Blog & Pastor Letters

“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” This week in the scene of the Transfiguration of the Lord, I want to focus on one aspect that is rarely emphasized, which I believe is imperative to our advancing in the Lenten journey: listening to God the Father speaking.

After the disciples climb up the mountain, see the Lord transfigured, and witness the conversation between Jesus, Moses and Elijah, God the Father finally speaks. Note that God the Father only speaks three times in the entire New Testament: at Jesus’ baptism, at the Last Supper, and here.

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”

I do not know about you, but a temptation that I face every Lent is to refuse to go into the desert with Christ, to think that Lent can be complete if, for example, all I do is give up snacking or listening to music in the car. The first big hurdle that we need to get over is to hear Christ’s voice from the desert saying, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while” (Mk 6:31) and respond to it.

“If you wish, you can make me clean.” Lepers, as you know, have a bacterial infection that eats away at their flesh and gives them a pungent odor. At the time of Jesus, leprosy — now known under its scientific name, Hansen’s disease — was considered so contagious that those with it were quarantined for life and were cast out from their family, from their jobs, from the synagogue and from the temple. They were ostracized from all things human. Anyone who touched a leper became, under the Jewish custom, unclean.

“Everyone is looking for you.” It’s expected that Jesus’ response would be one similar to what he would later say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will refresh you” (Mt 11:28). Yet, to our surprise, he responds,“Let us go on to the nearby villages, so that I may preach there also; for this purpose I have come.” Jesus makes it clear that he came for one purpose: to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Almost all disagreements in theological matters come down to authority. When something about God or His will for us is unclear, who or what has the final word? In Christianity and Judaism, God has always raised up certain people as His representatives who speak authoritatively on His behalf. He usually gives clear signs that authenticate the authority of these representatives. The most common sign is the working of miracles.

Like last Sunday, our readings this Sunday again have a theme of vocation. Today, however, the emphasis is on the urgency of obeying God’s call. In the story of Jonah, God gives Jonah the apparently impossible task of calling the entire large city of Nineveh to repentance. Jonah was both the most reluctant prophet in history and the most successful. No other prophet resisted his calling more, but also, no other prophet saw greater fruit when delivering God’s message.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany, when the infant Jesus was visited by the magi. Today, we have entered Ordinary Time and in the Gospel we are again presented with the adult Jesus. The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time lead us through the life of Christ, emphasizing his ministry and teachings so that we can mature as his disciples. With this in mind, it makes sense that we should begin Ordinary Time by returning to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and his calling of the first disciples. In fact, our readings this Sunday in general have a theme of vocation, of hearing the call of the Lord and responding properly.

Today’s feast of the Lord’s Epiphany celebrates the fulfillment of God’s original purpose for His chosen people. Recall God’s initial promise to Abraham: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. [ . . . ] in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2–3). In our first reading from Isaiah, we heard, “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.” The Lord also said through the prophet Isaiah, “It is too little for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isa 49:6).

Of all the events during Jesus’ life, isn’t it interesting that his presentation in the temple as an infant is preserved, while so many others are not? To make an analogy, if you were writing an autobiography, how many would include a story about your baptism? Sure, a passing reference, but what about a page or two? Even more, not only is Christ’s presentation in the temple preserved, but the Church thinks that it is more important than many other events of Christ’s life. We do not have a set day to remember when Christ raised the widow’s son, or expelled demons, both of which certainly seem like a bigger deal than him being brought to the temple. And yet, the Church raises this celebration above many others and links it to Christmas, where it acts as the bookend to Christmas.

What a dramatic opening to the Gospel of Matthew, and a dramatic setting of Christ’s birth. And yes, we did hear the same Gospel. And yes, I am talking about the genealogy. But what makes a list of names so dramatic? The genealogy here acts like a narrator at the beginning of a play. It sets the stage, and both introduces the main character who will be the center of the performance and places the drama within a specific historical setting. Particularly this drama is set as the culmination of a history which finds its climax within this show, which will unfold starting in our first act and culminating in the Paschal Mystery of the Triduum.

This third Sunday in Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, which is Latin meaning Rejoice! And truly our Mass this day is one of rejoicing. From our entrance antiphon where we sing “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near,” to our opening Collect, we hear of celebrations and rejoicing, and so to this theme continued throughout our readings and psalm.

Our Gospel presents us with the familiar scene of John the Baptist in the desert along the banks of the Jordan. There he is baptizing those seeking to repent of their sins. Mark identifies this action of John as fulling the prophecy from Isaiah that one would prepare the way (that is, a road) of the Lord. Turning back to the original prophecy, why was there a need for the way to be prepared? What was wrong with the existing road? For whom was the way made? Where was it going?

“Be watchful! Be alert!”

In Christ’s exhortation today, it can be quite tempting to place ourselves in the shoes of the person traveling abroad. After all, this current life is a journey to our heavenly home. We speak of our current state as a pilgrimage. And this is certainly true; however, in the context of our Gospel today, we are not the ones on a journey, but instead it is Christ who is on the journey, while we are the ones remaining in the home.