Encounter on the Mountain

“Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,

‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.”

Mark 9:7-8

First published as “Seeing God” in 2021.

Jesus brought Peter, James, and John up the mountain. We know something is about to happen when we read “up the mountain” for mountains are places where God meets His people. Moses on Mt. Sinai. Elijah on Mt. Horeb. Jesus on Calvary. God comes to meet His people.

Peter, James, and John did not know what was about to happen. They saw Moses and Elijah. They were ecstatic! These were like two big celebrities from the past. Then the Father spoke — “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” They heard God speak. The Father affirms the Son’s identity and then He speaks to Peter, James, and John, telling them to listen to His Son. The term used to describe this event is “theophany.” A manifestation of God that is experienced by humans. The Apostles saw God, heard Him, and felt Him. But what did they do with that experience? Peter wanted to stay on the mountain by making some tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Perhaps it was a good place to be at and the company was amazing, but the truth was as it is now: they cannot stay there.

An experience with God cannot be kept to ourselves. When we have seen God, our lives cannot remain stagnant. The life of a Christian is one of encounters, with God and with man, a series of mountaintops and valleys. We can never be sure how those experiences will turn out to be, sometimes they will be filled with joy and inspiration, and other times they will be filled with sorrow and feelings of emptiness. But there is one thing we can be sure of, and that is that Jesus will always be there. “Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone by Jesus alone with them” and that should be enough. When the going gets tough, and when the world seems dark and lonely, we must always remember that Jesus is with us. When we encounter Jesus in our brothers and sisters and in the sacraments, we will have seen God. And in seeing God, He comes to us and calms all our fears and worries, giving us all the graces we need at that moment to weather through those storms. Our Lord is waiting to encounter you, will you see Him?

Knowing Christ

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
and put on the new self,
created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”

Ephesians 4:23-24

As baptized Christians, we are a new creation. This means that we must live our lives embodying the joy of the Gospel. Knowing Jesus changes everything. It changes what we have come to believe about ourselves. It changes what we have come to believe about the world. It changes what we have come to believe about God. Knowing Christ changes our lives and we must never go back.

In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul implores the people to get rid of their old selves and to put on their new selves and to be renewed. He tells the people that they have been re-created in the “righteousness and holiness of truth.” Righteousness is right relationship with God and holiness of truth means to be set apart by God to live in His truth. Being Christians means then we must live in a way that is distinct from others; we must live knowing that this earthly life is but a journey and that our final destination, our true homeland is heaven. We live not for this world, but for heaven, and every thing that we thing, say, and do ought to reflect this mode of living. Do the words that I let pass my lips build others up and help them and ourselves grow closer to God? Do that things I choose to do reflect the joy and holiness of heaven? Do my thoughts increase my desire for God and heaven? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. If our answer is “no” then we do not really know Christ and we have slowly falling into the trap of the world. For knowing Christ means we know that we do not belong to the world. Have we cast off our old selves and put on the new or do we cling on to our old selves, afraid of what the world might say about us?

So, brothers and sisters, do you possess the surpassing joy of knowing Christ?

Click below to watch this week’s reflection on the Bread of Life.

Trusting God Provides

Elisha said, "Give it to the people to eat."
But his servant objected,
"How can I set this before a hundred people?"
Elisha insisted, "Give it to the people to eat."
"For thus says the LORD,
'They shall eat and there shall be some left over.'"
And when they had eaten, there was some left over,
as the LORD had said.

2 Kings 4:42b-44

Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to do something that seems physically impossible? Maybe it was trying to keep a school program running with small numbers or trying to keep the lights on without a paycheck. Maybe it was someone telling you Hang in there, this too shall pass when things seem hopeless and the tunnel dark and without end. Whatever the particulars may be, when we are in the midst of a situation that seems impossible, how do we respond? Do we throw are hands in the air and say I give up! I don’t know! or do we bring our hands together in prayer, trusting that if the Lord has allowed you to experience this, He will also bring you through it?

The multiplication of the loaves is a miracle that is well known by believers and non-believers alike. But this miracle has also happened in the Old Testament. When told there were only 20 barley loaves, Elisha told the servants to give it to the people and that there will be leftovers. It’s quite interesting because it seems like there is some competition here — Elisha with 20 barley loaves and 100 people and Jesus with 5 loaves and thousands! But of course the number and quantity is not what is important here. Elisha trusted that God will provide and He did. Jesus trusted that His Father will provide and He did. The one thing different with Jesus is that He is the Bread of Life come down from heaven Himself. They trusted that God will provide and He did.

There is also another dimension to this. Where did the bread come from? The people. The people brought the loaves to Elisha and Jesus. It was the offering of the people and Elisha and Jesus blessed and brought before God. Similarly at Mass, where does the bread come from that the priest blesses? The offertory, when the people bring up the gifts. Imagine that for a second. We give to the priest small, thin pieces of wheat flour and water and in turn we receive the Bread of Life! We give to God was seems menial, and He in turns gives us Himself! God does not ask us to offer up something big and grandiose, but whatever we can and whatever is in our hearts. For the people, five loaves and two fish were all they could give, and God in turned transformed that into more than enough. When we find ourselves in situations that seem impossible or hopeless, we only need to give to God whatever we can muster up, and God will use that to show us the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it is a simple, pure, and authentic, I need You, Lord and I trust in You! God will transform that prayer into life.

Trust that the Lord hears you. Trust that the Lord will provide. Trust that He loves you.