Donna Rougeux, ARCWP, and Mary Skelly
led the Upper Room’s liturgy for the Third Sunday in Lent with the theme: Unexplainable
encounters that change us. Donna’s homily reflection follows the readings
below.
First Reading: When Love Gives Way
Glaciers crack and groan,
Tearing into drifting floes
Rivers course and pound the shore,
Flowing into new tributaries.
Trunks grow branches and twigs,
Reaching for the clouds and
stars.
Lovers, friends and siblings drift
Apart with reluctance and surprise
As if their one time love was
something
That could have been locked in,
Impervious to the pull of time
And assorted, sometimes sordid paths
they choose.
Some of us are lured into the unknown
and so become more ourselves;
Revelatory for us but mystifying
To others who feel less need of
change.
Others of us are devoted to what we
cherish
and so define ourselves;
Reassuring for us but claustrophobic
For others who prize momentum.
Despite everyone’s wishes, loving
gives way
Misunderstandings devolve into fear,
righteousness, and judgment.
Oh, to be the trunk that doesn’t
begrudge the branch or twig!
To be the tributary streaming away yet
thankful to mother river!
To be the stolid glacier, melting and
reforming into one whole!
If only people could drift with our
casting each other adrift.
Then, it would be in our human nature
For one time love to spread
Across differences
And trust to find a home
In our most tender hearts.
These are the inspired words of an
ARCWP Priest and the community affirms them by saying: Amen
Gospel: Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took Peter, John and James and
went up onto the mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying, his face changed in
appearance and the clothes he wore became dazzlingly white.
Suddenly two people were there talking
with Jesus-Moses and Elijah.
They appeared in glory and spoke of
the prophecy that Jesus was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.
Peter and the others had already
fallen into a deep sleep, but awakening, they saw Jesus’ glory-and the two
people who were standing next to him.
When the two were leaving, Peter said
to Jesus, “Rabbi, how good it its for us to be here!Let’s set up three tents,
one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah!” Peter didn’t really know what
he was saying.
While Peter was speaking, a cloud came
and overshadowed them, and the disciples grew fearful as the others entered it.
Then from the cloud came a voice which
said, “This is my Own, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
When the voice finished speaking, they
saw no one but Jesus standing there. The disciples kept quiet, telling nothing
of what
they had seen at that time to anyone.
These are the inspired readings from
the gospel of Luke and the community affirms them by saying: Amen
Donna’s Homily Reflection:
Karl Rahner is a theologian who
describes God as Absolute Mystery. Rahner posits that this Absolute Mystery
reveals his/herself with self-communication. This revelation does not resolve
the mystery; it increases cognizance of God’s incomprehensibility. Mystery therefore will always be
incomprehensible and always revealing itself. This is what today’s gospel
reading is describing. A similar story to the transfiguration is the story of
Moses and the burning bush. A story about Abraham encountering an invitation to
be in a covenant relationship with the God pictures God as a burning pot. These
stories are describing theophanies. A theophany is a visible manifestation of
God to humankind. These manifestations to humankind of the Absolute Mystery
continue throughout history into the present day.
St Patrick, who’s feast day is today,
described a theophany that he experienced in one of his books. He writes about
a vision he encountered, “I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name
was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read
the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I
imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people…and they
cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come
and walk among us.” This vision had such a transformational effect on Patrick
that we still celebrate his life today and call him the patron saint of
Ireland.
When Absolute Mystery reveals his/her
self to us we are changed in a variety of ways. The poem that is our first
reading today illustrates ways nature and people are changed when God or as the
poem says “when love gives way.” God is love and gives way or breaks into our
world causing glaciers to crack and groan, trunks to grow branches and twigs
and people to grow into their authentic selves.
What are the stories about theophanies
and our own experiences of mystery trying to teach us? First, we cannot contain
mystery by putting up tents like Peter wanted to do in today’s story. Even
though we are tempted to keep our mountain top experiences in safe places like
tents or tabernacles, mystery is bigger than us and uncontainable. Second
theophanies are always breaking into our existence and changing us. A beautiful
sunset, the birth of a child, being present for the last breath of a loved one,
are all experiences of the Absolute Mystery.
We cannot help but be aware of the awe
and fear that can arise in the face of Mystery and the incomprehensibility of
the encounter. Third we are being challenged to let go of thinking we have all
the answers. We are being called into something bigger than us but at the same
time into something that gives us meaning purpose and life that is worth
living.
These unexplainable encounters of
mystery humble us, fascinate us, and call us to be one in the spirit with
change and diversity. We are tempted to fight change, fear growth and contain
the uncontainable. When we accept theophanies with gratitude, open hearts and a
willingness to be changed we will be transformed in unimaginable ways.
Division, judgement and misunderstandings can be transformed into wholeness,
peace and authenticity.
Richard Rohr points to the awakening
or enlightenment that happens when he reflects on today’s gospel reading and
says, “Taking ordinary people ‘up a mountaintop by themselves’ sleepy men are
about to be awakened. The stage is fully set for encounter and divine
intimacy.”
God is always breaking in and inviting
us to growth and change. Divine intimacy is God’s gift to us. Once we
courageously accept this invitation our awakening begins and we can go back to
sleep but like Jesus and Moses and all who have been called by love our journey
is our destiny.
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