

political Messiah. A third purpose was to strengthen their faith and encourage them to persevere through the future ordeal. The Transfiguration took place in late summer, probably in AD 29, just prior to the Feast of Tabernacles. Hence, the Orthodox tradition celebrates the Transfiguration at about the time of the year when it actually occurred in order to connect it with the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles. Western tradition celebrates the Transfiguration twice, first at the beginning of Lent with the Gospel account and second on August 6 with a full feast.

We meet Jesus in a most intimate way every time we receive him in the Eucharist. It is the time when we are closest to Jesus. Jesus also speaks to our hearts when we read the

Scripture. We meet Jesus personally in an encounter of intimacy in all the sacraments. Finally, we see Christ in holy souls like Pope Saint John Paul II and Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

After the Resurrection, Peter and James needed to know that Jesus did not hold their abandonment against them.  So we also need to be reconciled to Jesus often. We need to

meet Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There are times when we do not listen to Jesus, times when we deny Jesus in our families, or perhaps where we work, or maybe in our communities. We are not conquered by our sinfulness. We

can repent just as Peter and James did.

Hence, just as Jesus’ Transfiguration strengthened the Apostles in their time of trial, each Holy Mass should be our source of strength against our own temptations. In addition, communion with Jesus in prayer and in the Eucharist, should be a source of daily transformation. We must become more humble and selfless, sharing love, compassion and forgiveness with others.

Pope Francis hugs Vinicio Riva

In our everyday lives, we often fail to recognize Jesus when he appears to us transfigured.  He is hidden in someone who is in need or acts very unpleasantly. With the eyes of faith, we must see Jesus in every child of God we come across every day and respond to them with love and service.

Baptism transforms us into sons and daughters of God and heirs of heaven. Confirmation makes us the temples of the Holy Spirit. By approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings us back to the path of holiness. By receiving in faith the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, we are spiritually, and -- if God wills -- physically, healed and our sins are forgiven.

The Transfiguration offers us a message of hope. In moments of discouragement, the expectation of our transformation in Heaven helps us to reach out to God and listen to His consoling words: “This is my beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.”

We need these mountain-top experiences in our own lives. We can share the experience of Peter, James and John when we spend time in prayer. Fasting and almsgiving help steady our spirit, lifting our thoughts to God.    Such a fast may also help us to remember our suffering neighbour, and make us more willing to help.

Happy Feast Day ... 

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

*Fr. Joe Mungai, FMH, is a Franciscan Missionary of Hope, a relatively new congregation started in Nairobi, Kenya in 1993. He was ordained June 7, 2014. 

July 18, 2017: Fr. Joe's vehicle in Africa is busted. If you would like to help him serve his African parishioners send your donation to Fr Francis Kamau, Pastor St Mary of the Pines Catholic Church, 1050 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport,Louisiana 71118. The check or Western Union Funds should be made out to Fr. Francis Kamau for the purpose of repairing Fr. Joe Mungai's car in Kenya. He will forward the money to Fr. Joe. God bless you. Editor

Your King Is Coming!

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai, FMH

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30, 2017

St. John the Apostle Awasi Catholic Church, Kisumu Archdiocese, Kenya

The theme of today’s readings (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52) is wisdom. 

This is not  worldly wisdom. It is something deeper and infinitely more precious. It means to be able to see life from God’s point of view. 

Christ said this wisdom is worth more than all our other possessions together. Solomon understood this, and when God gave him a choice, he chose wisdom. How much do we need this wisdom! Look at all the futile, purposeless, silly, and misguided things people do.

Once upon a time there was a farmer who owned a small farm of land. The land was stony but he worked hard, and for a while he was blessed with a certain happiness and contentment. But then he began to feel that there was something missing in his life, and he felt empty as a result. One evening a stranger passed that way and asked for a night’s lodgings. The farmer was only too glad of his company, for he was pining for excitement and distraction.

Around the fire that night the stranger began to talk about diamonds. He told the farmer that if he could find a diamond, even one no bigger than the nail of his little finger, he would never have to do another tap of work. The farmer was very impressed. He didn’t get a wink of sleep all the night thinking about diamonds.

Next day the stranger departed leaving the farmer more than a little unhappy. As the days went by he got more and more restless. He began to neglect his farm. Finally he sold it cheaply, and went off roaming the world in search of diamonds. He travelled far but found none. In the end, overcome by despair, he committed suicide. Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm was out ploughing. One day the plough turned up a stone which

shone in the sunlight. It turned out to be a very valuable diamond. When he went back to the spot he found lots more. It turned out to be one of the richest diamond mines ever found.

While we cannot help feeling sorry for the farmer, we have to say that he was a very foolish man. Had he persevered with what he had, he would undoubtedly have found the mine himself. Yet he is typical of a good many people. In many cases it’s not that people are afraid of hard work and sacrifice. It’s just that they lack wisdom. They don’t know what is important. They pursue the wrong goals. They look in the wrong places. They sell their birthright.

The lives of many today are purposeless and empty. Without the soap operas of television they wouldn’t know what to do with

themselves. They are no longer able to distinguish what is important in life, and have to content themselves with a diminished and distorted picture of the world, which results in suffering and impoverishment.

They return again and again to the same old wells of pleasure -- wells which never quench their thirst. They go to great trouble to possess satisfactions that don’t last an hour, and bring misery in their wake.

They pile up more and more goods when they already have more than enough to be happy. "Men," said the Little Prince, "rush about in express trains, but they do not know what

they are looking for. They raise five thousand roses in the same garden, and they still do not find what they are looking for. Yet what they want could be found in a single rose."

It takes us a long time to see what is clear. Instead of going for our goal, we fling ourselves on trifles.  Of what use is a full freezer, if one’s heart is empty?

We put making a living before living! Our chief task in life is to live well, not to be successful.

For a Christian, this means to put our hope in God and His Kingdom, and to live according to His will. 

What if we miss out on something? They are only trifles. What if we have to make sacrifices? Happiness, wisdom, and harmony are not to be found along smooth paths. The best things in life have to be earned. But beyond suffering lies the calm water that makes life meaningful and death easy.

May heaven help those people who have not found the "pearl of great price," and those people who don’t even know where to look for it. Christ offers us this pearl. It is the Kingdom of God. Only God can satisfy our hunger for happiness. Only God can make our lives meaningful and give us love.  If we lose God, we lose all. If we find God, we find all.

Wisdom is a gift of God. It means that we put our trust in His word rather than in  human experts. It gives us a vision of life

that is priceless. Wisdom -- God's view of things -- is the pearl of great price. 

Our tragedy is not that we cannot find the pearl offered to us in the Gospel, but that We are unwilling to pay the price. Christ’s two parables underline the fact that wisdom calls for our total response and full-hearted action. This reveals our fear and hesitancy, our half-hearted response.

The pearl comes to those who open their hands, letting go of all other things, and embrace it.

"Tell me what you are busy about and I will tell you what you are." (Goethe).

"A great way to find out what you want from life is to write your own epitaph." (Proverb)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

*Fr. Joe Mungai, FMH, is a Franciscan Missionary of Hope, a relatively new congregation started in Nairobi, Kenya in 1993. He was ordained June 7, 2014. 

July 18, 2017: Fr. Joe's vehicle in Africa is busted. If you would like to help him serve his African parishioners send your donation to Fr Francis Kamau, Pastor St Mary of the Pines Catholic Church, 1050 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport,Louisiana 71118. The check or Western Union Funds should be made out to Fr. Francis Kamau for the purpose of repairing Fr. Joe Mungai's car in Kenya. He will forward the money to Fr. Joe. God bless you. Editor