Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Mountains of faith: Daily Mass Homily--Tuesday, August 6th, 2013 (Transfiguration)


           Fair is fair and after being quizzed yesterday at Mass by Fr. Rich I have a question for him.  And I am betting him five dollars he won’t know the answer.  Fr. Rich, what is the geological term for Mount Tabor?  [“I never took geology"…silence.]  Monadnock, obviously.  I would also have taken inselberg, but thanks for the five dollars.
            I mention this because Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, is indeed a unique structure.  It is an isolated mountain rising in the middle of the flat Jezreel Valley.  When I went to the Holy Land I visited Mt. Tabor and some of my classmates got carsick driving up and around its sides to get to the top.  I can only imagine Peter, James and John as they followed their Lord up the hillside…what a climb!
            Mountains are fairly common in the Bible.  Moses went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments.  Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount.  Peter was given the keys of heaven and earth at a giant rock structure in Caesarea Philippi. 
Both Jesus and the sacred authors of the Bible use characteristics of nature to teach spiritual realities.  Whenever we hear of a mountain in the Scriptures we should immediately think of heaven.  These awe-inspiring physical landmarks indeed rise to the heavens.  Jesus intentionally brought Peter, James and John to the top of Mt. Tabor to show the heavenly reality of his presence on earth.
Peter responds, “Master, it is good that we are here…”  We can say the same when we climb the mountains of our faith: the sacraments.  It is good to participate in heaven kissing earth at Mass.  It is good to climb God’s mountain of mercy in Confession.
Like Peter, James and John, we are called to come down the mountain after being fed from heaven.  We are called to return to our work, all the time seeking others to join us on our return to the mountain top.

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