Transfiguration of Jesus

My dear friends in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John. The custom of this Gospel near the beginning of Lent may have come from an ancient tradition which held that the Transfiguration of Jesus took place forty days before Good Friday. The word “transfiguration” comes from the Latin roots trans (across) and figura (form, shape). It thus signifies a change of form or appearance. Jesus’ appearance changed and became glorious. While He was praying on a mountain, suddenly “His face did shine as the sun.” The frightened witnesses saw Moses and Elijah appear before them and converse with Jesus and heard the voice of God. This was a special event in which God allowed certain apostles to have a privileged spiritual experience that was meant to strengthen their faith for the challenges they would later endure. But it was only a temporary event. It was not meant to be permanent. We are faced with challenges in this life but God gives us special experiences of His grace that strengthen our faith. We should welcome this grace and, at the same time, not expect them to be permanent. A momentary glimpse is all we need to bring us into the infinite and endless joy of God’s kingdom.

We will be having a Super 50/50 Raffle which will be drawn on Sunday, April 11, 2021 immediately following the 9:00 AM Mass. Ticket booklets will be mailed soon. Additional books will be available at the Rectory should you need them. We rely on this raffle to help offset some our lost revenue from the Pandemic.

May God bless you all,

Father John