Sunday, March 20, 2010
I believe that we must live the whole Gospel, and each page invites us to enter deeper and deeper in to the life of God so that we can live our lives with Him and viceversa. How can I live the story of the Transfiguration?
Peter, James and John get a glimpse of the glorious Christ; it must have been a wonderful and awesome experience. Although I understand why the disciples were terrified, I can also understand why Peter told Jesus that he wanted to build three tents. We have this human need to put everything into boxes so that we can control, catalog, shelf and use when needed whatever it is that we are experiencing.
There is always the temptation of putting “Moses” into a box or a tent. Moses represents the Law, the regulatory aspect of our Christian life. In him we find all the rules and regulations that are given to us as an aid. Putting him in a tent can give me the feeling of being in charge or domesticate the rules, making everything serve me rather than God. Also, I can become a victim of rubrical fundamentalism or a total dismissal of liturgical norms.
Elijah is the “prophetic” dimension. The Church cannot live without it. This is the aspect of our christian life that constantly pushes us forward and finds new ways of expressing our love for God. But it can be messy and unruly; it’s easier to put it in a box and control it so that everything happens under my control. In doing so, I can risk to stifle the Spirit and become unable to “sing the new song”.
God, however, is always ready to interrupt our lives and to surround us with His presence. It is only when we let go of our tendency of putting everything - even God - into a box that we can experience God’s love around us and it is only then that we can hear Him speak. Just as Moses and Elijah were engaged in the wordless dialogue with Christ, so God invites us to listen to Him. Only Christ and HIs word can bring us to understand Moses and Elijah, only when we live the Gospel that these other two dimensions of our lives make sense. Jesus is the center, the one who brings harmony between the two.
What is Jesus telling us? “Rise!” Yes! He can help us get up and continue our Journey with HIm to Jerusalem, to the Cross. Our journey requires that we keep our eyes only on Jesus and He alone. But we know that things are going to be better.
I believe that we must live the whole Gospel, and each page invites us to enter deeper and deeper in to the life of God so that we can live our lives with Him and viceversa. How can I live the story of the Transfiguration?
Peter, James and John get a glimpse of the glorious Christ; it must have been a wonderful and awesome experience. Although I understand why the disciples were terrified, I can also understand why Peter told Jesus that he wanted to build three tents. We have this human need to put everything into boxes so that we can control, catalog, shelf and use when needed whatever it is that we are experiencing.
There is always the temptation of putting “Moses” into a box or a tent. Moses represents the Law, the regulatory aspect of our Christian life. In him we find all the rules and regulations that are given to us as an aid. Putting him in a tent can give me the feeling of being in charge or domesticate the rules, making everything serve me rather than God. Also, I can become a victim of rubrical fundamentalism or a total dismissal of liturgical norms.
Elijah is the “prophetic” dimension. The Church cannot live without it. This is the aspect of our christian life that constantly pushes us forward and finds new ways of expressing our love for God. But it can be messy and unruly; it’s easier to put it in a box and control it so that everything happens under my control. In doing so, I can risk to stifle the Spirit and become unable to “sing the new song”.
God, however, is always ready to interrupt our lives and to surround us with His presence. It is only when we let go of our tendency of putting everything - even God - into a box that we can experience God’s love around us and it is only then that we can hear Him speak. Just as Moses and Elijah were engaged in the wordless dialogue with Christ, so God invites us to listen to Him. Only Christ and HIs word can bring us to understand Moses and Elijah, only when we live the Gospel that these other two dimensions of our lives make sense. Jesus is the center, the one who brings harmony between the two.
What is Jesus telling us? “Rise!” Yes! He can help us get up and continue our Journey with HIm to Jerusalem, to the Cross. Our journey requires that we keep our eyes only on Jesus and He alone. But we know that things are going to be better.
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