Conduit of Grace

 Ash Wednesday’s readings teach us about Lent and how God works with us;  

Today’s readings teach us how God uses our sacrifices this Lent.

The readings for Ash Wednesday teach us what to do for Lent, and how God works with us during Lent.  Today’s readings point us to how God uses this season of Lent to help others to grow in holiness.  St. Paul in his letter to Timothy makes the purpose of Lent clear.

Beloved:  Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Lent -> Life :  Penance is the conduit for God’s grace

We are called to live a holy life during Lent - not by our own works, but that the grace of God might pour through us this Lent.  

As Catholics we have this season of Lent not just for 40 days - but to change the rest of our lives so that we might become more open to letting God use us as a conduit of His grace.

Let that sink in…

What is God doing?  Genesis

God Promises then God does - this is how we grow in Faith

God tells Abram what he is going to do and then invites him to participate.  He does the same with us - He invites us to let Him use us to bless other people.  This is in essence the mission of the Christian - that our life would become a blessing for others.

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse  you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

God makes 3 promises to Abram at the start of his journey:

• To be the Father of a great nation

• This is fulfilled at Mt. Sinai when the descendents of Abram enter into a covenant with God.

• To have a royal dynasty

• This is fulfilled in the Davidic line of Kings that comes from Abram.

• To be a Universal Blessing for ALL people

• This is fulfilled when Christ establishes the covenant for Jews and Gentiles.

God goes on to fulfill His promises to Abram throughout the rest of his life.  He invites Abram to be part of His story, and when Abram says yes, God blesses him.

The mission of the Christian - be a conduit for blessing

The third blessing to Abram is significant for us - let us dwell there for a moment.  Christian lives mirror in a way the life of Abram.  We start by being immersed in the waters of Baptism through which we are clothed with Christ.  It is through our Baptism, which is completed with our Confirmation that we are invited to become a blessing to others.  God gave us these gifts of Baptism and Confirmation to use us to bless others.

Between the 1st and 2nd predictions of the Passion

Today’s Gospel, the Transfiguration occurs right between the first and second prediction of the Passion, where Christ begins to share the heart of His mission with the Apostles.  Jesus invites Peter, James and John into the story.  He takes them up the Mountain where they see who He truly is, to strengthen them for the way of the Cross.  

Christ reveals the fullness of who He is

In this reading Jesus shows Peter, James, and John - and through them Us, who He truly is.  It terrifies them!  This is the reality of God that we often blind ourselves too - and yet Jesus did not hold back - he allowed the Apostles to experience the fullness of who He is through that encounter with Him and the Father.  When that experience had overwhelmed them it was by touch - the simplest and most primitive way to communicate love to a Human that Christ calls them out of their fear and instills in them the confidence to follow him on the road ahead.

The Transfiguration in St. Peter’s life.

An important tool for our own faith life is to understand where we are with Christ on the Journey.  When we look at the experience of the Transfiguration in the life of St. Peter we see that this occurs in the midst of a journey that still has many ups and downs ahead.  

Let me show you

• Jesus asks Peter who He is (Matt 16) - You are the Christ the Messiah of God - to you I give the keys to the kingdom…

• Jesus speaks of the Passion - Peter pulls Him aside and then Christ rebukes him.

• Then we have the Transfiguration - where Christ shows Peter what that means…

• This is in the larger context of Christ’s Passion, Peter’s denial, the Resurrection and then the encounter after Easter with the Lord on the sea shore (Peter do you love me)

• This is followed with Pentecost, and culminates with Peter’s own crucifixion in Rome…

How does that work out in your life or my life?

Where have we been challenged to grow in Faith by God?

How have we responded?

What is God doing?  My Life?

I want to share with you how I have experienced God building my faith over the course of my life:

I perceive that God Invites, I respond, then I see…

God is not yet done with me (like Peter).

Let me share an example - My vocation as a Deacon

Discernment for the Diaconate - having the powerful, visceral experience that God is calling me to be a Deacon, to see Him deliver on the promise then to be challenged in my belief and then to have God confirm his promise.

• 1996 - Serving God in retreat ministry and caring for those placed before me.

• 1998 - Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius - I want you to be my Deacon - Telling my wife

• 2000 - World Youth Day - flying home from Rome

• 2003 - The formation committee - realizing that God doesn’t just work with me but with the entire Church.

• 2007 Ordained a Deacon

• 2009 Embraced the cross of a divorce

• 2026 Still following Christ

Reflect on the story of your friendship with God.

I share this example to invite you to reflect on and understand your own story - your own Journey with God.  He invites all of us along the path of relationship that we have with Him - and each path is unique and different. 

The Transfiguration is light given in advance of darkness, reassurance before sacrifice. On the mountain Jesus reveals his glory before his passion. Lent is our mountain moment: a chance to see clearly who Christ is, so that when the road turns toward Calvary, we will follow not in fear, but in trust. 

Your story becomes a source of blessing for others.

The story of your friendship with God is not done - it still has ups and downs ahead.  This Lent, let us embrace the cross that God might use us to pour out His blessings on others that we encounter.

Three Mountains

Feast of the Transfiguration

Why Do I Climb Mountains?

As many of you know, I love the wilderness and mountain climbing.  The feast today has challenged me to examine the question – Why do I climb mountains?

·     I climb mountains because I like the perspective from the top.  It changes your outlook on the world.

·     I climb mountains to find solitude with God.

·     I climb mountains because it is hard.  My friends and I enjoy the challenge.

·     I climb mountains to encounter nature –it’s beauty and ruggedness, nature that is raw, unruly and untamed.

·     I climb mountains to know that I am alive - it is not simulated or fake – it is creation at it’s best.

The Three Mountains of Scripture

There are 3 Mountains in scripture related to the Feast today.  Tabor – the Mount of the Transfiguration, Calvary – The Mount of the Crucifixion and Olivet – the Mount of the Ascension.

·     Tabor shows us the Glory of God, and teaches us that God comes to touch us.

·     Calvary shows us the Love of God, and teaches us that God can heal us from our sin.

·     Olivet teaches us the Reality of Heaven, it teaches us about our final destiny.

Fortunately, we cannot skip from mountaintop to mountain top, rather we need to descend into the valleys and then toil our way back to the top of the next peak.  Let’s examine the Gospel to see how Jesus climbs.

How Does Jesus Climb Mountains?

Jesus took Peter, James and John and climbed up a high mountain to be alone… 

Do not climb alone

The first thing that we notice in the Gospel today is that Jesus does not climb alone.  Climbing alone can be a bad idea, because if we get into trouble we have no one to help us.  Jesus brings along Peter, James and John to the top of Tabor because he wants them to experience the fullness of the Father’s Glory together – in community.

Am I climbing alone?  Time for community

For this reason Christ established the Church – that we journey together.  Who is in my Church?  Who is in the group that I can have those authentic faith-filled discussions with – my friends who share my faith and challenge me in my journey.  Is that my family?  Are these my friends?  Where do I find my companions for the journey?

Who do they encounter on the way?  Moses and Elijah

While they are on the way Jesus, Peter, James and John encounter Moses and Elijah.  They are conversing with Christ about the next mountain that Christ would climb – Calvary. 

Moses represents the Law – that is knowing how to be in relationship with God.  Elijah represents the Prophets – Knowing how to act out of our relationship with God.  These two men show us how to have an authentic relationship with God, and how to live out of that relationship.  It is a kinetic experience – it is moving and flowing and transforming.

Peter wants to memorialize this into the tabernacles.  He wants to get caught up in the here and now – yet Jesus reminds him that it is a journey that we are called to.

Then we encounter the presence of God the Father.

When I was younger I climbed Mount Massive, the second highest peak in Colorado.  We made it to the top on a windy and cloudy day.  While we were atop the mountain, looking off to the north west a cloud was blown up and onto the top of the mountain.  We were enshrouded in fog and the vast vista was cloaked in mystery.  After a minute or two a hole opened up in the sky and the sun shone down onto the cloud that we were in – atop the mountain and the fog was transformed into this curtain of dazzling bright white light.  It was as if we were trapped inside of a sun beam.  Everything was illuminated.

I imagine that this was the kind of experience that Peter, James and John had when the Father spoke to them atop Mt. Tabor – they found themselves wrapped in the presence of God the Father.  That presence can be terrifying because it illuminates the reality of where we are and where we are in our relationship with God.

Mount Calvary - Sin separates us from God. 

Our sin becomes like a mountain that divides us from God.  Our sin is why Jesus needs to go from Tabor to Calvary – to die to conquer the mountain of our Sin.  In the Psalm today the psalmist prays.  “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.”, and later on he prays “Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods.” 

When we harden our hearts with sin they become like mountains of rock that block us from the love of God, and when we choose to sin we make ourselves god in place of God – and yet when we have the opportunity to experience the Transfiguration like Peter, James and John the presence of God melts the mountains of our sin and we recognize the reality of God.  This is an experience of humility.

Jesus comes with a healing touch to cure our sinfulness

In the depths of their sin it is Christ who reaches out and touches them.  It is a human, a physical interaction that Christ performs to draw Peter, James and John out of the terror of the moment so that they can resume the journey with Him.

We experience the touch of Christ here in this liturgy tonight – He touches our ears when His word is proclaimed in the Mass.  He touches our hearts when we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist.  He calls us to touch others as we go out into the world this week to live out this Gospel.  Take a moment during this Mass and allow Christ to touch you.

Mount Olivet

After Calvary, Christ is raised from the dead and then leads the Church to Olivet – the Mount of the Ascension.  It is at Mount Olivet that we learn that Christ takes our Humanity into the fullness of the Divinity.  This is expressed in the vision from Daniel in the first reading today.  Here comes the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven he received dominion, glory, and kingship.  All things enter under the providence of God – the Truth of who we are, our sin is subjugated and we enter into life with God for eternity – it is the ultimate goal that we are created for, and that we strive for.

Why am I Catholic

I am Catholic for many of the same reasons that I climb mountains –

• I desire a better perspective on life. 
• I have fallen in love with the beauty of divinity.
• I thrive on the Challenge to become a better man, a better person.
• I love to work to grow closer to God – In Prayer, in my actions, in my deeds.
• I am Catholic because I love the community – Like Peter, James and John I am not alone, but I have Brothers and Sisters who climb with me.
• I am Catholic because I realize in my encounter with God that He is wild, unruly, untamed.  There is a rawness to the reality of God that energizes and inspires me.  Like Peter I can say that God is reality and not simulation, and the encounters that I have had with God inspire me to become more connected to Him in His totality.