Last week, we celebrated so joyously the transfiguration
of Christ. We heard the account how Jesus and
his three chosen disciples, Peter, James, and
John, were walking up Mount Tabor. California,
that wouldn't be called a mountain. It's only
1 ,800 feet. But they had to go up, and probably
at night. up a path used by shepherds. So, you
know, anybody that's been to Mount Tabor, to
that church, those roads with the buses and taxis
going up and down all day long, they weren't
there. It was a tough hike. So we heard all about
that. And Christ himself reveals a little bit
of his glory. to the disciples as far, we heard
in the hymn, as they could bear it, as they could
perceive it, as they could stand it even, because
the glory of God is beyond anything that the
human mind and eyes and heart can possibly imagine.
But Christ revealed that to them to strengthen
them for what was to come. He was speaking, you
remember, with Moses and Elijah, the two prophets,
about... St. Luke says his exodus. You know what
the exodus was? From slavery to freedom. From
Egypt across the Red Sea. God saved the people
of Israel, the Hebrews. Jesus spoke of his exodus
to the cross. So we heard a little bit at the
end of today's reading about Jesus warning them,
giving them a heads up. What is going to happen?
They weren't listening. And we heard today that
Christ has descended from Mount Tabor. This gospel
lesson is taken just after that event. So while
Christ was revealing his glory to the apostles,
the three on the mountain down below, the other
nine were being subjected to harsh, harsh criticism,
insults, because they could not heal this boy.
Probably a young man, not a boy, who was possessed
by demons. There's confusion, there's shouting,
there's blaming by the scribes and the religious
authorities of the day. They're questioning the
disciples on their inability to heal this person.
The father says, he's moon crazy, he's a lunatic,
because he believed. Probably had some faith,
but he believed that the moon exerted, and who
knows, I won't express an opinion on that, but
he was blaming the moon for his son's problem
when it was a demon. In fact, he was demon possessed.
I'm going to focus not on that aspect of it so
much today, because you heard this gospel during
Lent. It's one of the readings. St. Mark's version
that you hear during Lent. But what I want you
to hear is this. Little children, says St. John,
the evangelist. That's us. It doesn't mean just
the little children. Little children, let no
one deceive you. He who practices righteousness
is righteous, just as he is righteous, Jesus.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has
sinned from the beginning. For this purpose.
the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil. Remember that.
Jesus came to destroy him who held the power
of death over those who in fear all their life.
He came to destroy the devil. And he sees now
an opportunity to show his... mercy, and to show
what really transfiguration is all about. In
this amazing account, the creator himself tells
us what we need to do. We're not possessed. Those
of you that were baptized, received into the
church, you know. that there was those exorcisms,
that Christ claimed you for his own because he
made you. You are his creation. And as his creation,
think about what he has created you for, to be
like him, to be God's representative of love
and mercy and holiness and goodness. In the midst
of terror and sin and suffering, This kid throwing
himself into the fire and the water. What's the
devil try to do? He tries to kill. That's what
he tries to do. If not physically, then spiritually
first in any case. As representatives of God,
we can see some of this in our society. The poor
people, the suffering, who have been afflicted
by the opioid crisis and all of that. Mental
illness and depression. Brothers and sisters,
seek the peace of God first. Then if you encounter
someone, you can bless them and ask God's power
to come and heal them. Let's go on. The Creator
says, That if we have just a tiny bit of faith,
the size of a mustard seed, nothing is impossible
for us. In St. Mark's version of the account
we heard, Jesus says to the man, if you can believe
however little, all things are possible to faith.
Nothing's impossible. All things are possible.
When we hear the Lord say these words, we might
be tempted to question the validity of the claim
that he made. Jesus. Nothing? Really? Nothing
is impossible? Think about that. Jesus says these
words. He also is going to tell the other disciples
something else that we probably discount. I'll
tell you that in a moment. There are moments
in our life. where we do have faith. Think now
with me those moments of peace, of tranquility,
of God's love. Those things that you have seen
and heard about, those miracles, whether large
or small. Those are moments of great faith, which
means we simply follow Jesus, we trust him. We
let him make the decision for our life, and we
make the decision to follow him. That's those
times when we experience God's love. Those who
live by faith also know that mountains, whether
it's Mount Taylor or Mount Shasta, they don't
move. In the course of life in Christ, we will
meet such mountains. Not the physical kind. We
don't need to move those. And that's not what
Jesus means when he says, you can say this mountain,
it'll dump itself into the sea. But those kind
of mountains that bring our life in Christ to
a standstill, when we're not sure of anything,
and everything's impossible. But believe me,
when you read this, and you see the saints in
their lives, you know those mountains are no
more immovable than Pharaoh's army in Exodus
was invincible. Even a tiny bit of faith, like
a mustard seed. Why a mustard seed? Why not a
grain of sand? Why not some other thing that's
super small? about the smallest of it, just.
Because a mustard seed is alive, and it's going
to grow. Not if you put it on the concrete, no,
but if you nurture it in good soil, the soil
of the heart, it will grow, and it will thrive,
and faith will begin to mature. And in order
to increase that faith, we're going to be tested.
In order to make our love for God real. Faith
is not about thinking about faith. It's faithfulness.
It's about doing faith. It's about holding firm,
resolute, true, being forged in the fire. To
faith is to say to Christ, be it unto me according
to thy will. And if we want to grow, we have
to do two things. that Jesus said, and honestly,
I'm no good at it, so I shouldn't even be telling
you about this. And honestly, when it comes to
prayer and fasting, the fasting part, I go, really?
And many of you say that to me, too. And many
of you just ignore it. I know that. Once again,
don't post pictures on social media of... non
-fasting food during the fasting day because
I'll see it. And I don't need to see it because
you'll lead me into temptation. Oh, it's okay
for her. Maybe I should do that too. Prayer and
fasting. The Lord says prayer and fasting. Prayer
and fasting. We'd rather do something else. But
we are obedient because prayer and fasting are
two ways in which we actually take action. for
our faith. It's not about thinking about it.
It's about doing something in obedience to Christ
and saying no to ourself and yes to God's will.
It's also important in terms of prayer that we
do not cultivate doubt. We want to cultivate
faith. Faith is a very delicate thing. Yes, it's
small. But it's growing and it's alive. In our
modern age, since, oh, I don't know, probably
the 1800s, cultivation of doubt is seen as a
good thing. Doubt it all. Question authority.
And plenty of that to question. I'm not arguing
about that. But if we want to have more faith.
We don't, when we feel something is wrong, when
others are sinning, when we are worried, we don't
cultivate doubt because doubt and cultivating
it is like a snake that's eating its own tail.
What happens when it gets to the head? It kills
itself. On the other hand, we're to cultivate
faith. How? St. Paul says, when we're praying,
to think on. Whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there
be any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy,
meditate on these things. Acting true. Acting
noble. Acting justly. Acting purely. Those are
works we do. Actions. See the announcement page
today for a wonderful saying by St. Paisios of
the Holy Mount about looking for the good wherever
you are. Not like a fly looking for the dung
heap, but like a bee looking for the flower.
Our Lord reminds us. in the gospel today, by
his action, by his healing, that this transformative
life is right here in front of us, within our
grasp. So after being strengthened today by the
divine presence of worship, the word of God,
the gospel, the Eucharist, let us go forth and
cultivate that mustard seed of faith. so that
we can not only learn how to move mountains,
but literally how to change the state of our
own heart. To him who is our life, be glory and
honor, now and ever, to ages of ages.