As Preached by Sister Cecelia
Transfiguration Temple
Since the Encounter is moved from its actual date of the 2nd to today, we are commemorating it as well as the Prodigal Son.
There are similarities between these two feasts. Simeon was moved by the Spirit to go to the temple on the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus. He had faith that his God would keep his promise to him that he would not see death until he saw the Messiah of his people. The Prodigal Son was no doubt moved by the Spirit to return to his father when he came to his senses, having nothing to eat. His father had faith that his younger son would return someday.
The son had faith that his father would not turn him away but would certainly feed him and take as good of care of him as the father took care of his slaves. Mary had the faith expressed in Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” She could not have known exactly what was in store for her own son but she believed in Simeon’s and Anna’s words.
Faith enables us to see God as a God of love at work through pain and hardship in our lives. The Prodigal through his pain and hardship returned to his home with a humbled heart.
Faith enables us to realize our true positions as sojourners on this planet. Faith makes us look differently at visible things around us. Faith gives substance to invisible things. Spiritual concepts that had no form, suddenly become embodied through faith. Things that once loomed so very important take on a different meaning when viewed with a fuller vision of the meaning of life. A friend once said: “Through faith we understand that we are not physical beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a physical experience.”
C. S. Lewis once said: “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” Unlike the person whose mind is on earthly things, as a sojourner, a pilgrim on this earth we begin to appreciate our citizenship in heaven. On earth we have nothing but we possess everything. We are sorrowful, yet we are able to rejoice. We are poor but we are rich. That is life when we ascribe substance to invisible things. We begin acting as responsible citizens. We begin to invest wisely in relationships. Conversations, goals and motives become purer of heart and more honest. This serves everyone well not only in heaven but also on earth.
The Prodigal Son reminds us that Lent is approaching with all the human regulations intended to help us prepare for the great Paschal mysteries. As responsible citizens of this earth, what are our intentions for these coming weeks? The epistle today reminds us that it is possible that carrying out the regulations of Lent can be of less value than checking our self-indulgence, our self-absorption, our disdain of others. Consider the lesson from the Pharisee in last week’s gospel reading.
Whatever we be or do in these coming weeks, keep ever in mind that God is with us at all times.
Let us learn what it means to “pray always!”
Glory be to God.
