Homily Last Sunday after Epiphany year B
For the ancient Hebrews mountain top experiences were an important part of how they experienced their faith. Moses ascended a mountain and came back with the Ten Commandments that established a law for how to live.
For many of us, mountains are a place of adventure, of recreation, and of retreat, a place to get away from the distractions of day to day life. Our spirits are lifted by the glory of nature. We can see with great clarity, and we feel closer to God, our creator.
Today’s gospel reading tells of a mystical mountain top experience shared by Jesus with his most trusted disciples, Peter, James and John.
It is a pivotal moment in Mark’s Gospel narrative.
By the middle of Mark’s account, we have witnessed Jesus calling his disciples, teaching, healing, and casting out demons.
He has already told his disciples of his coming death and resurrection. “Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribe, and be killed and after three days rise again.”
Mark says six days after this prediction of his death Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain, “by themselves.”
While Jesus is there, he literally changes in front of their eyes and his clothes turn a dazzling white—a colour impossible to obtain by bleaching cloth.
To transfigure is defined in the dictionary as “to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to,” a definition which no doubt owes it origin to this Bible passage.
Mark describes Jesus as appearing with Elijah and Moses, thus establishing the continuity of God’s revelation through Moses to Elijah and then Jesus.
This tie between Jesus and Elijah is also underlined by our reading from the Old Testament which reminds us of how Elijah ascends like a whirlwind into heaven on his chariot of fire after leaving Elisha behind to carry on his work.
The most challenging part of the story is Peter’s immediate reaction to the transfiguration. He says to Jesus that the tiny group should stay on top of the mountain, and build three dwellings, one for each of Jesus, Elijah and Moses.
That’s when the voice comes from Heaven, as it had when Jesus was baptized, saying: “This is my son, the beloved, listen to him.”
As well as reinforcing the prediction Jesus has made just days earlier, Peter’s suggestion that the mountain top experience could somehow carry on, by building dwellings and staying there would seem to be a warning for us as we carry on our journeys of faith.
Mountain top experiences can be wonderful. Mountain top experiences of any kind. But we have to come back down the mountain.
The journey doesn’t end on the mountain top. We need to take the long view, and move on. Perhaps that will help us understand our challenge to be the church in a changing religious environment in North America.
Our mountain top may have been the 1950’s and 60’s when the churches were full, and the hub of the community in many ways. But we couldn’t stay on that mountain top. Society has changed. Sunday has changed. Only a third as many people go to church and there are many more churches.
That doesn’t mean we don’t continue to experience the presence of God, as individuals, as parishes.
Peter, James and John were witnesses to the supernatural power of God on the top of the mountain when they saw Jesus transfigured.
They didn’t really understand what they had seen, but it helped prepared them and the other disciples for what lay ahead.
They were the witnesses on which Christ built the church.
It may be hard for us to relate to supernatural events like this. After all if we reported seeing Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus while standing on top of one of the Rocky Mountains we might be accused of having too much to drink, or smoking funny cigarettes.
But some of us have probably had dramatic moments of spiritual insight, or God’s healing presence---experiences which can’t be explained by science.
Our visions and our spiritual awakenings are something only we can assess. Others may have had no such experiences but still feel God’s presence in their lives.
Our faith is something we can depend on in an age of uncertainty. Science and technology can’t give us all the answers, and lots of scientists would confirm that.
We need the hope our faith gives us in a world that has so much suffering and evil.
Mountain top experiences can be uplifting and inspiring as we serve Christ in an often bewildering world.
It’s sometimes hard to grasp all the information we have access to with the explosion in communications over the past few decades.
But mountain top experiences—experiences of joy, of beauty, of revelation of God’s presence and love for us—help us amidst a broken world.
We can’t build our home there, as Peter found out, but we can find strength to carry on with the journey.
The story of the Transfiguration is literally an answer to prayer. Usually in the Gospels when Jesus goes up to the mountain it is to pray, to be apart. This time he took three of his disciples with him.
As we prepare for the season of Lent, and the journey to Calvary and the empty tomb let us offer our prayers for strength on our Christian journey.
Monday 20 February 2012
Sunday 12 February 2012
Praying for the Playoffs?
Homily Epiphany 6
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal apparently wants to offer divine intervention for the Montréal Canadiens.
The Archdiocese placed an ad in Montreal newspapers this week, encouraging people to pray for an eight-place finish — and a playoff spot —for the Montreal.
The ad shows the Eastern Conference standings with every team listed except the Canadiens. In eighth place, the final playoff spot, it simply says, “Let Us Pray.”
It’s a lighthearted, but serious attempt to connect the Catholic
Church to the other religion in Quebec, and elsewhere in Canada, hockey.
It is no coincidence that the jersey of Les Canadiens is called “La sainte flanelle” (the holy flannel). Following Les Canadiens is a serious matter. One fan has literally created a Habs “temple” in his house, with the appearance of a Catholic church, complete with altar, the centre of which sits a replica Stanley Cup.
I hate to disappoint the Habs faithful, but as St. Paul reminds us today, only one competitor can win in any competition. So the important thing is how you play the game—trying to do your best whatever the outcome.
As a Leafs fan I’ve had to remember that ever since the glory days, back in the 60’s when my beloved Maple Leafs won four Stanley Cups in six years.
Paul might have something to say to this year’s edition of the storied Canadiens. In today’s reading he reminds us that in a race all runners must compete, but only one receives the prize.
So while Les Glorieux may have had more success than any other team in North American professional hockey, they can’t rest on their laurels. Despite the prayers of the Montreal Archdiocese, they will have an uphill battle to make the playoffs.
The paradox Paul highlights is that all must run the race in a way to put themselves in a position to win. But only one succeeds.
The lesson for us as Christians is that while we won’t always win the race, we are ultimately seeking the prize which is imperishable—the chance to live in eternal oneness with God our creator and redeemer.
This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Paul urges us not to run aimlessly, beating the air, but to exercise self control, and serve others.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal apparently wants to offer divine intervention for the Montréal Canadiens.
The Archdiocese placed an ad in Montreal newspapers this week, encouraging people to pray for an eight-place finish — and a playoff spot —for the Montreal.
The ad shows the Eastern Conference standings with every team listed except the Canadiens. In eighth place, the final playoff spot, it simply says, “Let Us Pray.”
It’s a lighthearted, but serious attempt to connect the Catholic
Church to the other religion in Quebec, and elsewhere in Canada, hockey.
It is no coincidence that the jersey of Les Canadiens is called “La sainte flanelle” (the holy flannel). Following Les Canadiens is a serious matter. One fan has literally created a Habs “temple” in his house, with the appearance of a Catholic church, complete with altar, the centre of which sits a replica Stanley Cup.
I hate to disappoint the Habs faithful, but as St. Paul reminds us today, only one competitor can win in any competition. So the important thing is how you play the game—trying to do your best whatever the outcome.
As a Leafs fan I’ve had to remember that ever since the glory days, back in the 60’s when my beloved Maple Leafs won four Stanley Cups in six years.
Paul might have something to say to this year’s edition of the storied Canadiens. In today’s reading he reminds us that in a race all runners must compete, but only one receives the prize.
So while Les Glorieux may have had more success than any other team in North American professional hockey, they can’t rest on their laurels. Despite the prayers of the Montreal Archdiocese, they will have an uphill battle to make the playoffs.
The paradox Paul highlights is that all must run the race in a way to put themselves in a position to win. But only one succeeds.
The lesson for us as Christians is that while we won’t always win the race, we are ultimately seeking the prize which is imperishable—the chance to live in eternal oneness with God our creator and redeemer.
This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Paul urges us not to run aimlessly, beating the air, but to exercise self control, and serve others.
Sunday 5 February 2012
The Jewishness of Jesus
Homily Candlemas 2012
Many of our Christian feasts follow the same pattern as pagan feasts which came before them. Christmas follows the winter solstice by four days.
And today we are marking Candlemas, which is the final conclusion of the Christmas season, as the baby Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth, and his mother Mary took part in Jewish purification ceremonies.
The name Candlemas refers to the tradition of blessings and distributing candles during the service to symbolize Christ as the light of the world.
There are also superstitions related to Candlemas from Europe, where it was the time when bears and wolves emerged from hibernation to see if the weather was fair enough to leave their shelter.
That evolved in North America into Groundhog Day…Wiarton Willie and Puxatawney Phil.
Listen to this Scottish rhyme from centuries ago:
If Candlemas Day be dry and fair, the half o winter to come and mair, if Candlemas day be wet and foul, the half o winter gane at yule.
The eve of Candlemas---not Boxing Day as in many places these days—was when Christmas decorations of greenery came down.
Another poem from the 17th century by Robert Herrick: “Down with rosemary, and so, Down with the bays and mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas hall.”
I remember an irreverent folk song from years past titled “Jesus, the Missing Years” by John Prine.
In Mark’s gospel those missing years amount to from Jesus birth to when he was about 30 and began his ministry.
But both Luke and Matthew have birth narratives and both emphasize the Jewishness of Jesus.
And that’s I was thinking about as I read and thought about today’s Gospel. One of the most despicable and regrettable phenomena in history has been the persistence of anti-Semitism.
Thanks to faulty interpretations of scripture, Jews have been called Christ killers and faced discrimination, persecution and even death. The evil of anti-Semitism ultimately laid the foundation for the Holocaust.
And this evil spread far beyond Nazi Germany. I recall seeing a historic photograph of a Canadian beach in the 30’s saying “No dogs or Jews.”
And this evil persists today on Neo Nazi websites.
Yet Jesus, the one who Simeon hails as the light of the world, was Jewish, born of Jewish parents, raised as a Jew, circumcised at eight days, presented at the age of 40 days in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Throughout his ministry Jesus taught in the synagogue. While there was a theme of conflict with Jewish religious authorities, Jesus never urged the creation of a new religion.
His teachings were to further illuminate the Hebrew scriptures that he had learned and quoted frequently.
For Luke, it important to show that Jesus was not rejecting Judaism and setting up a new religion, but building on the law and the teachings handed down from Abraham and Moses and Elijah.
So Jesus was thoroughly grounded in Hebrew tradition. And in Luke’s Gospel, the presentation story confirms that. The law of Moses has been followed in how the child Jesus is presented, or dedicated to God.
The next glimpse of Jesus we have in Luke is when he remained behind at the temple at age 12 to talk to the elders—a sort of re-dedication.
The stories of Simeon and Anna are meant to reinforce our understanding of Jesus as fulfilling the hopes and prayers of the people of Israel for a Messiah, a prophet, a redeemer.
Perhaps the most important teaching from the Candlemas readings is that we as Christians must remember our roots in Judaism, in the teachings of the Hebrew scripture.
In the early church some theologians tried to argue that with the agreement on the Canon—the books of the New Testament, the Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures, should be discarded.
But fortunately this view was never accepted. Jesus himself taught from the Hebrew Scriptures and quoted them frequently in the Gospel accounts.
As we read the Bible, we need always to remember Jesus was Jewish. He was a flesh and blood human being, as well as being the son of God.
As we study scripture we need to think about the context in which Jesus, and later Paul ministered. There is much to learn from this formative time in the life of our faith community.
Many of our Christian feasts follow the same pattern as pagan feasts which came before them. Christmas follows the winter solstice by four days.
And today we are marking Candlemas, which is the final conclusion of the Christmas season, as the baby Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth, and his mother Mary took part in Jewish purification ceremonies.
The name Candlemas refers to the tradition of blessings and distributing candles during the service to symbolize Christ as the light of the world.
There are also superstitions related to Candlemas from Europe, where it was the time when bears and wolves emerged from hibernation to see if the weather was fair enough to leave their shelter.
That evolved in North America into Groundhog Day…Wiarton Willie and Puxatawney Phil.
Listen to this Scottish rhyme from centuries ago:
If Candlemas Day be dry and fair, the half o winter to come and mair, if Candlemas day be wet and foul, the half o winter gane at yule.
The eve of Candlemas---not Boxing Day as in many places these days—was when Christmas decorations of greenery came down.
Another poem from the 17th century by Robert Herrick: “Down with rosemary, and so, Down with the bays and mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas hall.”
I remember an irreverent folk song from years past titled “Jesus, the Missing Years” by John Prine.
In Mark’s gospel those missing years amount to from Jesus birth to when he was about 30 and began his ministry.
But both Luke and Matthew have birth narratives and both emphasize the Jewishness of Jesus.
And that’s I was thinking about as I read and thought about today’s Gospel. One of the most despicable and regrettable phenomena in history has been the persistence of anti-Semitism.
Thanks to faulty interpretations of scripture, Jews have been called Christ killers and faced discrimination, persecution and even death. The evil of anti-Semitism ultimately laid the foundation for the Holocaust.
And this evil spread far beyond Nazi Germany. I recall seeing a historic photograph of a Canadian beach in the 30’s saying “No dogs or Jews.”
And this evil persists today on Neo Nazi websites.
Yet Jesus, the one who Simeon hails as the light of the world, was Jewish, born of Jewish parents, raised as a Jew, circumcised at eight days, presented at the age of 40 days in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Throughout his ministry Jesus taught in the synagogue. While there was a theme of conflict with Jewish religious authorities, Jesus never urged the creation of a new religion.
His teachings were to further illuminate the Hebrew scriptures that he had learned and quoted frequently.
For Luke, it important to show that Jesus was not rejecting Judaism and setting up a new religion, but building on the law and the teachings handed down from Abraham and Moses and Elijah.
So Jesus was thoroughly grounded in Hebrew tradition. And in Luke’s Gospel, the presentation story confirms that. The law of Moses has been followed in how the child Jesus is presented, or dedicated to God.
The next glimpse of Jesus we have in Luke is when he remained behind at the temple at age 12 to talk to the elders—a sort of re-dedication.
The stories of Simeon and Anna are meant to reinforce our understanding of Jesus as fulfilling the hopes and prayers of the people of Israel for a Messiah, a prophet, a redeemer.
Perhaps the most important teaching from the Candlemas readings is that we as Christians must remember our roots in Judaism, in the teachings of the Hebrew scripture.
In the early church some theologians tried to argue that with the agreement on the Canon—the books of the New Testament, the Old Testament, or Hebrew Scriptures, should be discarded.
But fortunately this view was never accepted. Jesus himself taught from the Hebrew Scriptures and quoted them frequently in the Gospel accounts.
As we read the Bible, we need always to remember Jesus was Jewish. He was a flesh and blood human being, as well as being the son of God.
As we study scripture we need to think about the context in which Jesus, and later Paul ministered. There is much to learn from this formative time in the life of our faith community.
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