The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.

2nd Sunday in Lent, Cycle B

March 2000

What did the Apostles see on that mountain? Why did they want to stay on that mountain? Before we ponder these questions further it might be useful to reflect on this story.

Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, in his book "Love Is Letting Go Of Fear", describes an incident with a patient he was summoned to see. Dr. Jampolsky is a psychiatrist. He was summoned to a hospital room where a patient with acute schizophrenia was running around the room naked with a piece of door molding with a nail protruding from it. The man was 6’5" and weighed about 250 lbs. Dr. Jampolsky peered through the glass of the door to the room. Immediately he felt fear. He thought that this person could really do him some serious harm. But he remembered that he was a Doctor and he had to remain faithful to his calling.

He shouted at the man in the room, "Hello! My name is Dr. Jampolsky I want to help you but I’m scared that you will hurt me." The man shouted back at him, "Well, I’m real scared too."

This exchange of telling how scared each other was continued until Dr. Jamplosky noticed that what bound the two men together was their fear. This is what they had in common, and knowing this enabled him to enter into that man’s fear with compassion. Now he was no longer afraid. Now he wanted to help heal. He eventually calmed the man down, went into the room and the man accepted his medication.

Abraham must have been scared too! He believes that God has asked him to sacrifice his son to prove his faith to the Lord. Imagine such a thing for a father. But there is something else to all of this. Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. Why would God go back on his word? Abraham must have puzzled over all of this but he does what he thinks God wants out of faithfulness. Yet, just as he is about to slaughter his own son and angel stays his hand. "No Abraham, this is not what God wants." God does not want you to sacrifice your children in the Lord’s name, quite the opposite." "Provide for them a world where they can thrive."

This is a critical insight into the nature of God. God reveals that the reality, the essence of God is not death but life!! God desires life and love to be the heritage of every human person. No person or society is to sacrifice its children in God’s name.

This brings us back to our earlier questions. What did they see on that mountain? Well, we are told that Jesus’ appearance was transfigured. That is, they got a glimpse of his resurrection glory. They also got a glimpse into the meaning of who Jesus really is—the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. In Jesus the revelation of the essence of God and the future reality of all humanity and creation beam on the face God’s of Christ. This light and radiance that emanated from the person of Jesus is the essence of God being revealed to the apostles. It is the reality of divine Love. No wonder the apostles wanted to stay on that mountain! Here was the reality of God’s love that chases away all fear and doubt and allows human beings to be at real peace. Here was a love that brings security and eliminates all anxiety and sadness in life.

The transfiguration of Jesus is a gift to those on the mountain. It allowed them to get a glimpse of glory. But they are told that they cannot stay on the mountain, In our world Jesus reminds us that we have a mission to the world. We are called to engage the world with the Gospel. We are allowed mountain top experiences to keep us going and moving forward. But we called to bring the fruit of these experiences to the world. And we can do this because these experiences remind us and assure us, in Paul’s words, "that God is for us and not against us." God beckons in the here and now from the future fulfillment of glory to keep going-- remain faithful even when things just don’t make sense!

And how can we do this? Well, because Abraham has gone before us. Paul has gone before us. And our Lord has gone before us! We are promised that if we do so we too will get a glimpse of the glorified Christ. We too will be transformed in our faithfulness. We too will be agents through others will see the love of God beaming on the face of the transfigured Christ.

Dr. Jampolsky concludes his book by saying that there are only two realities—love and fear. We cannot feel love and fear at the same time. When we extend love to others fear begins to loose its grip on us and soon can find no home in us. Love is that which transfigures all of life. Love is the path to true living. Love is the reality of the transfigured and a transfigured Church. It is Church that proclaims that God is God of love and life and will not countenance destroying children and adults in the name of God. Such killing is done in the name of humanity’s failure to attend to the transfigured Christ.

This election year will confront us again with hard decisions. We will be asked which policies will help all our citizens. Which policies will not sacrifice some for the many, but will benefit all. We will be confronted with rejecting what is good simply for me and will be summoned to ask our society how may we end homelessness among our children? A transfigured Christ calls us to be a transfigured people that go don the mountain into the world to bring the Gospel of life and love. This and only this power of God’s love has the capacity to create a world that does not consume its children but provides each one with love and life!

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded March 19, 2000