Saint Peter in his letter says of Jesus, ‘He received honor and glory from the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”’
Serra retreat house in Malibu, California, sits on a majestic mountain top. For several years, Catholic Athletes for Christ hosted a post-World Series retreat for athletes, coaches, and chaplains at this facility. Several of the professional athletes brought along their fathers and shared this mountain top experience with them. One man, let’s call him Mike, was always a leader at these retreats. He loved to share his authentic faith, speaking about Jesus calming the waters of the Sea of Galilee, or famous people stealing home on their deathbeds by God’s grace. Think of John Wayne and Bob Hope baptized on their deathbeds.
On this Feast of the Transfiguration, I recall something Mike shared in a poignant reflection on how his father’s faith helped his father negotiate a great trial early in his marriage and family life. When his wife gave birth to a son, the joy was mixed with apprehension because something was wrong with the baby. Would he live or die. One day after visiting his newborn son in the nursery of the hospital, this new father sat in his car in the hospital parking lot, praying to God for help and ending his prayer by submitting to God’s will and turning his son’s destiny over to Providence. He trusted that God always has our best interest in mind. Mike was that newborn son, and by God’s grace, he survived and thrived and became a five-time all-star professional baseball player.
Flash forward thirty years, and in a scene that is almost an exact replay of what happened when Mike was born, baby Mike was now the father and he received distressing news that something was wrong with his firstborn son. He found himself sitting behind the wheel of his parked car in the hospital parking lot, begging God to save his little son. He agonized over how hard it was to surrender to God’s will for this beloved, vulnerable little creature that he loved so much. Like his father before him, he mustered the courage and faith to trust that God would do the right thing. God did.
God the Father, on the Mount of Tranfiguration, showed his Son’s glory, as assurance to the disicples that the scandal of the Passion and the Cross should not overwhelm their confidence in God’s love for his Son or for them.
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Father Willy's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
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