Deacon Larry Jesmer

Can you remember a time when someone or something changed before your eyes and you saw goodness and beauty there that was not seen before, and in that goodness and beauty you were deeply moved?

It could be the beauty of nature: a waterfall cascading down a mountain side giving off a mist of life giving water, or a beautiful lake with the sound of singing Loons, birds that are often found on lakes, awakening the morning. Or maybe it was the roar of the ocean’s waves bringing to the sandy beach gifts from far off, or even a crimson sunset that looks like the earth is blushing. Or it could be the stars in the heavens above twinkling at night as if saying hello to those who look up!        

Or it could be that one person that makes you feel in awe because of their goodness and the beauty of their nature. It could be someone close to you who was so normal, but at a special moment is changed before your eyes and that persons beauty shined outward in what they said and did for others.

I can’t help but think how parents feel with their children. They may have seen a change in their children as they received their first communion, all dressed in white and glowing with wonder and excitement. I can’t help but feel the spiritual change in the little ones I have had the humble experience in baptizing and also the parents and god-parents.Baptism is my most favorite sacrament following the Eucharist of course, because this is where it all starts, the journey of our transfiguration.

Between Moses and Elijah, Jesus shows forth his divine glory, and in doing so foreshadows his resurrection. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and end of all things. Today’s mass places before us the transfigured Lord and the model toward whom we must reach for and our own transfiguration as the goal we must attain.

But how do we do this? By a profound realization that we are sinners and in this realization of our sinfulness, the need for a redeemer. Jesus, revealed to us in the Eucharist, His body and blood, his real presence, offered to us to help us in purity of soul and body through our partaking in this banquet, the receiving of Jesus Christ in us.

In the gospel today, this momentary vision of Christ, in his glory, was given to Peter, James and his brother John, in order to strengthen them to face the trials to their faith, which the suffering and crucifixion of their beloved Master would bring on them.

For the very same reason it is retold to us today, in the second Sunday of Lent, to encourage us to persevere in our Lenten journeys. The Transfiguration reminds us that very soon the Pascal candle will be lit and the bells will ring once more echoing the message of Jesus’ resurrection.

If we are to share in Jesus’ sufferings, we shall be sharers with him in his glory. As St. Paul Says: “He saved us and calls us to a holy life”. This is a truth that is so easily forgotten today. In this secular world, a place where it is all about me, what I can attain in material stuff, a world where no care is given to those whom I step on to attain that higher position in the company, where Genocide, hatred, discrimination, and killing of the innocent happen on a daily basis, a world plagued by war and dissension, there is a bright light that shines forth to bring hope! That light is JesusChrist.

When the three Apostles heard the voice of God announce his pleasure with his Son, Jesus, they became afraid. Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid”. This was the affirmation thatwould be echoed many times over. Jesus was assuring the Apostles and us that even as we go through our trials in life, Jesus will be there to protect and guide us.

Very few positive things come out from this world’s problems, or so it seems. With all this doom and gloom in our world miracles come forth as though coming through a dark cloud only to bring love and hope where there was hatred and despair. Some examples: St. Francis and His prayer: “Make me an instrument of thy Peace, where there is hatred let me sow love”. How about St. Damien who lived with and ministered to the outcasts of society at the Leper Colony on Molokia, Hawiaii, and who contracted that same disease, which ultimately took his life. Mother Teresa, who took care of the poor in Calcutta, India. I could go on and on. (Signs of light, of miracles, coming from the darkness around us”).

Our time on earth does have a purpose! This is our chance, given to us by God, to show who he has created us to be, loving and praiseworthy and co-heirs in his heavenly kingdom. We can never earn our way up there (POINT UP), but God accepts the little we can do and provides to us his infinite mercy.

And yet, there are far too many who refuse even the little bit that is asked of them and are running the risk of not taking part in God’s plan for their eternal happiness. I call these people “Seekers of Purgatory”. But there is a real danger here. One has to be very careful for if you aim for purgatory, YOU MIGHT MISS!

Need I say what that means?

Jesus’ Transfiguration gives us meaning for our lives. Jesus has shown his divinity and a glimpse of heaven. But you know, we have this same Transfiguration of Jesus and this glimpse of heaven at every mass if we only open our eyes and hearts. Doesn’t Father Rick call upon the angels and saints and the Blessed Virgin to be with us? Doesn’t he call upon the Spirit of God to make the gifts holy? A bit of heaven, yes!

It is part of life that illness, troubles, and disappointments will come our way. They respect neither wealth, nor power, nor position. The ones who realize their purpose in life and who strive to reach God’s plan for them, can and will see in their trials of life the hand of a kind and gentle Father who is preparing them for great things. I hope and pray that this is all of us here!

My friends, every time we gather for the Eucharist we experience a moment of Transfiguration where our Divine Lord is transfigured before our eyes in the forms of bread and wine. May the reassurance of God’s loving presence with us at communion take away all our fear and doubt from our hearts and strengthen us to get up and face with courage the challenges, trials, sufferings, and yes, death, that we must pass through before we can share in the divine glory in heaven.

Today the church celebrates the feast of “The Presentation of the Lord” which occurs 40 days after the Nativity of Jesus and is also known as Candlemas Day. Today’s liturgy included the blessing and procession of candles.

Even though this feast was once referred to as “The Purification of Mary”, Jesus is the focus in today’s feast and today’s gospel. There is more going on in today’s gospel than meets our limited eyesight. Jesus is not simply presented in the temple as the first born male to Mary and Joseph, but also is the proclamation of the salvation Jesus would one day accomplish by his death and resurrection.

The law and the old testament prophets looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s mission for the human race. And today’s gospel is the official herald of that long awaited promise and covenant.

Simeon stood as the symbol of the faithful people of God and he knew well what was unfolding before him. He saw the long awaited light of Jesus Christ finally dawning on all the human race.

Simeon recalled the words of the prophets in which they heralded the universal message of salvation for the entire world, embodied now in this babe being presented to God in the temple.

No wonder Simeon was so amazed, he witnessed firsthand what had long been proclaimed, that the universal mission of God included all people, not just the chosen people of Israel. Inclusive though the mission is, it would come with danger-it would not be easy.

Believers will experience the same rejection Christ experienced and Simeon reminds those in his age and us that we can expect division as a result of our faith in Christ.This is where  Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is upheld as human as us, listened to the Lord’s command, obeyed it, and then marveled at God’s work of salvation.

Mary is an example to us and we too are to hear God’s word as we are called by Him to be hearers and doers of the word. However, we are human. We, once in a while, stray from that yellow brick road only to walk down the path that leads to darkness. Yes, a commitment to Christ is not easy, to live in His light is not easy.

I recently read a personal testimony dealing with the struggles of living a life in faith which could of well been mine. I quote: 

“I often pray that God mold and shape me into the person he wants me to be, but try though I may, I seem to fall back into the same old patterns of sin. I need a savior. The ego, my ego, is so strong that it is difficult to discern whether my heart is pure, my motives clean and my commitment to Christ is what it should be.”

“I often find myself distracted about worldly considerations. I find myself on the wrong track when I give into gossip, materialism and the daily grind of living. I often feel guilty that I am not living up to the ideal of abandoning my life to God’s life for me, God’s light and God’s love.” 

” It is very easy to do the Lord’s work and subliminally believe in one’s own sense of entitlement. Today’s liturgy is a reminder that this salvation is not something to which we are entitled. It is pure gift. We cannot earn it on our own: We can only achieve it with the help of God. It is impossible to achieve on our own.”

“I often find myself arguing with God over what I perceive to be unanswered prayers. What has become Savior in my life is my dream and obsessive desire for peace, serenity and an illness-free existence for my loved ones.”

“I often pray and tell God what he needs to do to insure my peace and just when I think I have relinquished control of my life to Him, I find myself telling God how I want to be saved.”

“I often feel that perhaps God asks too much, when in fact all God wants is my heart and to daily, minute by minute, become conscious of his life that dwells within me. Very often I think the responsibility is all mine-I take on the role of savior, forgetting that I already have one and it is NOT me: it is Christ the Lord.” “End quote”  Sound familiar??

We heard in the first reading from Malachi these words: “Yes, He is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. But who will endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?”

Being people of the light, ones who accept Jesus for who He is, our Savior, our reconciler, we should be confident, standing tall awaiting Jesus’ second coming, not in fear but in love. We proclaim that Jesus is among us now and we stand in love and thankfulness in showing us the way to the Father, showing us how to give ourselves to the will of God.

What a model of this in Mary. Mary is heralded as a model of faithful obedience to the will of God when she presents Jesus, the first-born to the temple. The law required first born males be offered to God for God’s service to the temple. Mary was a  willing, obedient servant of God.

She listened, heard, and obeyed. She is a reminder that we too are called to faithful servant-hood. We remember and honor the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and model disciple. She reminds us that in the presentation of Jesus in the temple,  Jesus will give much, even his life, so that all of us know what road to go down, what road will lead to our salvation, what road will lead us to the Father through her son, Jesus.

My sisters and brothers, the gospel today requires more than words, it requires faithful action. Those who live righteous lives can expect to be true citizens in the kingdom of God. This is what Jesus brings to us through his presentation in the temple. Let us hear, let us see with our hearts, and let us place our total trust in Jesus  by total and loving surrender to the will of God.

Today’s readings are giving us a wake-up call. As St. Paul says in the second reading: “it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep”. But there is more at stake than just being awake. We could be awake and yet be only half alive, because we have no awareness, no understanding, no vision as to what lies ahead. It may take a shock or at least a jolt of some kind to wake us up.

Today we begin the Church season of Advent, a season that calls us to be awake, a season that invites us to assess our relationship with our Lord Jesus as we prepare for his 1st coming at Christmas. Advent is a time where we are called to be patient, to be willing to allow God’s presence in our daily lives and to awake every morning with gladness and hope.

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1st Sunday of AdventRead More »

There is this old fable told about a far-off land which was ruled by a tyrant. The tyrant had an ironclad grip over all parts of his kingdom, except for one frustrating area. He was unable to destroy the people’s belief in God.

He summoned his counselors and put this question to them: “Where can I hide God so that the people will end up forgetting him?” One counselor suggested that God be hidden on the dark side of the moon. This proposal was debated for some time, but voted down because it was believed that one day scientists would discover a means of space travel and God would end being found again.

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Thanksgiving DayRead More »

1st Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:1
2nd Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1″11-2:2
Gospel: Luke 19 1-10

In today’s gospel we meet one of the singular characters in scripture. Zacchaeus has some social problems. He is small and he is a tax collector for the dominating Roman Empire which is taking money from the Jewish people, his kinfolk. He is also rich himself which puts him above his neighbors. In a strange way, he is-by being small, below others, but by his occupation he has made himself above others.

He climbs a tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass by that way. Zacchaeus literally put himself above his neighbors but a safe distance from Jesus, not wanting to be seen or encountered. The text says that Zacchaeus put himself in a position to see Jesus, but Jesus is the one who sees him first.

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31st Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »