High Altitude
"This is my Son,my Chosen, listen to him!"
Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent: Luke 9.28-36
As Catholic educators in Alberta, we are blessed with a wonderful opportunity to have our faith renewed every spring. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association hosts the Blueprints Conference for administrators, as well as the SPICE Conference for teachers and support staff. ( For more information, go to http://www.acsta.ab.ca/).
These are great moments of uplift and renewal. While the speakers and the networking with colleagues and friends are keys to the experience, so too is the environment- the beautiful mountains, valleys and streams of Kananaskis. There is something undeniably spiritual about being there. I could always expect a profound experience.
There was something else I could expect as well, which frustrated and bemused me at the same time. I would come home to try and explain to my wife about the experience, and all that I had learned. The conversation was always passionate, deep, emotive- and one-sided. Shirley would chide me to "come back to reality". The spiritual "high altitude" needed to be tempered with a vision of where it placed me in the world of the everyday.
This week's Sunday Gospel tells a similar story. While the focus is on the revealed glory of Christ (which we celebrate again on the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th), let's look at what is happening with Peter.
Poor Peter. Always ready to jump in, and not really knowing what is going on. As he and his companions are witnessing this miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus, he decides that this would be a good time to set up some tents and camp out! Sounds crazy! Was Peter suffering from altitude sickness?
What Peter is experiencing is an epiphany- a sudden realization that he is in the presence of God. By asking to put up tents, Peter is really saying "Let's stay here forever! I don't want this experience to end!"
And then the real epiphany moments begin to happen. First, as at Jesus' baptism, they hear the voice of the Father saying
Just as Christ is obedient to the Father, so they (and we) must be obedient to the Son.
Secondly, after they heard the voice of God, they look up and find Jesus alone. They will now leave the mountain, and head for Jerusalem, and on to Calvary, where Jesus will suffer his death, in obedience to the will of the Father, alone.
Peter and his companions will say nothing of their epiphany "in those days". Why not? Probably because they had no words to describe what happened, and could only begin to express it after they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Coming down from the mountain changes us. Hearing the voice of God can "transfigure" us. When we encounter the Risen Christ, people will notice the difference.
And when we go through the dark valleys of our lives, we know that the next mountaintop is not far away.
FOR THIS WEEK
1. Think about a time when you had a very deep spiritual experience. Maybe it was a powerful worship service, the birth of your children, or a time alone in nature. Dwell in the sights, sounds and feelings of that moment. How were you changed?
2. Do you think people recognize that you are a follower of Christ by your words, and most importantly, your actions? Ask Jesus to help you be a more "intentional" disciple.
As Catholic educators in Alberta, we are blessed with a wonderful opportunity to have our faith renewed every spring. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association hosts the Blueprints Conference for administrators, as well as the SPICE Conference for teachers and support staff. ( For more information, go to http://www.acsta.ab.ca/).
These are great moments of uplift and renewal. While the speakers and the networking with colleagues and friends are keys to the experience, so too is the environment- the beautiful mountains, valleys and streams of Kananaskis. There is something undeniably spiritual about being there. I could always expect a profound experience.
There was something else I could expect as well, which frustrated and bemused me at the same time. I would come home to try and explain to my wife about the experience, and all that I had learned. The conversation was always passionate, deep, emotive- and one-sided. Shirley would chide me to "come back to reality". The spiritual "high altitude" needed to be tempered with a vision of where it placed me in the world of the everyday.
This week's Sunday Gospel tells a similar story. While the focus is on the revealed glory of Christ (which we celebrate again on the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th), let's look at what is happening with Peter.
Poor Peter. Always ready to jump in, and not really knowing what is going on. As he and his companions are witnessing this miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus, he decides that this would be a good time to set up some tents and camp out! Sounds crazy! Was Peter suffering from altitude sickness?
What Peter is experiencing is an epiphany- a sudden realization that he is in the presence of God. By asking to put up tents, Peter is really saying "Let's stay here forever! I don't want this experience to end!"
And then the real epiphany moments begin to happen. First, as at Jesus' baptism, they hear the voice of the Father saying
"This is my Son,my Chosen, listen to him!"
Just as Christ is obedient to the Father, so they (and we) must be obedient to the Son.
Secondly, after they heard the voice of God, they look up and find Jesus alone. They will now leave the mountain, and head for Jerusalem, and on to Calvary, where Jesus will suffer his death, in obedience to the will of the Father, alone.
Peter and his companions will say nothing of their epiphany "in those days". Why not? Probably because they had no words to describe what happened, and could only begin to express it after they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Coming down from the mountain changes us. Hearing the voice of God can "transfigure" us. When we encounter the Risen Christ, people will notice the difference.
And when we go through the dark valleys of our lives, we know that the next mountaintop is not far away.
FOR THIS WEEK
1. Think about a time when you had a very deep spiritual experience. Maybe it was a powerful worship service, the birth of your children, or a time alone in nature. Dwell in the sights, sounds and feelings of that moment. How were you changed?
2. Do you think people recognize that you are a follower of Christ by your words, and most importantly, your actions? Ask Jesus to help you be a more "intentional" disciple.
It would be very interesting to know your answers to your "FOR THIS WEEK" sections...
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