Transfiguration Is A Season Of Transformation.

LENTEN MESSAGE of TRANSFIGURATION

THE TEXT is The Gospel:.......LUKE 9: 28-43

I AM FAVORED TODAY TO SHARE MY VIEW FROM WHERE I SIT ALONG THE RIVER ON THE PURPOSE OF LENT AND ITS VALUE TO THE CATHOLIC (UNIVERSAL) CHURCH.

AND ALTHOUGH LENT IS A MAN DESIGNED OBSERVANCE. THE GENESIS ACCOUNT OF JOSEPH AFFIRMS THAT ALTHOUGH HUMANITY MAY HAVE DESIGN SOMETHING, FOR HIS PURPOSE GOD OFTEN TRANSFIGURES OUR PURPOSES AND GOALS...

HE OFTEN CHANGES WHAT IS CONSTRUCTED FOR MAN HONOR FOR HIS GLORY.

SO WE DON’T APPROACH ANYTHING WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, BUT SEEK HOW WE CAN CAPTURE THE REFLECTED GLORY OF GOD, IN THE EFFORTS OF HUMANITY.

WE NEED FIRSTLY TO APPROACH LENT AS THE SEASON IT WAS INTENDED. THE SEASON OF TRANSFORMATION, NOT OF GIVING AS MUCH AS RECEIVING.

THE CHURCH OFFERS MANY OF OUR HOLY DAYS AS SEASON IN ORDER TO SAVOR THE RICHNESS,,, VERSES THE WORLD THAT SEE IT AS AN DAY OR PERIODIC OCCASION..

THE DAY FOR THE WORLD VERSES THE SEASON OF FOR CHRISTIANS. ...EASTER, ADVENT, THE SEASON OF PENTECOST. EACH WITH SUGGESTED, THEMES .AND READINGS AND COLORS. ALTAR PARAMENTS , THE CLOTHS ARE DEIGNED RED, WHITES, PURPLE, GREEN..

AND ASIDE FROM THE SEASON THEIR ARE DAY OF CELEBRATION, BESIDE THE TRADITIONAL..

WE HAVE TWO OF MY FAVORITES , ALL SAINTS DAY,,

AND THE LEAST RECOGNIZED BUT MOST NECESSARY, ASCENSION SUNDAY.

WHAT MAKE ASCENSION DAY SO IMPORTANT IS THAT

THE STORY OF SALVATION WOULD BE INCOMPLETE WITH OUT HONORING THE FACT THAT AFTER THE RESURRECTION AND DE- CESSION, THERE WAS AN BIBLICALLY REALITY..,

ASCENSION DAY ALLOWS US TO PREACH ON ASCENSION GIFTS, EPHESIANS WHEN HE ASCENDED HE GAVE GIFT UNTO MEN. APOSTLES, PROPHETS, PASTORS ,,,ETC,

LUKE DESCRIBES IT IN HIS GOSPEL AS WELL AS IN ACTS, THE CREEDS SAY IT HE ASCENDED, SO WHY NOT HONOR IT ANNUALLY, ,,

YET, MY TASK IS TO PRESENT LENT WHICH IS A SEASON OF FORTY DAYS. OF PRAYER, FASTING GIVING UP IN ORDER TO RECEIVE, A SEASON OF TRANSFORMATION...

YOU CAN PROBLEY FIND OUT MUCH MORE IN A DICTIONARY THAT WHAT I CAN PRESENT ABOUT, NO NEED TO WASTE YOUR TIME..

SO I WILL BRING THE WORD OF GOD CENTERED UPON THE SUNDAY THAT BRINGS LENT THE SEASON OF TRANSFORMATION, INTO OUR MIDST AS THE SEASON AND THIS SUNDAY IS

Transfiguration Sunday, is a SUNDAY in which we as the church community, celebrate Jesus’s Trans-figuration.

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF LUKE..CHAPTER 9.....REVEALS TO US THIS an remarkable, outline of this event:

1...IN VERSE 28..Jesus takes three disciples up the mountain to pray; WHILE HE IS praying HE IS transfigured; HIS APPEARANCE CHANGES..HE GLOWS..HIS FIGURE IS ALTERED...HIS CLOTHES BECOME A DAZZLING WHITE.

2.....TWO FIGURES OF ISRAEL HISTORY..Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus..

3.....Peter and the other two disciples who witnessed this event

HEARS A VOICE FROM A CLOUD WHICH speaks;

4.....Jesus remains alone with the disciples; and they remain silent concerning what they saw. AND COME DOWN WITH JESUS FROM THE MOUNTAIN.

Now this account of the transfiguration ALSO occurs in Matthew AS WELL AS MARK 9: 2-8 but our reflective source for today is the gospel of Luke 9:28-36

LUKE opens the story with, "Now about EIGHT days later that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up A HIGH mountain.

The mention of the mountain recalls the many Old Testament times of divine revelation that took place on mountains,,,

Next, Jesus went to pray. Luke specifies the purpose of Jesus’ is consistent with his behavior throughout the Gospel.

HIS TEACHING VARIED

HIS PREACHING VARIED

HIS MIRACLES VARIED

BUT THE ONE THING THAT DOESN’T VARIES IS HIS ATTITUDE OF PRAYER.

In THE GOSPELS.... Jesus is often at prayer,

NEXT,,,, WE READ THAT Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, TALKING WITH HIM.

This experiences OF JESUS is witnessed by disciples’ who are "weighted down with sleep. AS LUKE 9: 32 TELLS US, BUT THEY STILL MANAGE TO STAY AWAKE...

I WISH TO POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE INITIALLY SLEEPY BUT MANAGED TO STAY AWAKE..

AND AT THE END OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. A voice from the cloud tells the disciples who Jesus is and how they are to relate to him.

The whole atmosphere of the Mountain of Transfiguration is glory. From start to finish the keynote of this whole incident is glory.

JESUS TOOK Peter, John, and James, his closest disciples, the inner circle of his Twelve, and went up to a high mountain to pray.

And while he was praying, his appearance was changed. His face was changed. And his clothing became bright with a heavenly brilliance, as bright as a flash of lightning.

What did this vision mean? It showed that there was more to Jesus than MEETS the eye.

But here, on this mountain, Jesus let his divine nature shine through his humanity.