By seeing Jesus’ glory through the eyes of faith, we can be strengthened just as were the disciples.

Second Week in Lent. March 20th, 2011

I am sure that all of us have been deeply affected by the incomprehensible tragedy we have been witnessing in the country of Japan. Almost 8, 000 dead so far, more than 10,000 still missing; human suffering beyond imagining. A humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, one that has been sending shock waves around the world, affecting the entire world, even the global markets. Things look to get worse before they get better. Our thoughts prayers and support continue to go out for the all the people of Japan. We pray that God would grant them the grace of consolation in this unprecedented tragedy and loss.

The great human suffering and tragedy in Japan reminds us that for us as Christians, who are people of Hope, we must see all things through the eyes of faith. This is the message of today’s Gospel. Today, we hear Peter, James and John witness the great moment of the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor. The disciples hear God the Father Himself proclaim, with thunderous power, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” By these words we have God the Father Himself witnessing that Jesus is God the Son. And since we have the testimony of the Father, who is God who can neither deceive nor be deceived, we should never doubt the divinity of Jesus and so never doubt the power of Jesus and His love.

At the same time they hear the voice of the Father, the disciples see a hint, just a tiny hint of the glory of Jesus’ Divinity shining through His humanity. Yet even that tiny glimpse made the disciples speechless. They had seen a peek at that which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it even enter into the mind of man… Is it any wonder that Peter did not want this moment to end—he was content to stay on that mountain forever? I am sure he felt he was in heaven itself; no wonder, for he had peered into heaven itself.

But Peter and the other disciples had to eventually come down from that mountain—led by Jesus they descended to what was waiting for them—a time when their faith would be tested as never before; a time when their hearts would be pulled asunder, a tragedy, greater and more horrible than any the world had ever seen, or will ever see—they would witness the terrible passion and death of Christ— deicide-the killing of God. And if that wasn’t enough they would experience their own weakness and sinfulness in their failure to remain faithful to Jesus even, even when they now knew Him to be the true and living God.

By His divine foreknowledge Jesus knew only too well, how badly His disciples’ faith was about to be tested and their hope shaken, as Jesus embarked on His journey to Jerusalem to be condemned, mocked, scourged and crucified. In their fear and weakness they would abandon Jesus in His hour of need. And so Jesus wanted to give them a reason not fall into despair when this happened so they would be able to eventually repent and turn to Him for pardon and strength.

In their future struggles as well, and even in their own future passion and death, Jesus wanted them to know that in His love for them, He would always be with them supporting them with the power of His divinity, with the power of His divine love. And if they would but remain faithful by relying on His divine power, and not their own, they would share one day in the fullness of Jesus’ glory in heaven, that glory on which they glimpsed on that mountain. This would help to maintain their hope throughout their life so that they could persevere to the end; and so they did.

The Transfiguration informs us as well, that in our own struggle we should never forget that the Jesus whom the three Apostles were with on Mount Tabor is the same Jesus who is daily at our side. Jesus knows how much we are going to be tested by the struggle and the crosses in our lives, the ones we may be carrying now or the crosses to come. Jesus knows how weak we are, how weak is our hope. In His compassion, He desires to give us grace and strengthen our hope even in the midst of our darkest fears and sorrows.

The truth is, is that we like the disciples have so many times abandon Jesus and failed to faithfully follow him; nevertheless, He doesn’t want us to fall into despair but instead to turn to Him for pardon and strength. And in our future struggles, failures and even in own future passion and death Jesus wants us to know that in His love for us, He will always be with us to support us with the power of His divinity. And if we but call upon His help and remain in His love, we too will come to share in the fullness of Jesus’ own glory in heaven, a glory that even now we can get a glimpse of through the eyes of faith.

It is here at the Holy Mass that we, like the apostles, are able to get our glimpse into that which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it even enter into the mind of man. And so, we need to desperately ask for the grace to be like St. Peter and not want this incredible moment to end, being content to stay on this mountain forever. We need an increase of faith to realize that time as no place at the Holy Mass, just as time as no place in heaven.

At the transfiguration, Peter only got a tiny glimpse of heaven; but, at the holy Mass where heaven and earth unite, we are actually more in heaven than we are on earth. Jesus’ gift of allowing the apostles to be present at the transfiguration doesn’t compare to His gift to us to be able to present at Holy Mass—Our gift is much greater, infinitely greater. Here at Mass, Jesus transforms in front of our eyes with a greater glory than even at the transfiguration. This is why we can’t see look upon it with our human eyes but must see it with our eyes of faith, for no one can see the face of God and live. By seeing Jesus’ glory through the eyes of faith, we can be strengthened just as were the disciples.

The transfigured, glorified Jesus in all of His glory and with all of the power of His divinity becomes present to us in the Holy Eucharist as the priest pronounces the words of consecration. His sacrifice on Calvary becomes present as well along with its power to save us and save the world. This power is offered to us and we can receive it into our lives if we but in thanksgiving offer our lives in return, by dying to sin and selfishness and turning to and living totally for Jesus.

As the priest raises Jesus up for us to adore, we too, if we listen, can hear the words of the Father, “Behold this is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” Like the apostles, this is what gives us the strength we need to face our own trials and sufferings that await us; this what will help us to get back up when we fail in our efforts to follow Jesus; this is what will help us see that the struggle and what ever we have to sacrifice or endure in this life for love of Jesus is worth it, by far.

The glory of Jesus in the Eucharist has the power to renew us, if we let it by turning our lives to Him and offer our lives to Him.
It is good for us to be here at this Holy Mass and every Mass where we can ourselves come to Mt Tabor. It is good for us to be able to come anytime to sit before the glory of Jesus hidden in the little white host contained in the Tabor-nacle. The more we behold Jesus in the Eucharist and the more we believe, adore, hope and love Him there, the more our faith is strengthened, our hope renewed and our charity increased. It is in the Eucharist that Jesus comes to us, touches us and say, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”

In a few moments, we come to the altar to receive Christ, not only transfigured, but also truly risen and glorified. Like the apostles had to eventually come down from that Mountain of Tabor, we too will have to come down from the mountain of this Holy Mass and so go out and face the events and crosses of our daily lives; but, as the remembrance of the Transfiguration strengthened the apostles to face the struggles and fears of the rest of their lives, the Holy Mass is that principle source of divine grace that will provide us what we need to face the struggles and fears that lie ahead in our own lives. With Mass attendance at an all time low, and understanding and belief in its mysteries at an all time low, and that it is being celebrated in so many cases unworthily and with so many liturgical abuses, no wonder suicide rates continue to climb…

In the Holy Mass alone, we discover that the sufferings of this present life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us, and so the Mass also strengthens us in the midst of all the horrors and fears found in our world today. The Holy Mass is the source of our hope in this valley of tears, for the it makes present Jesus Who is our Hope; and Jesus is the Hope that never disappoints. Our Lady, Mother of the Eucharist help us to see Jesus transfigured, risen and glorified in the Holy Mass, in the Holy Eucharist so that we may share in His glory both now and at the hour of our death. Amen. St. Joseph pray for us.