READING 1:
Genesis 15:5-12,17-18 Psalm 27
READING 2: Philippians 3:17-4:1 GOSPEL: Luke 9:28b-36
It is interesting that the Church has this Gospel proclaimed twice during the year. It is always read on the 2 nd Sunday of Lent and again in August on the feast of the Transfiguration. It must be important. I think one way to look at it is to proclaim that expectations need to be matched to reality. The greatest impediment to prayer is expectations. The greatest impediment to our happiness is expectations. This gospel also reminds me of the story about the time Jesus, Moses and Elijah decided to come to Florida for a round of golf. They came to a water hole and Jesus said to Moses, “I have seen Tiger drive this green so many times, this is going to be fun!” Moses said, “now wait a second, Jesus, don’t you think you ought to just hit a shot to this side of the water and take a second shot for the green?” Jesus, looked at Elijah for reassurance and said, “oh no, Moses, if Tiger can do it I can do it.” Elijah just shrugged his shoulders. So, Jesus tees up his ball, takes a nice swing at the ball and up it goes, kerplunk right into the water. Jesus sends Moses to part the water and fetch the ball. Jesus tries a mulligan, tees up his ball, takes his swing, and the ball goes right into the water again. Again, Moses goes down and parts the water and fetches the ball. He says, “that’s it Jesus, take another mulligan but this time just hit for this side of the water, other golfers are starting to catch up.” But Jesus insists if Tiger can do it he can do it, and he tries and for a third time the ball goes into the water. Moses just folds his arms; Jesus goes down to the water himself and starts walking on the water to get the ball. Another golfer pulls up and gets out of his cart seeing Jesus walking on the water and he is amazed. He turns to Moses and says, “who does that guy think he is, Jesus Christ?” Moses says, “oh, he IS Jesus Christ, he THINKS he’s Tiger Woods. Tonight as we hear of Jesus great transfiguration, we’re made aware of expectations and understandings of self and others which don’t exactly match reality. Peter and James and John awoke from their nap to see Jesus aglow in the presence of Moses and Elijah. This was their dreams come true! Now this is the kind of glory they expected the Messiah to demonstrate. “Oh, how good it is to be here!” they exclaim. This would be the Messiah who would liberate Israel from the Romans and bring peace; he would heal every disease and offer heaven; he would straighten out their religious leaders and everyone would love him. Their bud Jesus would change the world. But then after the spectacular proclamation from the cloud, they looked up and saw only Jesus. They were imagining great things, thinking as human beings do; but Jesus could only be who he was not who they wanted him to be. Expectations are the greatest impediment to prayer. When I was a younger priest, an older priest gave me great advice. He said that for the first twenty years of his priesthood, he would pray every morning that he would change the world. Then, he decided the world was too big and he started to pray that he would change every person he met that day. Only later did he start praying that he would change himself. He said that if he had started with that prayer his priesthood would have been so much more beneficial to all. We need to match our expectations to our reality. We are a talented, admirably ambitious, high energy people and enjoy great opportunities. Still, we have limitations. If our expectations don’t match our reality, we will never be happy. One of our parents was telling her four year old she could be anything she wanted when she grew up. She could be a scientist, a doctor, a judge, even president of the United States , anything she wanted. Her daughter said, “okay then, if I can be anything I want, then when I grow up I want to be a horse.” A lot of people go through their lives asleep to the glory of who they are because they cling to a false notion of who they wish they were. Our feelings about ourselves push us forward or hold us back. Jesus Christ today reflects the bright light of understanding who he truly was and is. He was not going to be the Messiah of his buddies’ dreams. The glory of the transfiguration is that it belongs to every one of us because we are known and loved by our Creator. Expectations that do not match reality are the greatest impediment to prayer. Expectations that do not match reality are the greatest impediment to our happiness. We glow just as Jesus glowed in glory when we learn to accept and love the person God knows and loves and make the best of our own reality. Jesus knows us and takes his love to the cross for us and that is good news! Fr. Jeff McGowan |
