Trial to transfiguration—what does it mean?

March 4, 2012, Second Sunday of Lent

Jesus’ rising from the dead, and its promise that all of us can in him rise from the dead into a life of dazzling glory one day—is this prefigured in today’s gospel? Jesus was dazzlingly transfigured in Mark 9:2-10, talking with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. In Milwaukee, we’d call it a geschnutter, a good, thorough chat. That’s part of what I envision the life to come to hold, engaging conversations. In the gospel, mortal Peter, James, and John were terrified, but Peter pulled himself together to suggest: Let’s mark this place, it is holy. Jesus pressed them to secrecy until he would rise again, meaning he would have to die. The disciples kept the matter to themselves, “questioning what rising from the dead meant.”

On Emmaus Road today, we have a lot of questions. A lot. Fr. Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap, teacher of Franciscan and medieval theology and Christian spirituality at Catholic University, the 9 a.m. celebrant at Blessed Sacrament-DC, didn’t shrink from one question. He said a colleague this week pushed him to address, about the first reading (Genesis 9:8-15), "What about the binding of Isaac?” Wasn’t being bound and neearly nearly sacrificed traumatic to the boy? God tells Abraham to tie up his son, put him on a makeshift altar, and slaughter him. Abraham wordlessly moves to comply. The testing of Abraham is seen as a testament to his faith in God and his obedience to divine will. But what about Isaac?

A teacher at EPS (Education for Parish Service-DC), Dr. Joe Jensen, years ago pointed to other Scriptures in the book of Jeremiah. “In the Valley of Ben-hinnom they go on building the high places of Topheth to sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire, something I never commanded or considered,” God says in 7:31. God again laments that the kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem were burning their children in fire offerings to the god Baal – “something I never considered or said or commanded” (19:5). “They built high places to Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech; I never commanded them to do this, nor did it even enter my mind that they would practice this abomination” (32:35).

Three times God rejects the idea of human sacrifice in Jeremiah, and yet in Genesis God was testing Abraham’s love for God over love for his son Isaac. Just another example of conflicts in the Bible, one book and verse to another?

Fr. Armstrong pointed to the second reading, Romans 8:31-34, and following verses (35-39) not read today, as a clue to understanding. “What will separate us from the love of Christst? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we conquer verwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No conflict or conundrum or dispute or affliction or trial or tragedy can separate us from God’s love. Keep faith in God’s love for us all.

The first Sunday of Lent, Feb. 26, 2012. My first time at the kids' mass at Blessed Sacrament in a long time. Instead of sitting in the bleachers (hard on my spinal stenosis), we sit on chairs now set up on the gym floor. Ahhh, lumbar thanks. Fr. Percy called all the children up on the riser holding the altar for the consecration. "Look here, this is Jesus, who loves you," he reminded them and us adults, as he held up the bread, and then the wine. "Shhhh," to a few chatting. The host family was the Robertis, who brought up the gifts of bread and wine at the offertory, representing all of us and our gifts and issues that we offer to God. After mass, I chatted with Eli, now 21 and once my confirmation student, and Maryann, his mom. "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15). Fr. Percy's homily -- seeking joy in lent.

Photos: Fr. Percy D'Silva at the August 2011 baptism of Francesca Zuylen, here held by her dad, Frank. The Robertis at the June 2011 confirmation of Dominic, front. Eli Lewis after lectoring at the October 9, 2011 Mass, with Francesca Pellegrino, co-founder of the disABILITIES ministry at Blessed Sacrament.