“The Hope of Glory” - 2nd Sunday of Lent Homily

When Tiger Woods was growing up, he had posters of Jack Nicklaus on the walls of his bedroom.

Commonly understood that he was dreaming about surpassing Nicklaus as the greatest golfer of all time.

When Bill Clinton met President John Kennedy in high school, he was so inspired by that encounter that he told people immediately afterwards,

that he would one day be President of the United States.

When I arrived here four years ago, two women from our sodality greeted me and welcomed me within the first hour of my arrival.

We talked for about 30 minutes and they laid out a vision of what this parish could be.

Sometimes we need a vision, a motivation, a glimpse early on in a big journey or endeavor for motivation, for strength, and for hope.

I think that's why the Church gives us this gospel, the Transfiguration, on the second Sunday of Lent.

Even though we celebrate the Transfiguration in August the Church is giving us motivation, incentive, hope of what it's all about and where we're going with it.

Like with Tiger Woods or Bill Clinton or even me as pastor, to see the goal laid out

and to work towards it from the start.

With that hope that this is where it's going, and it might be hard.

There might be some days you don't see that glimpse or doubt that it's actually going there.

So when you and I start Lent, we might get so focused on the start, we're only 10 days in, and if already we're falling off, we just throw in the towel.

The Church likes to encourage us.

In a weeks we're going to blend white in with the violet, say we're halfway there.

Keep going.

Like runners in a race, especially the first few miles before you your stride, there's people aligning the race cheering you on for encouragement, for support, especially when

it gets hard.

So in this scene of glory, that's where this is heading, In fact, they're discussing Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, his suffering, his passion.

his death and what's presented is Christ in glory.

So as they and the apostles who are there would experience this, you and I reflect on it, review it every year, it's like a reminder.

Yes, while suffering with Christ is leading to glory with Christ.

So we have this vision that is our hope.

But regularly throughout the year when we come to Mass, it's like coming for strength and nourishment.

Getting back to the runners in the race, they not only get the cheers and encouragement from the crowds, the people on the sides, but they will stop for water and get that

nourishment.

That's like you and me coming to Mass for the Bread of Life.

Runners in the race of life.

Some days are good, some miles are harder than others.

We're coming for that regular nourishment with the hope of future glory with Christ and of all the saints in heaven, like people cheering at the end of a race, congratulating the

runners for finishing.

That would be our entrance into heaven, God willing, with Christ and all the communion of saints.