In my post on Friday, I mentioned that I think I
have “prayer-life bipolarism”. One day,
I will be flying high, then the next day I seem to hit rock bottom. Why can’t
we experience that high every day?
Today in the Gospel, we read about the
Transfiguration. One of the deacons gave the Homily, and what he said made
perfect sense with helping me understand the “up one day, down the next” thing.
In speaking about the Transfiguration, he said that it is believed to have
happened 40 days before Good Friday. So…why then? It was so the disciples would
have some encouragement; something to cling to because the bad times were
coming. He went on to say that there are times we know Jesus is there and we
can feel him. (Those would be my “up” days.) That carries us through those
times when things are tough.
AHA! The timing of the Transfiguration couldn’t have
been better for me! There are no coincidences. I heard (and understood) what I
needed at the perfect time. Maybe that’s why the Transfiguration happened
when it did: It was the perfect time to prepare the disciples for the rough
times. It was what they needed to experience so they had something to cling to during the bad times that were to come, so they wouldn't turn away.
In one of the daily reflections that I’ve been
reading daily, there was mention that, just as in the disciples during the
Transfiguration, we are partly in heaven and partly on earth during Mass. “Our feet stand on earth, but the Lord comes
down from heaven in the Eucharist.” (OneBread, One Body; Winter into Lent edition) How blessed are we that, as
Catholics, we have so many opportunities to experience that?
Another part of the Gospel struck me: Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my chosen Son; listen to Him.' (Luke 9:35) Remember a few weeks ago when the Gospel was about the wedding at Cana? What did Mary tell the servants? (Hint: Do whatever He tells you. John 2:5) This week during The Best Lent Ever (Dynamic Catholic), we are urged to spend time with Jesus in the classroom of silence. (I've been seeing this all over the place, not just at Dynamic Catholic.) This is a lot harder than it sounds, especially since I'm the kind of person who likes some kind of noise in the background. (I think that comes from growing up with 9 siblings!) Even so, this is what it's going to take to listen to him so that I can do what He tells me.
Did you have an “aha” moment during your service
this weekend?
A great post! Our Deacon also had the homily this weekend. It is interesting that the Disciples really didn't grasp the significance of what they were seeing, just as we have trouble now and then, grasping the significance of God's Grace in our lives. This is such a special time in our liturgical year.
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