2nd Sunday of Lent Year B Homily

On this 2nd Sunday of Lent we are given the account of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This word “transfiguration” signifies a change of form or appearance. This is perfectly summed up by Saint Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, “the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, here upon Mount Tabor His clothing became dazzling white for He was revealed as God made Flesh to His apostles.

The figures of Moses and Elijah who appear with Him in this account are very important. Moses represents the Law for he was given the Law and Elijah the prophets for he is held as being the greatest of the prophets. Moses died while Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot. Christ is the “Lord of both the dead and the living” in the words of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Moses and Elijah both experience their own encounter with God upon Mount Sinai. Elijah experiences Him in a “light silent sound” according to 1 Kings and Moses encounters Him in the book of Exodus in the burning bush. Now these figures of the Old Testament stand with Him and point the way to His glory. It was of this glory that the apostles experienced with their sight that they would later return to following His Passion and Resurrection.

Much later we are told from the Gospel of Saint Luke that the Lord appeared to His disciples on the road to Emmaus following His Resurrection. There we are told, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” Here they uttered, “were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

As we continue this journey of Lent we must allow the Lord’s words to be at work within our own heart and soul. It is no mistake that this account of the Lord’s Transfiguration takes place during the season of Lent because this experience strengthened “the apostles’ faith in anticipation of his passion” in the words of the Catechism. We too must be given such faith in Him in order that we may allow our life to dwell with Him for He is not only fully man, but also fully God.

Whenever we have the opportunity to adore our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar we have the opportunity to be with the same God that Moses and Elijah adored. We are able to be with He whom the apostles gave praise and glory. Through fervent Eucharistic devotion our heart will be burning within us.

Let the tabernacle be a place for our refuge. The Lord invites us into this space and so let us remember whose presence that we have entered into. In the midst of all the issues of this life we should remember to bring them before the Lord in order that He may be the one to strengthen us. Let us adore Christ present among us in the Blessed Sacrament always and let our life become a reflection of His.

1st Sunday of Lent Year B Homily

Today we observe the 1st Sunday in the season of Lent.

Our Gospel accounts for us our Blessed Lord going into the desert in order to fast and pray for a period of 40 day and nights. While there the devil comes in order to tempt Him, but the Lord remains steadfast against his attacks.

In the Book of Exodus Moses led the Israelites into the desert and there they toiled about for a period of 40 years until they made it to the Promised Land. This is symbolic of our own life where we toil about in search for the Kingdom of Heaven.

This season of Lent aids us in making such a journey as we undergo this period of 40 days. It is easy for us to toil about and find that we are lost. No matter where we find ourselves today hope is always found in the Lord. Through Him has the world been redeemed from the plight of sin and death.

The Lenten season connects us to the waters of baptism. From these waters spring forth new life as one comes to be claimed for Christ Jesus. In the dryness of the desert there is this longing for such water to bring life unto us.

When we arrive at Easter Sunday we will have the opportunity to renew our baptismal promises. The proper response is “I do.” Do we truly mean these words or do we simply state them because this is the proper response?

Through our practice of Lent we allow the Lord to assist us in making such a response with the firmness of faith. Through those ancient practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we form our heart and soul to dwell with the Lord our God.

For in this world there are many voices which come our way which attempt to lead our heart away from the Lord. This is the same voice that came to the Lord in the desert, but He rebuked that voice. We must treat our faith with sincerity in order that we too may heed the Lord and His presence among us.

Where sin is found we must be found willing to humbly go before the Lord and ask His forgiveness. This Thursday our parish will hold its Lenten Penance Service where we will have nine priests who will assist with the hearing of confessions. Do not pass up this or other opportunities to partake of this sacrament of God’s mercy.

May this Lenten season be fruitful for us because this season leads towards the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. This celebration is most important for through it we come to profess the Lord’s triumph over the tomb. Where we have been thrust down into sin and death we must place our trust in Him in order to be lifted out of it. His words bring life to us and so may we turn our sight unto His and allow our thoughts, words, and deeds to dwell with Him always.

Ash Wednesday Homily

The mark of ashes that we will soon dare to wear upon our foreheads is a reminder that we are sinners who are in need of the infinite mercy of God. This symbol reminds us of our mortality and thus that there will come a time when we will be claimed by death. From the Book of Genesis: “For you are dust and to dust you shall return.” With this realization firmly upon our mind our life must come to be transformed in the Lord’s presence. As we are told of such transformation in the Gospel of Saint Mark “repent and believe in the Gospel.” Let us come to be transformed in His presence by making use of the sacrament of confession where we come to be absolved of our sins and to be aided by the gift of God’s grace. Hopefully this mark will be something more then a mark that is worn for social distinction, but a mark that reminds us that we must leave here with the assistance of God’s grace to live not for the world, but for Christ. Let us choose to live for Him in all that we do.