Today the Church celebrates the Transfiguration when Jesus’ disciples, James, John and Peter, accompanied Jesus to the mountaintop and witnessed His clothes becoming dazzling white as Jesus, the Son of the Most High, speaks with Moses and Elijah, the two preeminent figures of Judaism. The disciples are amazed and revel in the experience, but then it is time to come down from the mountaintop.
The reading appointed for today from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (4:1-4) is especially appropriate for us after the mountaintop experience:
Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
No doubt we have each experienced a time of sheer joy and peace, a mountaintop experience. This can happen during prayer or while on retreat or at other times. But we always have to come down from these mountaintop experiences and do the work that needs to be done in the valley, that being the work of ministry. In the day to day living out of Jesus’ command to love God, neighbor and self, we can, at times, lose heart.
Paul knew that all too well. He reminds the Corinthians that it is by God’s mercy that you and I are engaged in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, the very image of God. Paul encourages us to live in the truth of God’s transforming love in the light of the Gospel.
Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, but working in the valley doing the work of Jesus has its blessings too.
The reading appointed for today from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (4:1-4) is especially appropriate for us after the mountaintop experience:
Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
No doubt we have each experienced a time of sheer joy and peace, a mountaintop experience. This can happen during prayer or while on retreat or at other times. But we always have to come down from these mountaintop experiences and do the work that needs to be done in the valley, that being the work of ministry. In the day to day living out of Jesus’ command to love God, neighbor and self, we can, at times, lose heart.
Paul knew that all too well. He reminds the Corinthians that it is by God’s mercy that you and I are engaged in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, the very image of God. Paul encourages us to live in the truth of God’s transforming love in the light of the Gospel.
Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, but working in the valley doing the work of Jesus has its blessings too.
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