Praise be to Jesus Christ
Once, on a high rocky mountain, an eagle made its nest. When the young ones came, the mother
bird took great care of them, attending to their every need, feeding them, keeping them warm, and protecting them under her strong wings. The chicks grew and flourished and their young lives were safe and comfortable, undisturbed in their nest and well-fed. However, one day the mother eagle did something unexpected, much to the distress of the young chicks. She stopped feeding them and started to push her chicks toward the edge of the nest. The little ones were very afraid and thought their mother had stopped loving them and perhaps wished only their death. In their fear they clung to their nest in desperation. But the mother knew eagles were born to fly and not to remain in the nest. If they had stayed in the nest, they would never have become what they were meant to be.
This story contains the message of today’s gospel passage which gives a picture of the experience of Peter, John and James. Jesus took them on a high mountain, not just to show them His glory, but to prepare them for something greater. They saw the glory of Jesus whose face shone like the sun and they saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Him. On that mountain they also heard the voice of the father saying, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.”
After this profound God-given experience, the disciples Peter, John and James felt very comfortable and they wished to remain on the mountain, forgetting about everything else Peter said, “It is good that we are here. we shall make three tents.” He wanted to stay in that glorious comforting moment forever, in the same way the eagle chicks wanted to remain in the safety and comfort of the nest. But Jesus did not allow them to remain there and led them back down the mountain to reality where suffering and the trial of the cross awaited him. So the moment of glory was not an end in itself but only a preparation for Jesus as he accepted His suffering and death graciously.
As we meditate upon this gospel we need to understand that this is how God works in our own lives. Each and every moment we experience God, it is not intended for comfort alone, but it is actually a preparation; a preparation to face the trials of our own life and also in the lives of others.
This is further illustrated in the Old Testament story of Moses. While he was shepherding his father-in law’s sheep, he saw the burning bush and had the extraordinary privilege to hear the voice of God. Later, we understand that it was only a preparation for Moses’ greater mission, to face Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and lead the stiff-necked Jewish people through the wilderness out of Egypt and release them from slavery. Another biblical example is through the prophet Elijah as he also had a deep experience and understood the God of Israel in a gentle whisper. He had, however, to face the false prophets of Bal entirely alone. Without doubt, is it the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus who shows us a perfect example of obedience to the will of God. Our Blessed Lady was given the greatest blessing of becoming the mother of the saviour of the world. Nevertheless, Our Lady had to undergo great trails and deep sorrow throughout her immaculate life, most especially at the time of the passion of her son Jesus and his death as she stood at the foot of the Cross.
Just like the mother eagle, God, our loving father, sometimes pushes us out of our comfortable nest for our own good which seems harsh at the time. He does, however, give us moments of strength, moment when we feel close to Him, but He does not let us stay in that comfort zone forever. Thus we need to understand that those moments are intended to prepare us for the trials ahead.
Holy, saintly people have understood this throughout Church history. St. Teresa of Avila, for example, had deep mystical experiences through prayer, but she also suffered rejection and hardship throughout her life. St. Francis of Assisi had a vision of Christ but eventually had to abandon everything and embrace a life of utter poverty. In this, we too can see that their meetings with God were not just for their own joy, but to strengthen and prepare them for their own mission ahead.
In our own lives too, sometime, we may also have times when we feel God’s presence. However, we need to remember that those moments are given to us not to remain on our mountains of comfort. Instead, they are given to us so that when trials, difficulties, pain, lowliness and all kinds of suffering occur, we need to not be discouraged but to remember that even throughout difficulties and trials, God is preparing us for something greater.
Today, Jesus invites us to walk with Him up the mountain. We can see in the Holy Eucharist His glory, not so that we can stay in that precious moment for ever, but so that we can be strengthened for the life journey ahead.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, when trials and difficulties come, help every one of us to remember the moments when You revealed Yourself to us. Give us the courage to trust You, even when we have to leave the mountain and walk through the valleys of our day today lives. Amen.
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GOD BLESS