Sunday after Transfiguration 2023

Last week, we celebrated so joyously the transfiguration

of Christ. We heard the account how Jesus and

his three chosen disciples, Peter, James, and

John, were walking up Mount Tabor. California,

that wouldn't be called a mountain. It's only

1 ,800 feet. But they had to go up, and probably

at night. up a path used by shepherds. So, you

know, anybody that's been to Mount Tabor, to

that church, those roads with the buses and taxis

going up and down all day long, they weren't

there. It was a tough hike. So we heard all about

that. And Christ himself reveals a little bit

of his glory. to the disciples as far, we heard

in the hymn, as they could bear it, as they could

perceive it, as they could stand it even, because

the glory of God is beyond anything that the

human mind and eyes and heart can possibly imagine.

But Christ revealed that to them to strengthen

them for what was to come. He was speaking, you

remember, with Moses and Elijah, the two prophets,

about... St. Luke says his exodus. You know what

the exodus was? From slavery to freedom. From

Egypt across the Red Sea. God saved the people

of Israel, the Hebrews. Jesus spoke of his exodus

to the cross. So we heard a little bit at the

end of today's reading about Jesus warning them,

giving them a heads up. What is going to happen?

They weren't listening. And we heard today that

Christ has descended from Mount Tabor. This gospel

lesson is taken just after that event. So while

Christ was revealing his glory to the apostles,

the three on the mountain down below, the other

nine were being subjected to harsh, harsh criticism,

insults, because they could not heal this boy.

Probably a young man, not a boy, who was possessed

by demons. There's confusion, there's shouting,

there's blaming by the scribes and the religious

authorities of the day. They're questioning the

disciples on their inability to heal this person.

The father says, he's moon crazy, he's a lunatic,

because he believed. Probably had some faith,

but he believed that the moon exerted, and who

knows, I won't express an opinion on that, but

he was blaming the moon for his son's problem

when it was a demon. In fact, he was demon possessed.

I'm going to focus not on that aspect of it so

much today, because you heard this gospel during

Lent. It's one of the readings. St. Mark's version

that you hear during Lent. But what I want you

to hear is this. Little children, says St. John,

the evangelist. That's us. It doesn't mean just

the little children. Little children, let no

one deceive you. He who practices righteousness

is righteous, just as he is righteous, Jesus.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has

sinned from the beginning. For this purpose.

the Son of God was manifested, that he might

destroy the works of the devil. Remember that.

Jesus came to destroy him who held the power

of death over those who in fear all their life.

He came to destroy the devil. And he sees now

an opportunity to show his... mercy, and to show

what really transfiguration is all about. In

this amazing account, the creator himself tells

us what we need to do. We're not possessed. Those

of you that were baptized, received into the

church, you know. that there was those exorcisms,

that Christ claimed you for his own because he

made you. You are his creation. And as his creation,

think about what he has created you for, to be

like him, to be God's representative of love

and mercy and holiness and goodness. In the midst

of terror and sin and suffering, This kid throwing

himself into the fire and the water. What's the

devil try to do? He tries to kill. That's what

he tries to do. If not physically, then spiritually

first in any case. As representatives of God,

we can see some of this in our society. The poor

people, the suffering, who have been afflicted

by the opioid crisis and all of that. Mental

illness and depression. Brothers and sisters,

seek the peace of God first. Then if you encounter

someone, you can bless them and ask God's power

to come and heal them. Let's go on. The Creator

says, That if we have just a tiny bit of faith,

the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible

for us. In St. Mark's version of the account

we heard, Jesus says to the man, if you can believe

however little, all things are possible to faith.

Nothing's impossible. All things are possible.

When we hear the Lord say these words, we might

be tempted to question the validity of the claim

that he made. Jesus. Nothing? Really? Nothing

is impossible? Think about that. Jesus says these

words. He also is going to tell the other disciples

something else that we probably discount. I'll

tell you that in a moment. There are moments

in our life. where we do have faith. Think now

with me those moments of peace, of tranquility,

of God's love. Those things that you have seen

and heard about, those miracles, whether large

or small. Those are moments of great faith, which

means we simply follow Jesus, we trust him. We

let him make the decision for our life, and we

make the decision to follow him. That's those

times when we experience God's love. Those who

live by faith also know that mountains, whether

it's Mount Taylor or Mount Shasta, they don't

move. In the course of life in Christ, we will

meet such mountains. Not the physical kind. We

don't need to move those. And that's not what

Jesus means when he says, you can say this mountain,

it'll dump itself into the sea. But those kind

of mountains that bring our life in Christ to

a standstill, when we're not sure of anything,

and everything's impossible. But believe me,

when you read this, and you see the saints in

their lives, you know those mountains are no

more immovable than Pharaoh's army in Exodus

was invincible. Even a tiny bit of faith, like

a mustard seed. Why a mustard seed? Why not a

grain of sand? Why not some other thing that's

super small? about the smallest of it, just.

Because a mustard seed is alive, and it's going

to grow. Not if you put it on the concrete, no,

but if you nurture it in good soil, the soil

of the heart, it will grow, and it will thrive,

and faith will begin to mature. And in order

to increase that faith, we're going to be tested.

In order to make our love for God real. Faith

is not about thinking about faith. It's faithfulness.

It's about doing faith. It's about holding firm,

resolute, true, being forged in the fire. To

faith is to say to Christ, be it unto me according

to thy will. And if we want to grow, we have

to do two things. that Jesus said, and honestly,

I'm no good at it, so I shouldn't even be telling

you about this. And honestly, when it comes to

prayer and fasting, the fasting part, I go, really?

And many of you say that to me, too. And many

of you just ignore it. I know that. Once again,

don't post pictures on social media of... non

-fasting food during the fasting day because

I'll see it. And I don't need to see it because

you'll lead me into temptation. Oh, it's okay

for her. Maybe I should do that too. Prayer and

fasting. The Lord says prayer and fasting. Prayer

and fasting. We'd rather do something else. But

we are obedient because prayer and fasting are

two ways in which we actually take action. for

our faith. It's not about thinking about it.

It's about doing something in obedience to Christ

and saying no to ourself and yes to God's will.

It's also important in terms of prayer that we

do not cultivate doubt. We want to cultivate

faith. Faith is a very delicate thing. Yes, it's

small. But it's growing and it's alive. In our

modern age, since, oh, I don't know, probably

the 1800s, cultivation of doubt is seen as a

good thing. Doubt it all. Question authority.

And plenty of that to question. I'm not arguing

about that. But if we want to have more faith.

We don't, when we feel something is wrong, when

others are sinning, when we are worried, we don't

cultivate doubt because doubt and cultivating

it is like a snake that's eating its own tail.

What happens when it gets to the head? It kills

itself. On the other hand, we're to cultivate

faith. How? St. Paul says, when we're praying,

to think on. Whatever things are true, whatever

things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever

things are pure, whatever things are lovely,

whatever things are of good report, if there

be any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy,

meditate on these things. Acting true. Acting

noble. Acting justly. Acting purely. Those are

works we do. Actions. See the announcement page

today for a wonderful saying by St. Paisios of

the Holy Mount about looking for the good wherever

you are. Not like a fly looking for the dung

heap, but like a bee looking for the flower.

Our Lord reminds us. in the gospel today, by

his action, by his healing, that this transformative

life is right here in front of us, within our

grasp. So after being strengthened today by the

divine presence of worship, the word of God,

the gospel, the Eucharist, let us go forth and

cultivate that mustard seed of faith. so that

we can not only learn how to move mountains,

but literally how to change the state of our

own heart. To him who is our life, be glory and

honor, now and ever, to ages of ages.