In the verses just prior to where today’s Gospel starts, Jesus was teaching how to be a disciple. He said “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Jesus ended with the statement “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus always found time to pray and talk with his Father. This was especially true when the burden of dealing with the crowds and religious leaders grew heavy. Eight days after Jesus’ statement that some of them would see the Kingdom of God before they died, he took Peter, John and James up the mountain to find a quiet place to pray. While he was praying, he took on the glorified body that he would have after his resurrection. Moses and Elijah appeared in the same glory. The disciples recognized each of them.
Moses represents the Law. The first reading describes the covenant; “It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram….” But the Israelites struggled to keep the covenant with God. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses to help the Israelites keep the covenant with God.
Elijah represents the Prophets. The prophets were sent to remind the Israelites that God still loved them and would keep the Covenant even though they did not. God wanted them to know that his love and mercy were always there for them. If they would only turn from their sinful ways and keep the covenant, God would bless and protect them.
Peter wanted to dwell on the top of the mountain. He wanted to build three tents, one for each to transfigured people on the mountain. And wouldn’t we want to do the same if we saw what Peter just experienced? But then, a cloud covered them and they were afraid. After God said “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” they were alone with Jesus. And they fell silent. How many times have we experienced the same feelings?
Peter, John and James just had a glimpse into the Kingdom of God! All of the scriptures in the Bible describe God and the angels as beings of bright light. In the Book of Revelation, John wrote that there was no need for the sun or the moon because heaven was filled with the light of God’s love.
It’s a great opportunity to be able to get away on a retreat for a weekend or even a week. We have a great experience; feel close to God because we made time be quiet and pray; quiet to listen for God’s direction and strength. Like Peter, John and James, we get a glimpse into the Kingdom of God. Then we go home and the whole world crashes in on us. We have to get ready for work the next day, we have to prepare school lunches for the children and there are twenty more tasks to get done before we can go to bed. The closeness to God is gone. The quiet and peace are gone and there is just the silence in our hearts.
God said “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
Listen to him!
How often do we really “listen” anyone? There is so much noise and distraction around us that we never have time to be quiet and listen. Think about it? When was the last time you sat in a quiet place for any amount of time? The television or the radio is blaring in the background. The phone is ringing, the smart phone is beeping to tell you that e-mail or a text message arrived. The sound of people talking or traffic or doors shutting – noise is all around us.
Besides the noise, there are things to do. We have to get the children to soccer practice, pick up the laundry at the cleaners, get a gallon of milk and stop for a latte at Starbucks. We are always multitasking even though the experts tell we are incapable of doing that. And how can we stop and listen when we have twenty more tasks to get done today?
But that is exactly what we need to do. Follow Jesus’ example; retreat to a quiet place to pray and communicate with our Lord. It is hard, and at times, it is almost impossible. Think about Jesus’ life and ministry for moment. The crowds were always around him pushing, trying to touch him. They wanted healing for themselves, a member of their family or a friend. And the religious leaders were always there in the background ready to criticize every word or act. Was Jesus’ life really any different? Talk about stress and anxiety. Jesus took it all in stride because he was at peace within. This peace and strength came from the times he spent with his Father in prayer.
If Jesus could make the time to find a quiet place to pray and talk with his Father in the extremely hectic life he lived, why can’t we do the same? We let too many distractions into our lives. It’s easy to put pray time off. We watch a television show, or two, or we get on the computer or smart phone to check e-mail, text messages and Facebook. Just taking care of our family takes a lot of effort and time.
So how do we find the time to “Listen” to God? It’s difficult in our fast paced world. It requires us to schedule the time, to make the time to be quiet, to read the scriptures, to pray and to listen. The Law and the Prophets are there to guide us and point us to Jesus. The transfiguration miracle in today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse into the glory of the resurrection and eternal life. In the Eucharist, the breaking of the bread and the wine, we are reminded of the promise of the Kingdom of God that Jesus gave us. Through his resurrection we too will have a glorified body and worship God in heaven.
This Lent, will we schedule fifteen or twenty minutes for prayer at least once each day? Will we listen for God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit? Will we listen for the Holy Spirit leading us to help a person in need? Will spend some of that time praying that God will help us to forgive those who have trespassed against us during this Year of Mercy? Will we pray that God will give us the courage to ask a person to forgive us that we have trespassed against in this season of penance and preparation? Will we stop our busy lives to spend a few quiet minutes to “Listen to him”?
