Transfiguration of Our Lord, Year A, 2023

 

(Daniel 7:9-10; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9)

When a dog looks at the world around it sees all the objects that are naturally visible to our eyes, but only as objects; it cannot appreciate -- what for us is, often enough, the most wonderful aspect of the world around us -- its beauty, its majesty, its mystery.

Scripture speaks on one occasion of scales falling or being taken from someone’s eyes:

Immediately there fell from (Saul’s) eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9:18)

We might therefore be permitted to say that a dogs’ eyes are ‘scaled’ from recognizing the  wonder that we can see around us.

Our Blessed Lord frequently came across human beings of whom the prophet Isaiah had prophetically  spoken, people of whom we can now, perhaps, say that they had ‘scaled’ minds: hearing simple, engaging, words of deep meaning, yet sensing, appreciating, little or nothing of the love motivating them, and thereby making themselves deaf  to the saving truth those words contained:

The Lord said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'   "Make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and return and be healed."  (Isaiah 6:9-10)

On the Mount of Transfiguration the Father opened up a new experience of-life-and-being to Jesus’ chosen disciples Peter, James, and John; an experience they were only able to sustain and attempt to appreciate thanks to the fact that it was Jesus -- their Lord, their hope, and their Saviour -- Who was the subject and focus of all that was going on around them, and being mysteriously revealed to them.

When Jesus came, sent by His Father, the world had long known something of God,  but even the Chosen People had not come to appreciate Him;

O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do.   (John 17:25)

Moses, thousands of years ago, after having spoken with God on Mount Sinai and coming down to the people, found it necessary to:

Put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory (on it), even though it was destined to fade away.  (2 Corinthians 3:13)

People of God, how many veils need to be lifted before men can ‘face’ the beauty of the world around us and recognize, love, and praise God its creator as they aught?   How many, many, scales need to fall from our eyes if we are to more fittingly appreciate and truly love what God has given to and for us in the supreme wonder of all creation, Jesus of Nazareth, His very own Son-made-flesh, the promised Christ of Israel, the Lord, God, and Saviour of all mankind??

As regards today’s feast, it is usual to think that Jesus -- having just spoken of His coming death to His disciples for the first time -- decided to lead them up the Mount of Transfiguration for their comforting and strengthening in Him, by letting them see something of His glory.  I do not think that is a satisfactory appreciation of the event.

So very often little notice is taken of the Father’s solicitude for creation, and love for His Son-made-flesh.

Just as -- I believe -- He, the Father, moved Jesus to leave His home in Nazareth and make His way to John baptizing contrite sinners in the Jordan near Jerusalem, for the fulfilment of His, the Father’s, own purpose to reveal, prepare, and glorify His Son for His public mission.  So it was here:  the Father drew Jesus to that mountain-top for Jesus’ Own Personal comforting and strengthening with regard to His impending Passion and Death; and also, with regard to those chosen Apostles, that they might learn sufficient understanding and perseverance, and receive necessary wisdom and strength, for their future establishment of Jesus’,  world-wide, Catholic, Church, by their authentic and authoritative proclamation of His Gospel.

The Father’s solicitude and care is so wonderful in the Scriptures and so very little of it is recognized, admired, and loved.

Jesus had learnt, as man, to know Israel’s God to be His very own Father.  That He had learnt from His sublimely Personal knowledge of, and acquaintance with, Israel’s God as taught Him at home from infancy; from His own more adult experience of Jewish obedience and worship;  and from  His Own Personal reading and understanding of the Scriptures given to the Chosen People.   And, of course, having learnt, as man, to know His Father in all truth, He also learnt of Himself and His own destiny-and-purpose, as God-man on earth:

Just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I will lay down My life for the sheep. (John 10:15)

Notice those words most carefully, dear People of God; because Jesus knew and loved His Father so sublimely that, appreciating His Father’s love for that creation He had originally made in HIS OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS, Jesus decided:   I will lay down My life for those sheep.

That is why now, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father sent both Moses and Elijah to assure Jesus, as man, that He had most certainly learnt aright about God as His Father, and about  Himself as Son and Saviour from Israel’s Law and her Prophets.

If you had believed Moses you would have believed Me, because he wrote about Me. 

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”   

 He (Jesus) said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” (John 5:46; 1:45; Luke 24:44)

St. Paul faithfully proclaimed this truth in his Roman captivity: (Acts 28:23; Romans 3:21)

They arranged a day with Paul and came to his lodgings in great numbers. From early morning until evening, he expounded his position to them, bearing witness to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets, (saying) ‘Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets.’    

And so it was that Jesus -- fully aware that the world was demanding His horrendous Roman Passion and Death -- could descend the Mount with calm preparedness and unshakeable resolution to face His own impending Personal destiny, with a sure and confident trust that His Father had just most clearly shown His Personal love for His beloved Son, and His caring will and wise preparation for the future establishment of His Church among men.

O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me.  (John 17:25)

That calm assurance was to be the hallmark of the Transfiguration for He solemnly advised His three Apostles on their approach to their brethren and the people:

            Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

Dear Catholic people living in a truly adulterous world, may this glorious day enrich you with a like calm and confident trust in God’s most Holy Spirit -- given us at Pentecost and renewed this very day-- sent to guide and sustain us in Mother Church along the ways of Jesus to that salvation prepared for all those sons and daughters, children of God in Jesus, in the Kingdom of His and our heavenly Father.

17th Sunday Year A, 2023

 

(1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52)

 

Our readings this week, my dear People of God, give us great cause for gratitude and hope.  Just think of those words of St. Paul that you heard in the second reading:

Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those He predestined He also called; and those He called He also justified; and those He justified He also glorified.

That means that God foreknew each one of you baptized Catholics here present, and He predestined you to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.  How do we know that?  Because God the Father called you to faith in Jesus and, through the waters of baptism, washed you clean of all sin, to become a member of Jesus’ Body, the Church, where you are endowed with the Gift of God’s Holy Spirit.  Thus justified, you are also being glorified, for that outpouring of the Spirit of Christ into your soul is the beginning of a life-long process of glorification and sanctification whereby the Spirit of Jesus will lead you ever further along the way of Jesus to the Father.  Every time you receive Jesus in Holy Communion and open yourself up to Him in loving gratitude and prayer, that glory -- which is the presence of His Spirit in you -- will shine ever more brightly for love of the Father.  You and I, each and every one of us, known and loved by God the Father before time in His Son, are thus destined for eternal glory, IF -- by the Spirit of sanctification -- we persevere faithfully in Jesus and His Church!

What degree of glory will be ours?  That we do not know; but we do know that Mary, a girl from Nazareth, is now Queen of Heaven above all the Angels, Principalities, and Powers because she became the most loving and beautiful mother of God’s own Son-in- human-flesh.  Our own degree of eternal glory will likewise depend on our relationship with Him and His Father’s plan for us; notice that, dear People of God, egalitarianism is not on God’s agenda!

His universal goodness, however, is absolutely essential to that agenda for He loves each and every one of us, in our individuality; and that means that though there are and will be distinctions or differences, there will  be no discrimination whatsoever, because our own degree of eternal glory will also depend, of course, on our personal commitment to His Person (love) and His will (obedience) during our time on earth.

Our glorification has already begun; that we know because we love Jesus Who is in heaven and we hope for, look forward to, His heavenly promises; with the result that, although we are still subject to temptation here on earth, we are not ruled by the earthly lusts of our flesh, nor do we allow ourselves to be dominated by that earthly pride which would drive us to seek earthly success, power, and prestige above all else.

As yet, however, we cannot see the final result of our struggles, or the fullness of our on-going glorification, but St. John (1 John 3:2) does assure us that:

Beloved, now we are children of God; it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  

What we have to do, therefore, throughout our life on earth, is to remain faithful to Jesus.

That will most certainly demand effort at times, because we have to be tested, formed, and found worthy of God’s gifts and promises, as you heard earlier:

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.

Surely, dear friends in Christ, we should regard ourselves as having found a treasure, a pearl of great price, indeed, the delight of our life, and we should carefully listen to and try to gratefully appreciate, Jesus’ parables in today’s Gospel reading:

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Now, all of us here are in a similar position, for Jesus is the Father’s sublime treasure, His  pearl beyond compare, and He has been revealed to us by the Father:

No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:44)

Why has the Father drawn us to Jesus?

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.   (John 3:16)

Yes, Jesus is indeed the treasure, the pearl of great price, and each of us knows where He is to be found for our ever-greater delight and growth: in the life and sacraments of Mother Church; above all, in the Eucharist and the Scriptures.  Only the Spirit of Jesus, given in fullness to Mother Church, can reveal to us -- in and through her worship and teaching -- the wonder of Jesus' saving  life and love; only the Spirit of Jesus can enable us to share in the life of Jesus through her Holy Scriptures and  the sacraments given to Mother Church as sources of divine life and conduits of saving grace for us, her children; only the Spirit can gradually fill and transfigure the thoughts of our mind and the aspirations of our heart through our communion with Him: as we watch and listen for, and courageously obey, His secret guidance, leading each of us along the way of Jesus.

One can indeed find treasures of wisdom and pearls of beauty in the various religions and traditions whereby men and women have sought and served God throughout human history.  However, the one supreme treasure, the one pearl precious beyond all compare  is Jesus of Nazareth -- God's supreme revelation of His very own Being as the God-of- universal-love, in His only begotten Son-made-man, by His Gift of the Spirit of them Both  -- Who is to be found uniquely in the Eucharist and in the Scriptures of the Universal Catholic and Christian Church which is His Body, and which is unfailingly sustained and infallibly guided by God’s Holy Spirit into all truth about eternal life and salvation.

The question now is: what are you doing about that treasure, what efforts are you willing to make to ensure that that pearl offered you may indeed become yours for all eternity? Pope St. Gregory the Great tells a story which goes something like this: imagine someone going on, let us say, a journey on the Orient Express, travelling in luxury towards some wonderful destination, let us imagine, Venice.  It is a long journey; deliberately so, because the trip is meant to embrace many places of great interest along the way: places of beauty such as mountain villages and places of curious attraction, such as ancient bazaars.  Let us further imagine that the train stops at some of these places and, on one particular day, allows passengers to alight in order to visit a bazaar, a most famous one, during a two-hour stop by the Orient Express.  One passenger goes from stall to stall, into one bar or boutique after another; he haggles here and there for bargains to take back, and in this delightful process forgets all about the destination for which he had set out on this long, expensive, journey!  He forgets about Venice, the uniquely situated and wonderfully adorned city of history, culture and beauty, and loses himself in that smelly bazaar, distracted by little trinkets peddled by the hawkers there, and forgets all about, the train.  What a fool! 

People of God, so many Christians, so many Church members, are like that foolish traveller, allowing themselves to be distracted from seeking the Lord, by the pleasures and cares of life.  Others there are, who once were true servants of the Lord, but who -- over time – disastrously allowed themselves to lose their fervour and finally their faith.  We saw that in the life of King Solomon -- beloved of God -- as we heard in the first reading:

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of Me and I will give it to you.”  Solomon answered: “O LORD, my God, Give Your servant, an understanding heart to judge Your people and to distinguish right from wrong.   For who is able to govern this vast people of Yours?”

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made such a request.  However, King Solomon did not persevere in following the Lord’s statutes and commandments, becoming distracted from God by his success, by the loves of his life, and by the praises lavished on him:

When Solomon was old his wives turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD his God, as the heart of his father David had been.  

People of God, the gospel-treasure hidden in the Scriptures, the pearl at the centre of Church life, the delight of our Catholic conscience, is Jesus, the Word of God, now become our Saviour and our Glory, and Who ultimately will be our sublimely rich reward:

I rejoice in Your Word like one who discovers a great treasure. (Ps. 119:162 NLT)

It is for us to persevere as the prophet Micah (6:8) advises:

You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Finally, dear Catholic and Christian people, notice something that is in every one of our Sunday readings and which it is absolutely essential for us to know and avert to today; namely, the existence, the importance, and indeed the ultimately decisive reality of divinely distinguished GOOD as distinct from BAD, of RIGHT as distinct from WRONG:

O Lord my God, give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to distinguish right from wrong.

The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea.  When it is full, they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets, what is bad they throw away.  Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Let us not, therefore, be put off by having to make decisions for what is right and good, against what is wrong and evil, for that which is good is an essential part of our Christian life and witness to Our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s adulterous world.  In Jesus we are being led on a journey of sanctification, and our destination is eternal glory as children of God. That is the hall-mark of a true Catholic and Christian.  But, if the Spirit is no longer able to move us in Jesus towards the Father, then we might end up like those nominal Catholics mentioned in our third parable today, bad fish not fit to be in the Church’s net.