August 6, 2009
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:18-19
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. Mark 9:7-8
Piety
“I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near.” Numbers 24:17
Study
If you are looking for the Lord, look around. You’ll find him!
As we meditate on the Transfiguration of the Lord, we could just as well be celebrating a second feast of the Epiphany. January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany when the shepherds and magi and the little drummer boy first encountered God in the form of a human baby. August 6 becomes the second Epiphany when for the first time, some of the disciples encountered Jesus in the light of his glory and majesty for the first time.
An epiphany is a sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something. When Peter, James and John looked upon the glowing figure of Jesus surrounded by Elijah and Moses, they did not know what to do. They knew it was good to be there but they had no idea of the action they should take next.
If you are looking for the Lord, don’t trouble yourself with busy work like building tents like Peter and his companions were tempted to do. Just listen for the voice of God to reach your mind, your hearts and your ears. Rejoice in the fact that is it just good to rest in the presence of God.
The disciples who went with Jesus up the mountain had never had such a close encounter of this kind. They did not know what to do so their initial reaction was to be very “Martha-like.” As the new law united with the old law on top of Mount Sinai, God guided them to the next step – attentive listening to the Word as revealed by Jesus. That Word will spur us to piety, study and action but only if we put ourselves fully in its presence and let the message sink in to our very being.
Action
Too often, we are not just content to be with those who are present to us and to participate in the sacrament of the present moment. We have to be sending text messages, getting cell phone calls, reading our e-mail, opening our “snail” mail and listening to our voice mail. We are more present to those who are a distance away from us than we are to those who are right in front of us.
IMHO, perhaps the worst invention in history that removes us from celebrating the sacrament of the present moment is the “Hold” button on your phone. Instead of giving attention to the person you are with or the person you already are talking to, you hold them off and pay attention to another caller.
The Transfiguration says to us, “Stop!” Take some time to go away alone with the Lord. You don’t have to head up Mount Sinai. You might find the Lord in the people you encounter on the banks of the Rappahannock River, the Chesapeake Bay or the Tidal Basin. Look for the Lord in those around us in cars, pushing shopping carts, or waiting at the Metro/VRE/MARC train station. Listen to Word he shares with us. Then, put that loving word into action.
Tonight, more than 20 candidates and the team are assembling for the 129th Cursillo for the Diocese of Arlington. They are taking some time to be fully present to the Lord. Let us all offer up some time this weekend to be present to them through the Palanca clock, writing letters, and participating in the appropriate weekend activities and closing.
Mananita: Participants should gather at 6:45 a.m.Sunday morning in the parking lot at Camp Happyland for morning song.
Closing: The closing time is 4:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi School Lunch Room. Please be seated by 4:15p.m. The team and the candidates should arrive at approx. 4:30 p.m. Please bring heavy hors d’oeuvres or drinks to share and drop off at the back of the lunch room prior to the ceremony.
Directions and details are at http://arlingtoncursillo.org/cursillosSubweb/w129/w129.asp.
