O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. In the name of the living God, Father Son, and Holy spirit. Amen.
In your life, have you ever felt God’s presence through a conversation with someone that you had just met for the first time?
One week ago, I was in my office. I received a phone call from someone who was looking for a pastor/ a priest. She wanted to talk about two things. First, about her spiritual needs. Second, about a contribution she wanted to offer for those who are in need in the community. On her spiritual needs: she asked me to pray for her Dad who is very sick, plus a few others, including the people of Turkey-Syria. On her contribution: she told me that by next week she will bring some things along with a check for the people in need whether they are in Bridgeport or in Turkey-Syria. I did pray to God with her on the phone by listing the people that she mentioned. Few days after, she brought a monetary donation. I said to her: your contribution has a connection with the request that I make to God- Since a few days ago, after the earthquake in Turkey- Syria, I decided to ask the parishioners to give donation for those people in danger. The woman promised me that she would bring a donation each time she was paid.
I said to her: I see God’s glory, God’s presence in all of this.
She said, likewise, I feel the same way. .
Through that conversation on the phone, and the meeting in person with the woman, I feel that God answered my prayers. I felt his presence, his glory, and his mighty hand in the ministry that He has called me to do in Connecticut. This is similar to what happened in the gospel where Peter, John and James met God; through Jesus Christ who went up on the mountain to pray, and while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Before I go further, I want to tell you there is incredible power and potential in prayer. Through prayer, God will transform us and show us his glory. Through prayer, we have the opportunity to reach our full potential in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Pray without ceasing, not only because we are in a world of war, not only in this season of Lent that is coming up in a few days, but pray without ceasing all the time. It is the best strategy for us so that we may see the glory of God, and say to Jesus as Peter: “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” What a joyful moment to see God’s presence, God’s glory and God’s manifestation.
This last Sunday, after Epiphany, we are celebrating the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for transfiguration is “Shekinah” which means the manifestation of God.
The transfiguration, in the context of Matthew’s gospel, is an event where Jesus becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. It is presented as the point where human beings feel God’s presence, God’s manifestation and God’s glory. In other words, transfiguration is the meeting place where Jesus himself acts as the bridge between earth and heaven, the temporal and the eternal. It is a mystery of light par excellence. It announces the final victory of light over darkness, and Christ’s resurrection.
This transfiguration symbolizes the life to come, a full heavenly glory, and the splendor of holiness. This event teaches about Christ’s glory.
This manifestation can only be revealed through prayer. It has been revealed to Moses on the mount of Sinai. It has been revealed in his visible presence to the children of Israel, in the law of God. This manifestation has been revealed to Peter, John, and James. It was revealed to me when I met this woman one week ago, and it continues to be revealed in each and everyone of us today.
Meditating on the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus allows me to understand that prayer is the source of our hope in the midst of this world of fear. It is the source that guides us to the Holy place, where we will see the fulfillment of God’s glory and God’s manifestation, where we will see Jesus Christ face to face in the New Jerusalem, a city in which there is no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, who is and who was, and who is to come.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, since we do not know when we will depart this world, or when the Lord will come, we should prepare ourselves through prayer without ceasing, confessing our sins, forgiving others, trusting God, giving thanks, and studying the Scriptures. Is this not the best way to prepare to meet God today, here and right now?
When we meet God, his glory is upon us, we are transformed by him, like Peter, James and John on the mountain
When we meet God, our soul is saturated with his Holy Spirit.
There are different ways to see God’s presence and God’s glory. Some people may see God’s presence and God’s glory in their life after a long illness they have been recovering from. Through the illness, they thought that they could not get back to normal life, and they did. Through the transition between the illness and the delivery they may see the manifestation of God’s presence and God’s glory in their life, and they feel transformed and stay closer to God through prayer.
I am here to tell you that you don’t need to be ill and become healed to discover this glory. Pray in all situations, and God will show his presence and his glory like he did for Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John. We must prepare ourselves to pray now more than ever. Pray for peace in the world.
As we can see, the woman that I met, her first priority was prayer and spiritual needs. I urge each of you in this new season of Lent, that your first priority should be not finances, but prayer or spiritual needs. The rest, God will take care of it.
As a community of faith, when you need to accomplish something, the first thing to do is to make a decision to pray for God’s help and you will reach the goal. To see the manifestation, the presence, the glory of God through Jesus, his Son, let’s become people of prayer and a church of prayer together.
May it be so. Amen.
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