I’VE  BEEN TO  THE _______ 

FILL IN THE BLANK 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Sunday in Lent [A] is, “I’ve Been to the _______.  Fill In the Blank.”

We can fill in that blank with all kinds of places,  persons, moments  and experiences.

We can fill in that blank with a mountain – as in, “I’ve been to the mountain”  or the ocean, a movie, a funeral, a cruise, a retreat, a Mass, Lourdes, a concert, a play, a car ride, a sickness, an operation, a novel, a 25^th college reunion, a wedding anniversary. Whatever?   We fill the blank in with what filled in our blank and we  were transfigured.

Life 101

Go figure.

OTHER  TRANSFIGURING  MOMENTS

More possible moments and experiences: I’ve been to leaving home  for the first time - going to college;  falling in love; getting married - and wow did the lights go in – slowly or suddenly – or in ways I’ve never expected.

I’ve been to having a baby – and wow did that moment and then that experience - transfigure me  - transform me – change me – set me free – begin me – renew me – made me me.

The umbilical cord is a long, long cord – and it can be tight and it can be loosened. It can be cut in some ways and some ways not – and it can become  knotted.

Life 202.

The title of my homily is, “I’ve Been to the _______.  Fill In the Blank.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus takes Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shown  like the sun and his clothes became white as light. [Confer Matthew 17: 1-9.]

And Peter, James and John were changed – transfigured.

And Jesus was changed – transfigured.

He heard words about himself from the cloud, from the shadows: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

TRANSFIGURATION MOMENTS

Life has its transfiguration moments – in which – from which – during – after which we see ourselves in a new way.

Life has its transfiguration moments – in which – from which –

during which -  after which we see others – God – Spouse – Parents – Children – Others – Life - in a new way.

DISFIGURATION MOMENTS

Life also has its disfiguration moments – unfortunately – in which – from which – during which – we get disfigured – or others get disfigured – or Christ gets disfigured – crucified – abused – divorced – disregarded – dissed – Good Friday.

Lots of people have agony in the garden moments. Lots of people have hanging on the cross moments.

Sometimes they can last a long, long time – hanging on the cross – cancer, depression, kids, grandkids getting into troubled relationships.

Lent is borrowed time – to enter into these stations of the cross.

Lent moves towards Good Friday – but most especially towards resurrection – new life.

Life 303.

A FEW EXAMPLES  OF WHAT CAN FILL IN THE BLANK 

The title of my homily is, “I’ve Been to the _______.  Fill In the Blank.”

I remember  going up the fast, fast, fast elevator to the top of the World Trade Center in New York City. On a clear day you can see forever.  I remember standing there and looking down at the Hudson River on which as kids we went on about 5 boat rides to Bear Mountain and Rye Beach – the Hudson River on which I lived 14 years of my life.  I remember  looking south towards Brooklyn where I was born – and out into the Atlantic on which my parents came to America.

Then all that came tumbling down on a horrible day in September 11, 2001.

We lost a cousin that day – Sean Bowman -  one of the 658 people  from Cantor Fitzgerald on 101 to the 105  Floors –who were killed that day.  His wife was pregnant at the time.

I’ve been to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park and the Rockies – along with a bunch of smaller mountains in New Hampshire - ascending and descending – rocky dirt paths.

Life 404.

I’ve been to many funerals, weddings, hospitals, baptisms, many of which were transfiguration moments for lots of people.

I became a Redemptorist Priest with the hope of going to Brazil – but it didn’t happen.

But I’ve been a lot of parishes – taking up about 20 years of my life. I’ve been in 3 retreat houses taking up about 20 years of my life.

I was on a high school retreat here at San Alfonso – with some high school senior girls  from Manhattan. Half the class came one month; the other half came the following month. This girl got up on the second retreat and said she had been here a month earlier  and it was a disaster for her. She was on drugs for that whole first retreat.  When she got back she noticed how much that retreat helped some kids – and she realized she need help. She got it and came on the second retreat and stood here in this very spot and told her class her story and I have been getting a Christmas card from her ever since. Married a plumber – her 2 kids have finished college – and all is well.

I’ve been to a retreat – and God filled in my blank.

I was here on an AA retreat once and without me knowing about it till the following year – a guy came here on AA  retreat – and a bunch of guys – including his brother – got him in the corner of that room down the corridor.  It’s now called the heritage room – and “Go figured him.”  They told him every year he would come and when the retreat was over – before leaving the parking lot – he would reach under the front seat of his car and reach for his bottle and continue another year of drunkenness – for him and his family.  They said, “No more!” 

He didn’t use the word “Transfiguration” – but it was the beginning of his “Transfiguration.”

CONCLUSION

Most of the time transfiguration moments and transfiguration years take place in the mountains and the valleys and deserts of our souls.

Be attentive to your soul this Lent as you come down from this experience of retreat.

It took the disciples of Jesus, Peter, James and John,  different amounts of time and space to figure out what the vision of Jesus was all about.

We too.

Go figure.

Go figure out how we have been transfigured by life.

By  Jesus Christ.