Lord Enter My Heart as You Enter Jerusalem

Somewhere in the corner of the world a young Irish lad sings

Sometimes I feel like I don’t know

Sometimes I feel like checking out. 

I wanna get it wrong, can’t always be strong. 

And love, it won’t be long.

God hears this plea; He has heard it since the foundation of the world.  It is man’s cry to God, “Save me.”  St. Paul echoed these words as well when he said, I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15), NIV) The Christian life is not always easy, rather difficult at times.  God asks for everything and sometimes sins gets the best of us.  But God does not leave us in that state, for love is never long in waiting, for God responds to the young Irish lad as He responded to St. Paul and to all of us and always,

Oh sugar, don’t you cry,

Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes,

You know I need you to be strong,

And the day is dark as the night is long.

The promise of God to make all things new, a promise that gives us hope, “don’t cry, wipe the tears from your eyes,” is a promise as good as gold (as the saying goes), for it is God who makes the promise and the one who carries it out.  And yet, the road to pure love is not easy, for someone to make it happen they will experience a “day that is dark as the night is long,” Good Friday, the longest day for Jesus.

But our young Irish lad is not through singing, he still has things to say, to ask, to figure out, to make sure.  By now you know that this Irish lad is signing for all of us.  He goes on to sing,

Feel like trash

You make me feel clean

I’m in the black

Can’t see or be seen

Don’t all of us feel like that throughout different times in our lives.  Something or someone has brought us down or we ourselves may have broken faith or let others down, we are betrayed, but also betrayers, saints and sinners.  Still, God makes us feel clean, when we ask for forgiveness, when we kneel before Him and cry out, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner.”  When we are weak, feel lost, or forgotten we are in the black, can’t see or be seen.  John the Apostle tells us we go into the dark to hide so that we are not exposed to the Light; to be exposed makes us feel humiliated, though that exposure brings healing.  Never easy to be honest, but when we are we are made clean.

You bury Your treasure

Where it can’t be found

But Your Love is like a secret

That gets passed around

Our Irish lad is persistent, he has taken to heart the prayerful plea of the man begging his neighbor for bread even though it is late, and he won’t quit until he gets his bread.  So too with our young Irish friend, he won’t quit until God gives Him the promise, the Word he needs for healing.  All of us feel like God is buried somewhere sometimes and very hard to find.  In my deepest darkest hour, where are you Lord, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  And still if we listen to the whisper, in a still and delicate sound, we hear God, just like Elijah.  And yet God’s love may feel like a secret sometimes, for not all get it, understand it, for some it takes time, for others right away, but in the end it, “gets passed around.”  Finally our singer acknowledges what is true,

When I was all messed up

And I had opera in my head

Your love was a light bulb

Hanging over my bed

How many nights have we laid in our beds thinking about God, are you there, will you save me, will you help me, how do I love you more, how do I heal broken relationships, is it my fault, was I too forceful, too weak, and on and on we pray contemplating this wonderful – extraordinarily saving relationship.  The opera was going on in our heads.  The Lord answers, with a light bulb hanging over our beds.

The Lord answers clearly today on Palm Sunday, for that light bulb is made as bright as the sun.  He knows all our troubles, our sicknesses, our weaknesses, our addictions, our hurt, our sins and He comes riding on a donkey looking at us with those eyes that pierce right through and He is answering us, “Take hope, I have come, I come to make all things new, for I have heard your plea, I have heard your song.” 

Jesus says, “You may not know, you may feel like checking out, you may feel black, you may even be messed up, but I have come so that you will know, so that you feel like checking in, that you may be in the Light, and that your roads may be ever straight.”  Our young Irish lad “Bono” was answered as God has been answering us all along, and there can be no clearer answer than today, if you look you will see Jesus entering Jerusalem (entering your heart) answering all our questions, but more importantly healing us - through and through.  Be joyful today, your salvation draws near, wave your palm branches and sing, just like our young Irish lad, “Hosanna in the Highest, hosanna in the Highest, here comes the King of Glory, the King of Kings!”

By Fr. John P Picinic

Lyrics by Bono and U2

The name of the song is Ultraviolet Light (Light my Way).  The song is both dark and bright, as it deals with a deep human longing for redemption.  The beauty of song is that it affects each and every listener differently.  The song seems that it was written at least on two levels, maybe even more, but the two that stand out are Bono’s deep inner sighs and longings for God and how God responds.  The song could also be about his wife, for as his wife she makes his him whole.  It could also be about God and his wife simultaneously.  Nevertheless it is a great song and it’s just my interpretation of it, yours can be different, again the beauty of song.

I will save this reflection for a youth group session and give a more traditional homily tomorrow as some may not be ready for something like this and not everyone is familiar with our young Irish lad. 

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Apostles to One Another

I love today’s Gospel from John in which it says, “Some Greeks . . . came to Philip, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”  Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.”  (John 12:20-22, NABRE).  These Scripture verses remind us that we are apostles, called by name and sent by God.  It also shows the tremendous effect we have on one another.

When we talk about ourselves as Apostles, it almost sounds strange.  It’s easier to call ourselves “disciples” than it is to call ourselves “apostles.”  The reason for that is that we usually associate the word apostles with the “Twelve Apostles.”  Everyone else is a disciple.  The terms are not exactly interchangeable: a disciple is a student-follower type; an apostle is also a student-follower, but with one major difference – the person is also entrusted with carrying out a mission (or a calling – vocation).

            

God calls us by name (Is. 43:1) and then we are sent by God: “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’”  (John 20:21, RSV)  To avoid confusion, there are only twelve apostles who hold that title, “The Twelve”.  Their mission carried greater responsibility, for they were the new tribes of Israel.  Yet, all of us share in an apostolate.

            

Our main calls to being apostles are our vocations.  Many are called to the married vocation and live out their mission through family.  Some are called to religious and or ordained life and live out their mission in service to the Church.  And there are some who live a single life, either through choosing a single life or remaining a widow or widower in which they live out a life of service to the People of God.

            

The amazing thing is that none of us knows for sure which vocation we will choose when we are very young.  Our vocations are developed and nurtured by God through others.  As we mature and grow, hopefully our call becomes clearer and when we start looking back on our lives we can see and understand the impact that other apostles had on us.  Reflecting on my own call to be an apostle, which meant becoming part of Jesus Christ’s ministerial priesthood, was a road on which I met many people who helped me to come to that realization.  And not just a realization, but all of them actually helped prepare me for what lay ahead.

My parents had the greatest impact on me, as well as my brothers, extended family, teachers, friends, and coaches.  Probably none of them realized they were helping to form a future priest.  Nevertheless, they lived out their own apostolate in helping others.  As I reflect back on those who helped form me I cannot help but think of how one high school English teacher impacted my life in ways I would not even begin to understand until twenty or so years later.

So, today you will learn a little bit more about Fr. John.  Please bear with me and I hope that my story helps you reflect on both how others have helped you and also how you may have helped others.

My sophomore year in high school I was not doing well in my classes; it wasn’t  so much because I couldn’t as it was my lack of effort and knowing what I could get away with.  I loved high school for its social aspects and being able to participate in sports.  If it wasn’t for sports at the time I am not even sure I would have finished.  (I hope I am not scandalizing you.  If so, too bad.  Remember, it is not how you start but how you finish J).

My English teacher, Mr. P.J. Shelley, (many of you Cliffside Park High folks will remember him) was a great guy, kind, funny, witty, and a little mad (as in different).  Remember the casket in his classroom, the weird postcards, and the poster of Eraserhead?  Well, one day Mr. Shelley sits me down and tells me, “You are not going in a good direction; you are failing my class and maybe others.  There is a good chance you may be ineligible to continue your basketball season.”  I was not happy.   “If you want to pass my class you have to start doing something.  You are better than this John; I know you can do better.”  I asked him, “What can I do?”  Mr. Shelley challenged me to read more and if I read a certain amount each marking period, actually quite a lot – about 1600 to 2000 pages, he would give me a guaranteed “B,” no matter what else I did.  This was a little unorthodox on his part and some teachers who rule with an iron fist and by the letter of the law would find this method unacceptable.  Thank God Mr. Shelley could think outside of the box.  He asked me if I ever read any books before.  All I ever read was “The Life of the Mick” (Mickey Mantle) and Earl the Pearl Monroe when I was in eighth grade.  He got a chuckle out of that.  He handed me a book then that would change the course of my life.

I looked at the cover and it looked like a children’s book.  It was entitled, “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien.  I promised I would give it a try.  That evening when I got home from basketball practice I began to read it.  I couldn’t put it down.  I was done in three days.  Mr. Shelley interviewed me to make sure I read it and he was impressed.  He then gave me the remaining books in the story, “The Lord of the Rings.”  I read the entire trilogy in less than two weeks and I was back for more.  I read Terry Brooks, Stephen King’s entire catalog, Lawrence Sander’s deadly sins books, (I actually made one of Chief Delany’s , a character from those stories, sandwich heroes for me and Mr. Shelley), Jack London, Edgar Alan Poe, D.H. Lawrence, Kurt Vonnegut, Willa Cather, and many others.  I read, read, read!  And since those days, I am always reading something.

I did not realize the impact that Mr. Shelley had on me until just a few years ago.  I was reflecting on my love of theology and reading everything I could get my hands on.  Then it dawned on me.  The good Lord sent as an apostle, Mr. Shelley, to share some Good News with me, “Take up and read!”  Just as the angel told St. Augustine in the garden centuries ago, it was now Mr. Shelley encouraging me to “take up and read.” 

Mr. Shelley helped me change, not just by helping me get better grades in high school, but by planting a seed that would continue to sprout and grow into me becoming a priest that would love to read about his faith and help him to share the Good News with others.

I pray that you realize the impact that you can have on people and the impact that others have on you.  It all helps to mold us into whom we are and who we continue to become.  Jesus understood well the need for good human relationships.  He understood this because in our very nature, we desire relationships and it is within that framework that we share our mission\s.  You see, just as the Greeks went to Philip, then Philip to Andrew, and then both to Jesus so, too, did someone go to Mr. Shelley, then Mr. Shelley to me, and hopefully I to others so that all of us will go to Jesus.

Fr. John

picture from: http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS362&biw=1185&bih=589&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=dB7OnkT2x4w4-M:&imgrefurl=http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/nicolaspoussin/interesting/&docid=ue7B9DCXMg57gM&imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/2101575481_340f859f3c.jpg&w=500&h=333&ei=O3psT-C4Loqztwe96tyUBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=874&vpy=274&dur=4512&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=161&ty=73&sig=100713746395602007020&page=1&tbnh=123&tbnw=166&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0

Kittens Looking for a home

We have three kittens looking for a home, let me know if you are interested.  They are two weeks old, will be ready in 7 to 8 weeks.  Email me at frjpic@gmail.com.  thanks fr john

4th Sunday of Lent: For God so Loved the World

On this fourth Sunday of Lent we have read and listened to one of the greatest passages in all of Scripture, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  (Jn. 3:16, NABRE)  Often times we will see signs at the ball games that read 3:16 and often enough we hear it spoken by Evangelists, preachers, and priests.  It is God reminding us that he loves us.  It is that love that makes us whole and holy.  It is a love that pierces right through the heart.  This love gives us happiness in God.  It also has another effect; it also sheds light on any darkness in our lives.

After the greatest words spoken to man of God loving the world, John the Evangelist writes, “…the light came into the world, but people prefer darkness to light, because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light, so that his works might not be exposed.” (Jn. 3:19-20, NABRE)  These words had unbelievers in mind; those who refused to believe in God and would rather live in sin.  Yet, the words are for us in some manner as well.  All of us are guilty of sin - everyone single one of us.  “If we say, “we are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.” (1 Jn. 1:8, NABRE)  St. Paul also tells us, “All have gone astray, all alike are worthless; there is not one who does good, there is not even one.” (Rom. 3:12, NABRE)  

Last week, I spoke about man’s wounded nature, the part of us that sometimes leads us to sin when we give in to that sinful nature.  We give into it because we feel it brings us happiness; yes, happiness.  All sin is disguised as something good, something pleasurable, and every sin has its roots in pride.  Pride is that inordinate desire to be greater than one really is, i.e. to become our own gods.  Therefore, whether the sin is one of greed, lust, wrath, jealousy, etc., it stems from pride.

The symbol of darkness, as the John the Evangelist employs throughout his Gospel, takes on a few meanings.  Two, in particular, are that darkness is a means for hiding a particular sin or sins; and darkness being ignorance, not being fully aware of the Light or Truth.  When we sin, as I said, we usually do so because we feel that it brings us happiness that we deserve.  Let’s take a look at some sins in which that is obvious.

If we examine adultery, (I guess I’m picking a big one here – I could have gone lighter but I’m trying to make a point), the person usually engages in the act because he or she believes they have a right to it.  They are seeking happiness for whatever reason.  They might feel that they deserve this experience and they justify it in their minds by whatever means necessary.  One is in darkness here on the two levels that I spoke of:  1) the person who committed the act of adultery does not want to be found out, therefore the act itself is wrong and evil – being hidden in the darkness; 2) there is also the possibility of ignorance concerning the act; the person may truly think there is nothing wrong with it.  Their conscience has been numbed, and that is only for God to judge. 

Another sin we examine is greed.  This one comes into play during tax season.  The sin comes from pride and is usually reasoned out this way:  The Government has taken enough from me.  It’s time to get what I deserve, to get some back.  Therefore, we fudge a little bit here, a little bit there, the whole time justifying our actions because we feel someone else has cheated us.  Again, we are in the darkness, for we are not being honest and we definitely do not want to be exposed to the Light as we would then owe some back taxes. 

One final example is the sin of wrath or vengeance.  I did not choose anger because anger is not always a sin.  But once it morphs into rage, wrath, or vengeance then it has become a sin.  We allow ourselves to fall into this from time to time because we take justice into our own hands and become the arbiters of that justice.  Though God may ask for mercy, we are far from it in terms of being merciful.  This can be not only with enemies but those within our own family.  We will hold onto grudges, non-forgiveness, for years as a means of holding something over someone, a form of punishment against the other.  The darkness here is that we are blind to the Truth and the Light.  We are self-justified in our wrath: even God himself has taken our side, at least that is what we believe in our minds.  Satan has twisted the lie into the truth and we allowed our wounded nature to overcome the nature of grace given by God, which God not only asks that we forgive but He actually makes it a command vital to eternal life.  “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.  Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.  Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 Jn. 2:9-11, NABRE)  And from the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”  (Mt. 6:14-15, NABRE)

 

This Lent, I have been focusing on our wounded nature and devoting time to why we sin and its repercussions.  The immediate repercussion is that sin actually makes us unhappy.  But like a vicious cycle, we return to it to ease the pain of the previous sin.  Our passions sometimes get the best of us.  Jesus knew this and that is why he came so that he might help us with our wounded nature.  He wants to heal it through and through.  The toughest things about Lent are admitting that I am a sinner, admitting that I sometimes harm relationships by being choosing selfish acts, that sometimes I hold onto bitterness and I am not quick to forgive, that I sometimes cheat and feel that I deserve to do so.  The hardest thing about Christianity is TRUTH - truth about oneself with all our foibles, idiosyncrasies, weaknesses, and sins. 

Walking with Jesus in the desert for these forty days is not just about giving up meat on Fridays, or candy or soda.  Anybody can do that.  Those are just simple forms of penance to help us realize the deeper truths of who I am before God.  We go into this hot and dry desert without water or anything else along with Jesus so that we can learn from him and, also, to let go of everything because you can’t carry much in desert; you have to leave it behind.  Therefore, as we are in the 2^nd half of our journey in the desert, let us finish strong:  as many basketball coaches would say to their players, “Leave your hearts on the floor this half, give it everything.”  Jesus wants to bring us light so that we are whole, holy, and happy, but we can’t be afraid of the Light and exposing the dark part of ourselves, for it brings healing.  There may be initial pain, sorrow, and regret, but with forgiveness come peace, joy, and the lifting of a heavy burden.  The sin of pride is always directed toward self; the virtue of grace (and mercy) is always directed outwards because it always makes us happier to serve than to be served.  Come towards the Light - do not be afraid, for it is your God who calls.

Fr. John Picinic                 

The Letter, The Spirit, and Love

The Gospel of John does not end on the most positive note.  Rather, John tells us, “Jesus did not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.  He himself understood it well.” (Jn. 2:24-25, NABRE)  Mankind can be fickle, untrustworthy, sly, greedy, and even dangerous.  These vices stem from our wounded nature, the part of ourselves that is at war with the spirit.  St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, makes this quite clear when he says,“…but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind , taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Miserable one that I am!  Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” (Rom. 6:23-24, NABRE).  This is what Jesus understood:  that man is definitely wounded.  That is why they were turning his house into a marketplace, why they put more faith in the stones of the temple than in the One who dwells there, and why they finally crucified him (the “they” also being you and I).

God has been trying to remedy this wound of ours since the fall of our first parents.  God intervened through covenants, for example, with Abraham, Noah, and Moses.  The Mosaic covenant is of special importance today, as our first reading was from Exodus when God solidifies the Covenant of the Law with Israel.  This law is given to us by God to help us in our wounded nature. 

We live in a society today that shuns laws or at least makes them so relative they no longer have any grounding.  From time to time, we need to remind ourselves of the Law and reflect on why the Law is important.

God establishes law for the main purpose that the Law serves as a kind of teacher.  The Ten Commandments are to help us judge between right and wrong.  They set limits for us, and the Law is to convict our hearts in order that we feel remorse for the wrongs we have done.  In many ways, society does not want to be told what is right and wrong - just turn on the local or national news for 5 minutes and this will become painfully obvious.  Because of our wounded nature we go beyond the limits or try to suppress feelings of guilt. 

As important as the Law is, there is another aspect we must remember and that is that the Law does not “save us”.  For if it did, then Jesus died for nothing.  And yet, at the same time, Jesus demands that obedience working through love, one embrace the Law in one’s heart and not follow it simply to follow it.  Allow me to explain.

Many of you are parents.  Do you want your children to love you because a law tells them to or do you want them to love you simply because they do so freely and for whom you are – their parents?  If they loved you only because they had to, it would not be love, as it would not be free but a constraint.  The same goes for our relationship with God.  He desires that we love him simply for who he is and that we do so freely.  Now, just as with parents, children must still be obedient and follow the rules of the family/home.  The rules are there to help us, guide us, and convict us.  When a child does wrong a teachable moment arises – the Law working as a teacher.  The child also learns to follow the rules, not so much out of obligation but because of a desire to please his or her parents.  It is love that motivates such desire in us; so too with God.  When we are graced by God with the ability to love him, we wish to please God and follow his rules – the  Ten Commandments or the Law.”  When we break them, we know it, which is good since that is Holy Spirit moving us to repentance.  

We must also remember that even with the Law that is written there is something else that guides it, which is called the “Spirit of the Law.”  You remember the stories of Jesus and his apostles picking grains of wheat on the Sabbath and that of King David and his soldiers eating the holy bread when there was nothing else to eat.  In both cases, the Apostles and David’s men broke the letter of the Law because both did something they should not have.  In David’s case, the men ate bread reserved only to the priests, and Jesus’ disciples were picking grain on the Sabbath; both unlawful.  Yet, there was a human need to eat since both were hungry.  The circumstance changes the outcome.  Hence, both the Apostles and David’s soldiers did not break the Law since they were within the Spirit of the law.  For example, do you starve to death because the Law says you can’t pick grain on the Sabbath or do you eat?  Common sense dictates the circumstances.   Sometimes the Church herself needs to be careful in this regard, following the letter of the law while disregarding the Spirit of the law.  All of us can think of ways in which that has happened, both within the Church as an institution but also with all of us as individuals.

So, then, what is the Good News today?  The Good News is that God is always working in us, through all of history, and cleaning and tending to our original wound, be it with the Old Testament Patriarchs with whom covenants were established, the Prophets who preached to us of God’s kingdom, or through Jesus himself in his dying and rising to new life.  Isn’t it wonderful to know how patient God is?  Even though he knows our nature well, that we can be awful sinners at times, he could yet say from the Cross, through the Spirit of the law and not the letter, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”

By Fr. John Picinic

Strength for the Long Walk

One of my favorite biblical stories is that of Abraham.  From its beginning, when God asks him to leave his father’s house, until he dies as an old man, it is not only a story of wonder and amazement, but more importantly one of relationship and grace.  In some ways, we can point to Abraham and correlate him with Mary; he being the Marian prototype of the Old Testament.  We don’t believe that Abraham was born immaculate, or that he was sin-free.  No one holds a place equal to our Blessed Mother, but if anyone comes in what we would consider a close second, it would surely be our father Abraham.

Both Mary and Abraham always said “yes” to God regardless of what he asked.  For Abraham, the most difficult thing God asked was for him to sacrifice his own son.  You can imagine what that must have felt like for Abraham, if you are a father, and it was you who had to take your son on that long walk up that mountain to offer him to the Lord.  You can imagine what it would be like, if you are a mother, and you had to see your son carry a cross on the road to Calvary.  Both Abraham and Mary took that long walk even though God asked for the impossible.

The Lord, however, does not leave us without the strength to carry out the seemingly impossible.  Rather, he prepares us slowly, quietly, and sometimes very obviously.  Abraham would not have been prepared to offer Isaac if that had been the first thing God asked of him.  When you read the story of Abraham, you can see how God was journeying with him and giving him strength.  God spoke directly and indirectly to Abraham, visited him in person at least twice: once as the King of Salem, and another time as (one could even argue) the Trinity, when appearing to him and actually dining with him.  You can see that a relationship was being developed, one with a sense of trust and, more importantly, love.

The apostles themselves would be asked to accept things that were very difficult: for example, that Jesus would have to suffer, and that they themselves would suffer (as a great majority of them would be martyrs).  And yet, Jesus strengthens them before he asks such sacrifices from them.  He appears to them in glory on Mt. Tabor so that they would see the true glory of God, so that they would remember it and have it carry them through difficult times.

Just like the apostles, our father Abraham, and even our Blessed Mother, we all face major difficulties in life.  Do not think that these holy souls did not face tribulation, suffering, and undergo “great tests”; they did.  They were no different than us.  All of us share life’s sufferings.  Jesus knows this as well, for no one knows it better.  Therefore, Jesus gives us moments of transfiguration so that we will endure whatever life may throw at us.  He also does not let us be tested beyond our means, as St. Paul reminds us, “God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13, NABRE)

The question, however, remains.  How and when does Jesus provide moments of transfiguration?  For Abraham, it was direct and indirect conversation with the Lord.  For Mary, it was through an angel, prophecies by Simeon and Anna, and probably other means not mentioned in Scripture.  Now, you may think it unfair since we do not receive the same powerful and direct revelations like Abraham, Mary, or the Apostles.  That is true.  It is very rare that God will show himself as he did to Abraham or be transfigured before our eyes, but since their tests were much greater than ours, they needed more intervention by God, if you will.  For remember, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 10:48, NABRE).  No one was entrusted with more than Mary, as she is the Theotokos, the God-bearer, or Mother of God.  Our father Abraham was entrusted with becoming the father of faith, hence, the father of many nations.  We can see how they would need great help.

Though we may not be entrusted with that kind of responsibility, God still gives us many talents - gifts (c.f. Mt. 25:14-28, Rom. 12:6-8, Jam. 1:17) that we are to use for the sake of building up God’s Kingdom on earth.

Now, to answer the question of ‘how and when does God come to us “transfigured” to provide us with strength for our journey’?  There are the obvious ways, such as through the sacraments, through the mass, and through personal and public prayer.  There are the less obvious ways, such as a dream, an intuition, the subtle conversation with others, (i.e. the whisper in the wind).  God never leaves us alone but walks with us every step of the way, no matter what.  The problem is not that God abandons us; rather, the problem is that we sometimes forget about him, or we may feel he is not helping us when we need it.

If you need help, right here and right now, pray and ask for it.  Remember that Jesus not only transfigured for the apostles on Mt. Tabor, but he will also provide us with the same as we celebrate the Eucharist.  Jesus will be with us in his glory.  However, if you are looking only with your eyes, you will only see a host.  If you are looking with your soul, as did Abraham, Mary, and the Apostles, then you will see the King of Salem, the baby in the manger, and the Lord of Glory transfigured before the eyes of his apostles on Mt. Tabor. 

God bless you,

Fr. John

picture from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_and_Isaac_before_the_Sacrifice,_Jan_Victors,_1642.jpg