In this Lenten season, it sometimes helps to gain perspective on whom it is that we actually worship. We can read the bible a lot, and go to Mass each Sunday, but sometimes the shear awesomeness of the God of the Universe can still be lost on us. It happens I suspect, by our getting in the habit sometimes of glossing over things when we read or hear God’s name – not because we intend any disrespect to Him, but simply through the cursory sort of familiarity that does not always do justice to what is being presented.
The guard against this, is to expand our familiarity to the truly awesome nature of His works. Whether this be His creation of the Universe itself, the creation of ourselves and those around us, or the beauty of the created world which we are privileged to inhabit, and the selfless love that compelled Him to leave an earthly existence in such a way as to be a ransom for us all. All of these things, and more, if we truly think about them in depth, paint a picture for us of the vastness of the loving power of God.
You can bet, that Peter, James, and John had quite a wakeup call when they saw Jesus in his transfigured form standing before them with Moses and Elijah. This Man whom they had travelled with, lived with, and enjoyed His company, had now revealed himself to them as He truly is. They were present there before the God of the Universe in all his magnificence, and were simply awestruck and filled with a respectful fear that we should all experience more frequently. He chose to reveal himself in this way, because He knew that in the days to come, they would need to be able to see in their minds eye, what they now beheld, and have confidence in the One who is their savior.
For each of us, as we make our way through Lent, but also throughout the rest of the year, we need to strive for this kind of mindset. We do not have the physical encounter of being there for the Transfiguration, but we have incredibly detailed and expanded knowledge through scripture of the events and reasons we should have every confidence in our Messiah. We need to steep ourselves in these, we need to not just read, but to digest them, roll them around in our minds and meditate on them so that we truly grasp the scope and impact of what took place. We need to spend time outside looking at the created world, the beauty and variety of a universe, planet, and ecosystem created with such precision that it is capable of sustaining all of its contents. It should take our breath away when we think along these lines. We should be enthralled by its perfection, and wonder at the love that must have been needed to craft all of the things that have been handed to us. We should in fact feel with willingness the urge to kneel down and give thanks, and to seek our Lord all that more fervently.
The Deacons Bench 