AUSCP member Bob Wenz asks you to recall last Sunday’s Gospel (Second Sunday of Lent) and reflect on the Transfiguration.
Namaste— “The divinity in me, God within me, bows to the divinity in you.” Maybe, maybe that ancient Indian greeting is one of the most needed messages of this mountain meeting with God for us. Christ’s divinity shining through His humanity—and ours. But, Peter didn’t get it…and sometimes, neither do we.
Peter saw what he saw and was in awe—but then was too filled with fear to stand by Christ or stand up for Christ, when it would cost Peter his popularity or his life on that Friday.
After all he had heard and all he had seen, Peter’s faith was still not deep enough to do anything but follow the crowd. Wanting to be a Christian, but without the criticism, without the cost, without the cross, which isn’t possible.
And there is a part of Peter within me and within each of us. In that:
- I have “listened to Him”, but somedays it seems that I haven’t really learned much, or let it really change my words, attitudes or actions much.
- Christ keeps reminding me to “not be afraid”, but sometimes I still fear standing up and speaking out for what I believe really needs to be said, or what I believe really needs to be questioned. Whether it’s asking:
- Why do so many of our kids feel like life is not worth living anymore, so they end theirs?
- Why are so many of us so unhappy, so stressed and depressed in our society, even before these Covid days, that we try to escape in so many unhealthy ways?
- Why is neither our church or our government speaking out loudly and strongly against the racism, bigotry and white supremacy that is so prevalent in so many ways these days? Bishops writing a letter that almost nobody reads is not enough.
- Why are women not respected as equals by so many in the church or in business, with excuses that make no sense, at least to me?
- Why do so manysofear people of color, people who are LGBTQ or who are in almost any way different? Why are we so insecure and why am I sometimes so stupid?
- Why are there still homeless and hungry in our country, our city, where we spend billions on ball clubs and on being entertained?
Maybe because there’s part of Peter in me and in each of us… faith filled and fear filled; courageous and cowardly; saint and sinner. People who need to grow in our belief and in our awe of the divinity within each of us, especially those WE think are the least of us.
Especially within ourselves... Because so often I have trouble seeing beyond by sins, seeing beyond my failures to reach my ideals. And I forget the divinity within MY humanity as well. Forget that He lives and loves within me and through me. And that He really does love me.
Christ told Peter, James and John “do not tell anyone about this until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”. But He’s BEEN alive and well and raised for more than 2000 years now. So… What are we waiting for people??? Namaste!
Fr. Bob Wenz