FOR GOD, NO TIME IS LATE. And He also weeps.

HOMILY FOR THE 5^TH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry. These two days should be kept free from fear, worry, anxiety, cries, feelings of disappointments, and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring it back. We cannot even erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone. The other day is tomorrow with its possible adversities, burdens, promises and prospects. It is beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise irrespective of your awareness of it. But until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn. The only battle that you can fight is that of today. If you add those of yesterday and tomorrow, you will surely break down. It is the remorse for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring that drives people crazy. Only God is not limited to time. We are limited to time, but to survive, we must be concerned with the present time. We must therefore grow in such consciousness that God does not operate in human time. God is atemporal, which means unaffected by time. If we know this, then we must in our human terms herald that NO TIME IS LATE FOR GOD.

God also weeps. In the face of human difficulties, worries, troubles and travails, God is troubled. And He does respond. God is the giver of life and so makes us to understand that the past, present and the future are all in his palms. He can rewind the past to become the present, the present to become the future and the future to become the present or the past. In the First Reading (Ezek. 37:12-14), we are presented with the eternal promise of God.

I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, Oh my people.

I will bring you home into the land of Israel...

I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live...

I will place you in your own land...

The First promise is a precondition for the third promise, as the second promise is for the fourth. When he opens the grave, it is the spirit that he infuses into the corpse that will make him rise and then live. We recall the Second account of creation where the Lord God formed Adam and breathed into Him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7). The spirit that he will put within us is the spirit of recreation, revival, renovation and renewal; and thus a re-enactment of creation. This promise is for all those who have been killed and destroyed, while the destroyer thinks they have no power to rise again. If you are among such people, may the reading of this reflection raise you from your grave and restore to you abundant life. When he brings us home, then we actually have been placed in our own lands. In v. 21, the Lord makes it vivid that He will bring back the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and gather them all along and bring them to their own land. And in v. 25, they shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. The journey back home then is the journey for reinstatement and restoration. This promise is for those who have been denied what actually they had before or what actually they ought to have. If this is your experience, may your reading of this reflection effect your restoration and reinstatement.

When God says I will, we must know that he does not talk of a particular time understood by humans. The ‘I Will’ of God is eternal, not even futuristic. So since the promise of God is atemporal since He who promises is atemporal, there is no given time one can give himself as to the time when the promise is fulfilled. God is the eternal ‘I’. He is the eternal presence. When He says I will, it does not mean that the plan is yet to be done. It means that this is what he does, has done, and will continue to do. And when he does it, you shall know that He, the Lord has spoken and has done it. He cannot fail in His promises because what we see as futuristic promises is what he actually does eternally.

The Gospel (John 11:1-45) saddles the message of the First Readings unto our thighs. Lazarus (the brother of Mary and Martha) was sick. His friend, Jesus was informed and called. Jesus divinely delayed. Lazarus died. There was mourning in the family and even in the village. After four days of Lazarus’ burial, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of the deceased. He promises resurrection to Lazarus, but Martha thought he was been futuristic. Mary came to the scene weeping, and Jesus joined to weep. He was led to the graveside, and there he ‘opened his grave, and put his spirit into him, and placed him in his home.’ The promise of the First Reading was realised in the Gospel. Hence, we can state that God is the resurrection and the Life. Mary and Martha had thought that Jesus’ visit to their home was late. But God is never late. There hope was lost. They might have even misunderstood their good friend, Jesus, who in human judgment wasted time, neither visiting his friend nor being present on the day of burial. But Jesus’ way is God’s way; not yours or mine. When he is four days late, he is still on time. There are two deep sense of wonder that come to our minds about the episode of the resurrection of Lazarus.

The first wonder concerns how Jesus reacted on hearing the news of the illness of a friend. When the news reached him, he stayed two days longer. The main reason for how this is that the Evangelist wants to show us that Jesus takes action entirely on his own initiative and not on the persuasion of anyone else. John wants to present Jesus as one who loves us and takes action not because he is persuaded and compelled, but entirely on his own initiative. When the time came and without having been informed, Jesus gladly told the disciples that Lazarus was dead and they are to go to raise him. Jesus was glad because the sign is to provide an occasion for the disciples to believe strongly. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

The second wonder concerns the reaction of Jesus on arrival at Bethany. The two prominent reactions were weeping and the movement towards the grave. Jesus had to weep when he saw how everybody was weeping. He met a house of mourning. After the burial, the Jewish house of mourning had set customs. Deep mourning lasted for seven days, of which three days were days of weeping. During these seven days, it was prohibited to anoint oneself, to put on shoes, or to engage in any form of trading, or even to wash. It was called the week of deep mourning. It was a sacred duty to visit the family and to express sympathy during this week. Here, we see the emotion of Jesus. The arrival of Jesus reminded the two sisters of a person who would have averted death in the life of their brother. If only Jesus had come in time, Lazarus would still be alive. Jesus saw people wailing and shrieking, and crying aloud because the Jewish point of view was that the more unrestrained the weeping is, the more honour it paid to the dead. He was troubled. This most probably was because he saw that those cries were sheer hypocrisy. This artificial grief raised Jesus’ anger. He ordered them to take him to where he was buried. He wept. Why did he weep when he arrived at the tomb? Remember, Jesus knew what he was going to do right from the onset. He knew that Lazarus had died and that he was going to raise him. Jesus wept because he had come to reality with the pains and misery of this family. Jesus weeps for us and with us.

He proceeded to the grave. People could think of only one reason for opening the tomb –that Jesus wished to look at the face of his dead friend for the last time. Little wonder, Martha said that by that time, putrefaction must have begun and so it is not hygienic to do so. There was now no hope of rising again. It was Jewish belief that the spirit of the dead hovered around his tomb for four days, seeking an entrance again into his body. But after four days, the spirit finally left for the face of the body was so decayed that it could no longer be recognized. Hence, Jesus returned the spirit to the body when all hope was lost. He restored the flesh that was decayed.   

You may be fighting a battle of fear, and all hope may seem to be lost. Friends, do not be discouraged. He remains the same. Jesus is on his way coming to you. When he arrives, he will calm those fears and weep with you, and your weeping will cease. He will restore your initial joy. He will go to that grave of disappointment, of misery, of sorrow, of hopelessness, of darkness, of death; yes, he will go to that grave where your character has been assassinated, and has been rendered moribund; yes, he will go to that grave where you have been sabotaged and backstabbed; then, he will look up to heaven as he did in the case of Lazarus, and pray to God, and will call out your name. When he does this, you will come out, and everybody will testify that He God has done it. Those who assisted in your misery, sabotage and death will themselves assist in untying you from that clothing with which you were tied. And Jesus will herald: Unbind him, let him go. You will become the envy of all. With God, it is not over. A fool at 40 is not a fool forever. There is still time to succeed. Even when you seek something and you think you are not getting what you want, just be patient, for God can never be late in your life. There is still time and ample opportunities to fight on with your dreams.

We now finally conclude with the spiritual relevance of the physical resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus also wants to prove to us that even if we were rendered dead by sin, he is able to raise us to righteousness. Even when a particular sin has held us hostage and chained, Jesus is able to break the chains and liberate us. The Second Reading (Rom. 8:8-11) enjoins us to be aware that the spirit of God has been given to us. So, as those who have the spirit of God in us, we are alive in righteousness. The spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is able to give life to our mortal bodies because that spirit dwells in us. God does not forsake his people. Happy Sunday and do have a splendid New Week of renewal and restoration. God bless you.

JESUS: THE LIGHT FOR OUR MIGHT

HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum Laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis:ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae. Psalm: Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. (Rejoice, OJerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. Psalm: I rejoiced when they said to me: we shall go into God’s house.

Today we celebrate Laetare Sunday. It is so called from the incipit of the introit at Mass. Laetare means ‘rejoice.’ It is got from Isaiah 66:10; rejoice, O Jerusalem. It is used to denote the 4^th Sunday of the season of Lent. We must rejoice because God has made us children of light. He has given us the grace of partaking in the light that he is.

Light is the first created reality. It is the foundation of creation; and so carries all other created realities upon itself. In Gen.1:3, the very first word God uttered was let there be light. The light came and dispelled the darkness. Light is the foundational installation for development. When God wanted to develop the material world, he started with the provision of light. Going through the annals of human history, development and scientific advancement is at its peak wherever and whenever there is a steady supply of light. Some countries of the world experience development and more advancement because of the effort they have made to make electricity constant, while some others continue to mark time or even retrogress because of the less emphasis they place on electricity. If you want development, provide light. If you want vision, provide light. If you want resourcefulness in an economy, provide light. Light opens the way for many good things. Just as this natural/material light is indispensable for natural development, so too, the spiritual light is indispensable for spiritual development. Just as we need the physical light for vision and mobility, the spiritual light is needed for spiritual journey and mobility.

We are called to walk as children of light. And so, the light that we are makes the might in us.  Christ offers us the light and expects us to walk in the light. This is the central message of the Second Reading (Eph. 5:8-14). Walking in the light implies taking no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. As the light gives us the might, we are meant to dismantle the handiwork of the devil and erect a more suitable place for God on earth.

Jesus is the light for our blind eyes. In the Gospel (John 9:1-41), we see how Jesus as the light of the world restored the eyes of the man born blind. One first issue which needs to be clarified is the peculiarity of the story in the whole of the four Gospels. This is the only miracle in the Gospel in which the sufferer was said to have been afflicted from his birth. The storyline presents him as a known blind figure. This man had suffered blindness from birth. The people had the assumption that wherever suffering exists, somewhere there was sin. Thus, they had to ask Jesus whether the blindness of the man was as a result of his sin or the parents. Jesus however departed from their thinking and told them that the man’s affliction came to him to give an opportunity of showing what God can do.

The miracles are the sign of the glory and the power of God, for the Evangelist John. Moments of suffering, sorrow, misery and pains are there as great opportunities for the demonstration of God’s grace. It is when life hits us so terribly that we can show the world how a Christian can live and die. When we are blinded by the vicissitudes of this life, there is someone who is the light that continually assures us that as long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world. Now, when Jesus made this statement, he does not talk about his momentary stay as a human being on earth. Remember, he said: for I am with you till the end of time (cf. John). There is no time when Jesus is not with us and is not in the world.

When the Pharisees heard of what has happened, they tried in prejudice to verify from the parents and the man himself. Their verification was meant to disprove the fact that the man was born not in sin. When Jesus met him the second time, he reiterated that he came so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. What does this statement mean? Anyone who comes to Jesus must be aware of his blindness so that he/she can get healing. When we are conscious of our blindness and long to see better and to know more, then can our eyes be opened to see clearer the truth about God. But when we think we know it all and do not realize that we cannot see, we become truly blind and beyond hope and help. Realizing our weakness makes us strong as realizing our blindness makes us to see. When we realize our sins, we are forgiven. Another point is that the more a man has knowledge the more he must recognize the good when he sees it. Some intimidate others because of the knowledge they have acquired. That intimidation is a sign of blindness –the blindness of faith. We must learn to use our knowledge in the most appropriate way.

The light dispels the darkness of fear and timidity. I am encouraged by the courage with which the man answered and interacted with the Pharisees. He showed great knowledge in his belief about God and about the handiwork of God. He was so sure that only the one who listens to and does the will can have the grace to perform so high a miracle. Hence, the divine light became for his might. We must be very courageous to defend our faith whenever God clears our eyes. Many times, the Lord clears our blindness in many ways. This blindness can be spiritual. We trivialize many times the grace of God in our lives, and tend to appreciate the devil’s show in the world. We must dispel this darkness which the devil tries to impose on the world. Having dispelled the darkness of evil, our presence must be the light for the world and others. Our faith must be defended by us with living as the light of the world.

We notice too in the First Reading that when one does the will of God, he is prone to see things not in human eyes. At the Lord’s command, Samuel went to anoint a king in the house of Jesse. On reaching, Jesse presented his sons whom he thought had kingly qualities, but they were not accepted. It was only the little boy who had gone into the field to shepherd the flock that the Lord chose. By human standard and comparison, David was not to be the king. But by divine choice and decision, he was elected to be king over all Israel. The one who has learnt how to shepherd animals is better fit to shepherd human beings. David was anointed king.

As Christians, we all are anointed. Just like David, we are anointed to become kings against the pumps of the Devil. This anointing is the unction we need for our sojourn in life. With this unction, we glim the more and grow even much shiner. I need this Davidic anointing. You need it too. With Davidic anointing, we defeat. We become victors. We become conquerors. May the Lord continually make us light to dispel the darkness of the world and to become lights for others. If for any reason we have been dimmed by sin, may God during this season of Lent use His hyssop of Grace to cleanse us and make us shine more. Happy Laetare Sunday. Happy Mother's day. God bless you.

DEDICATED TO ALL THE MOTHERS OUT-THERE...

                                                     

THE ULTIMATE WATER THERAPY

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is an established fact that the average adult can live for seven weeks without food, but cannot live more than five days without water. It was on the 22^nd August, 2013 that Kosiso Udemba published in the Vanguard online Media a powerful writ on the therapeutic effects of water. He began with creating awareness that drinking water in the morning after waking up have amazing therapeutic effects for a multitude of health conditions. What then is water therapy? This is a phrase used in describing the healing effects of the intake of water to the human biological and psychological make-up. Experts say one litre of water will have an astonishing effect on one’s health. Drinking safe water prevents a lot of diseases. The health benefits of drinking water are enormous. It makes one energetic. Early morning drinking of water purifies the internal system of the body and makes the body much more able to absorb nutrients from food. It is a powerful cure for arthritis, epilepsy, bronchitis, Tuberculosis, throat disease, constipation, diabetes, hypertension, and even cancer. Our body contains 70 percent of water. Our muscles contain 75 percent water. Our brain cells contain 85 percent water. Our blood contains not less than 80 percent water. Our bones too contain 25 percent water. Thus, we need water for the production of new blood cells and muscle cells. Water therapy helps with weight loss, increases the efficiency of immune system, and revs up metabolism.

Surely, I am very far from being a medical scientist. My exposition of water therapy has a purpose. If you have become aware that natural water does all this, you must now allow me to introduce you to another type of water which actually is the ultimate. It offers all that the natural offers and even more. This is the supernatural water. It supplies what the natural is unable to supply. The natural is limited, but the ultimate is limitless. The natural quenches earthly thirst, but the ultimate quenches heavenly thirst. The natural is beneficial to health and cures many diseases, but the supernatural is beneficial to our souls and cures many spiritual problems. Let’s go.

In the First Reading (Exod. 17:3-7) of today, the people of Israel murmured against Moses because they were exceedingly thirsty. They became aggressive, almost ready to stone Moses and even proposed that the land of Egypt where they suffered was better than being in the presence of God. They were thirsting for the natural water. I had thought to myself; if only the people can thirst for God and aggressively search for him in this manner, God would have removed all miseries from this earthly life. The Lord provided them with the water they asked. Of course, He always provides. But that was natural water that one drinks and thirsts again. It was one that does not in any way assure continuous thirst for God. It was not one that would totally make them not to thirst again. The Gospel completes this story of a great provident God. He does not only give the natural water which is needed for our bodies; he is ready to give, and indeed gives us the supernatural water which calms the cravings of our souls and spirits for God.

The setting and the scene of the Gospel (John 4:5-42) is quite interesting. The Jewish human Jesus is tired and had to sit down beside Jacob’s well. A Samaritan woman comes to draw water from the well, and a discussion was begun even though they both knew it was unexpected to speak to each other friendly. Jesus requests for a drink, even though he has been sitting beside the well before the woman’s arrival. The woman reminds him of his origin and the long rift (cf. 2Kings 17ff) that has existed between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus, who was unable to draw water from the well, even though he was sitting beside it, promises a LIVING WATER. The woman reminds him of the historical importance and sacredness of the well. Jesus insisted as someone who knows what he is talking about. The woman now asked for that water; so that she may not thirst again and may not suffer herself by coming always to draw water. Jesus makes her to understand what he actually means by LIVING WATER by leading her through spiritual discussions that uplifted her soul. She discovered Jesus was a prophet, asked further questions and ran to call others, and the answers and life of Jesus was so ground-breaking that it led to the appreciation of a Jew by the Samaritans who asked him to stay more with them. The Samaritans believed that he is the Saviour of the world.

What is then that LIVING WATER that supersedes the natural water the woman came to fetch? The LIVING WATER is not running water as the Jews had thought. For them, the living water was the water of the running stream as against the water of stagnant pool. Surely, the well was not a springing well, but one into which water percolated. To discover what this LIVING WATER of Jesus is, five things come to my mind.

The LIVING WATER is barrier-breaking. It tears down all form of aggression between people and groups. The Israelites drank the water at Massah and Meribah and never did they stop the revolt. The LIVING WATER of Jesus tore and destroyed the impression and aggression of the Samaritans against the Jews. It is from God and not from man; hence there is no boundary. It is from the throne of God himself that the river of life will flow (Rev. 22:1).

The LIVING WATER is universal. It is given to every human being; no segregation. Historically, the water at Massah and Meribah was only given to the Jews in exodus. The LIVING WATER is now given to all in transit towards heaven. The contact point of this offer is clear: a Samaritan who is seen as an infidel by a Jew. It is for all. To anybody that is thirsty, I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life (Rev. 21:6).

The LIVING WATER quenches the thirst for sin. Having made the woman to understand that she has actually no husband due to her waywardness, the woman lost the appetite for more men, and was keen to listen more. The LIVING WATER calls us towards repentance. The season of Lent constantly rings this message to our hearing to repent and become better. O that today, you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Psalm 95: 7-8). Having removed the thirst for sin, we begin to thirst for truth. 

The LIVING WATER is spiritual. True worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and truth. They no longer need the city Jerusalem for their worship. In the spirit, we discover our God who is spirit. Our souls are thirsting for the Lord (Psalm 42:1). Only the living water calms this spiritual longing.

The LIVING WATER lightens us. When the matter is sub-pedalled, the spirit accelerates. That is why the Church supports us to fast during this Lenten season. When we are more interested in spiritual gatherings and messages, we lose all the more the interest in the material distractions of this world. The disciples of Jesus brought him food and then discovered that he who was tired before they left for their purchase was no longer hungry. The discussion which was the Ling water has crushed material hunger in Him. He has eaten his food: the will of God. Drinking LIVING WATER is the doing of the will of God.

Doing the will of God is the constant intake of this LIVING WATER which is the ultimate water therapy. No type of water therapy can reach the standard set by the LIVING WATER. It is the only type that can calm our soul’s quest for God. It is the WATER that helps us to maintain our status of justification and peace with God as the Second Reading (Romans 5:1-2.5-8) maintains.  Natural water heals, strengthens and is inevitable for our earthly existence. So too, the LIVING WATER heals ultimately, strengthens ultimately, and is ultimately inevitable for our eternal life. Today, I wish you this LIVING WATER which is the fountain of life. As I cry out with the Psalmist: with thee is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9), I declare with the Prophet Isaiah (49:10) that you shall not hunger or thirst of this LIVING WATER. This I wish you this week. Happy Sunday. God bless you.

MARCHING TOWARDS OUR MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The Christian life is so divinely structured that our experience is not only that of misery and struggling to overcome temptations that try to pull us down. There are also moments of glory; moments that call to mind the wordings of Psalm 126:5 that those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap. God does not just expect us to struggle and overcome the vicissitudes of life; He also expects us to realize that he desires our transformation; a transformation that He himself effects. That transformation initiates moments of assuming a splendid beauty, a clear shining, an extraordinary figure, and a glorious appearance that dazzles the eyes of the onlookers. Transfiguration is a glorious experience that has the undertone of divine assurance. If transfiguration speaks, then it utters the wordings: I am with you always till the end of time. This Sunday is such a day when the lives of many Christians are transfigured that their lives practically become known and seen as the life in God. No one who encounters the divine presence remains the same. And transfiguration is a commemoration of an encounter of divine presence. And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).

The Gospel according to Matthew 17:1-8 has been read to our hearing. It tells the story of the transfiguration of Jesus. We must spell it out from the onset that the mount of transfiguration was for Jesus a mountain of reflection; a spiritual mountain peak where he must discover whether it was actually right to continue his journey towards Jerusalem and be crucified on the cross. That was why the apparition experienced was the greatest of all the law givers (Moses) and the greatest of the prophets (Elijah) who told him to go on. We must not also forget the voice that authenticated the approval of God. It was this experience in Matthean account that gave to Jesus the rigidity to walk the way of the cross. However, we must present the very many significance that we can draw from this episode.

It is a moment of divine encounter and revelation

It was after six days that Jesus took his three disciples up to the mount of transfiguration. After six days of what? It was after six days of the most important question at Ceaserea Philippi (cf. Matt. 16:13-28) when the divinity of Christ was made known to all the apostles. This means that it was on the seventh day after that great discovery that the transfiguration took place, just like it was on the seventh day after the six days that Moses spent on top of the mount of covenant, Sinai in Exodus 24:16 that the Lord spoke to him and transfigured him. This six-day duration is very significant for a good understanding of divine encounter. Having discovered the true identity of Christ, and having been with him for six days, the apostles were now qualified to witness a true experience of the identity they had mentally known. Six here signifies a period of preparation and waiting on the Lord; a period with which the Lord used to confirm the seriousness of the person who is patiently waiting for revelation. Therefore, the mount of transfiguration is the place where God manifests Himself to the person who has been seriously waiting for Him. If you desire to encounter the Lord, the Lord comes to you. He comes to those who desire Him.

It is a place where figures are transfigured

And Jesus was transfigured before them. Jesus was transfigured because he had a figure. If a Christian has no figure, he/she cannot be transfigured. Transfiguration presupposes a figure. The figure Christ had was that which has the disposition to always do the will of God. Hence, the one whose will is done is ready to transform the one who does His will. Transfiguration simply means a change of figure, but it is not actually the metamorphosis (the word derived from the Greek word used) that is essential to the event. Its essentiality flows from the further content of this metamorphoses –face shone like the sun (cf. Rev 1:16b; 10:1b), clothes became white as light becomes a being of light; his nature becomes luminous; transparent to the disciples’ gaze. This is the central point of the story, and this links us back to the shining face of Moses after his encounter with the God of the Decalogue (cf. Exod. 34:29.35). Strive to have a spiritual figure for the moment of transfiguration. Hence, the mount of transfiguration is the place where God changes the figure of the one who already had a disposition to be with Him. On this mountain, God changes the naked to become clothed; he changes the prisoners to become freed; he changes the neglected to become most-wanted; he changes the ridiculed to become the applauded; he changes the sorrowful to become the glorious; he changes the poor to become the rich; he makes the sinners to become saints; he changes that stumbling block of yours to become a stepping stone. Abram’s story in the First Reading (Gen 12:1-4a) changed. He marched forward to a place the Lord had to show Him; a place that will manifest his blessedness. The Lord blessed him and made Him so great. Today, child of God, the Lord will bless you as He blessed Abraham. Amen.

It is a place where prayers are made

The mount of transfiguration offers us great opportunity to speak directly to God. In the new transfigured state, we become more poised to talk to the master that transfigured us. And Peter made his request that it is good to remain here. This is a wish expressed by Peter having seen the glory of transfiguration. Peter’s address to Jesus as Lord showed a fresh and deep respect to God. This address is synonymous with ‘the great one.’ The mount of transfiguration puts in our mouths a better way of praying to our Father in heaven; addressing Him in the manner that is most fit.

It is a place where our selfish worries are forgotten

Peter was no longer interested in himself, but in God and beholding the presence of God. He forgot his worries, his wives, his children, his occupational challenges to the extent that he made a request to remain on the mountain. He said: let us build three tents, one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses. He gave to himself no tent. He was simply complacent with the divine presence. That was exactly the reaction of the people when Nehemiah exalted them to be happy and to have the joy of the Lord as their strength (cf. Neh. 8:10-16). The people started building tents for they were now sure of divine assurance. On top of that mountain of transfiguration, our worries are gone, and our assurance restored.

It is the place where more knowledge is got about the person of God

 A discovery of the person of God makes us to love Him more and to keep His commandments. On the mountain of transfiguration, God spoke to the apostles. They recognized and experienced more the divine sonship of Christ from a voice that declared Jesus His beloved, and that exhorts them to listen to Him. On that mountain, our knowledge of God is deepened. Our love of God is deepened. Our obedience to God is deepened. This is a result of the direct experience of encountering God speak to us. Here, we feel the mercy of God. God palpably calls us to a holy life. The Second Reading (2Tim. 1:8b-10) reminds us of this that God who has saved us constantly calls us to a holy life. It is on the mount of transfiguration that we are given this antidote against sin, and are called to a blessed life.

It is a place of divine encouragement

After the apparition, when the disciples were engrossed in fear, Jesus touched them and said to them: rise, and have no fear. This reminds me of the vision of Daniel after he had a vision in Daniel 8:18. The one he saw touched him and raised him to his feet. This is a gesture of encouragement, and of telling one not to lose strength and hope. Divine revelation always comes with some pressure. No one sees the Lord and remains normal. But even if our vision of the Lord has affected in a manner that we are momentarily afraid, he always touches us and raises us to our feet. His touching them is a sign of calming their fears. The mount of transfiguration is a place where Jesus calms our fears and worries, and speaks into our souls: take heart, it is I, do not be afraid (cf. Mtt. 14:27). This mountain is given to us to provide help and strength for the daily ministry and to enable us walk the way of the cross.

Today, my dear friends, I wish you this transfiguration. May you be transfigured. May your families be transfigured. May your businesses be transfigured. Our society also needs this transfiguration. And so, may she be transfigured. Have a blessed week and a happy Sunday. God bless you.