I’VE BEEN TO THE _______
FILL IN THE BLANK
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 2nd 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 25th 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.
