From Deacon Richard Fetterman

Here are the readings for this Sunday.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for lasting and meaningful transformation.
On this weekend we are presented with the mountaintop experience of Peter, James, and John as they witness the transfiguration of Jesus.

We hear the voice of God the father declaring “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” We can also glean from this passage the bewilderment of Peter, James and John as they came down from the mountain. They were pondering what all this might mean as they try to make sense of sights, sounds and concepts never presented to anyone else ever before.

Concepts like “rising from the dead” at this point in their lives were nearly impossible for them to properly comprehend. For Peter, James and John this had to be a transformative experience. After experiencing the transfiguration their lives would never be the same.

Compare that experience with what happens to you and me at every mass. Mere bread and wine is transformed, in a way transfigured, into the body and blood of Christ. We hear the voice of Jesus say “this is my body”. At every mass, we are presented with sights and sounds and concepts unique to our human experience.

Concepts like Christ’s body “given up for you” or Christ’s blood “poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins” are impossible to fully comprehend. The transfiguration of the bread and wine into Jesus’ body and blood occurs at every mass.

At mass we are fed Jesus. His body, blood, soul and divinity is offered to us and we are nourished. Pay attention at mass to the sights, the sounds, and the spoken words and try to comprehend their meaning. After truly experiencing the transfiguration of the bread and wine into Jesus it will be a transformative experience for you. Your life will never be the same.

Many of us began our Lenten journey determined to change our lives. As we received the ashes on our foreheads at the beginning of this Lenten season we resolved to repent from our old routines and transform into a new, better and holier version of ourselves.

Jesus knows our human nature. He knows our inclination to quickly return to our old and comfortable way of living. Every new year people make resolutions to make their lives better but most people return to their old habits after only a couple of weeks. I just recently learned that January 17th is known as “Quitter’s day”.

In my experience, the way to a lasting and meaningful change in your life are two-fold. First, seek small and manageable changes. Since Lent is focused on prayer, fasting and almsgiving I can offer a few possible examples.

  • Try increasing your time in prayer by one minute per day. If that means you only pray
    for one minute per day, that’s ok, it’s a start.

  • How about fasting from your cell phone? Instead, spend a minute or two each day asking a family member how their day is going.

  • For almsgiving, how about adding one dollar to the basket at church on Sunday? If everyone did that, just imagine the difference it would make.

One of the keys to making lasting and meaningful changes in your life is to take baby
steps. Wholesale changes easily become overwhelming and after one or two setbacks
most people just give up.

Second, don’t try to change your life on your own. Allow Jesus in the Eucharist to transform you into the person He knows you can be. He is our daily bread. His life was given for you. Take advantage of every opportunity to receive Him.

Show the world by your actions every day that you hunger and thirst for a meaningful and lasting change in your life, in your neighborhood, and in the world. It starts by recognizing the transfiguration of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Then receiving Him and allowing that experience to change your life forever.