Responsorial Psalm Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
Who are you, where are you going, what's your end? What is the meaning of your life and your death? What is the meaning of all those days that are lost in the abyss of nothingness, this life that passes like clouds in the sky, leaving no trace, you’re longing for immortality?
The text about the Transfiguration of the Lord, allows us to see what we are striving for, the purpose of our life. It allows us to really see who Jesus is. In this text we see Him twice, although it is still the same person. First this ordinary Jesus, dressed in a tunic, walking on the earth, tired, but in a moment divine, clothed with shining light, with a face shining like the sun. It's not a different Jesus, a different Savior, He's just changed. We are also similar: at first glance, gray, ordinary, insignificant, but on the other hand, created in bronze and in the likeness of God, carrying His light inside. This light is seen in us every time we meet Jesus, which will pass us by, making us different on the inside, but still the same on the outside. Maybe our shirts and trousers do not disappear, replaced by a white tunic, maybe our faces do not glow with light like light bulbs, but a transformation takes place in us: we are able to love more and stronger, forgive more quickly, help others more willingly, because we ourselves have experienced God's help that has transformed us. It is the meeting with God that allows us to feel who we really are and what we live for: to transform ourselves and others, making them better in the spirit of love. We will not experience this truth anywhere else but in prayer, in an encounter with God, away from everything, just as Jesus left everything and went to the mountain HIGH, ALONE. The last two words are important. Why does the evangelist mention the height of the mountain. After all, the mountain is known to be something high. Many times, Jesus went up a mountain to pray, for example, but none of the evangelists mentioned that it was a high mountain. As if he wanted to show that the higher, the better. The higher you rise to God in your relationship with Him, the more beautiful His image becomes, the more wonderful You discover Him, the more you want to know Him. The transfiguration took place on a high mountain, not in a lowland, which means that in your spiritual life you cannot stay in the shallows, because there is no Christ in the shallows, that one does not slip on faith, but one gains faith, one climbs higher and higher. in relationship with God. And another important thing: the transfiguration took place in private, in private, in intimacy. Why wasn't Jesus transfigured, for example, in the Temple in Jerusalem? After all, he could have done it, it would have been so much better because more people would have seen it. However, God avoids noise, He feels best in silence, away from the world, where His Words can be heard best and loudest. The world makes so much noise around you that you can't think about the basic problems of your existence. Tell me: when was the last time you made a deeper reflection on your life? When have you taken a longer period of time to look at yourself? Once, one of our fathers challenged us. He said: go to your rooms, shut up and be silent for two hours, doing nothing, thinking nothing. Seemingly nothing difficult, but literally after a dozen or so minutes, distractions began to come, dozens of thoughts, plans, the body began to fidget and as a result, no one lasted even one hour. I couldn't stand two hours with myself, I can't stand an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, because thoughts about various things come to mind, which in turn out to be more important than God. We live in noise that kills our sense of reflection, blocks us from entering ourselves, blocks us from reaching good conclusions about our lives and from making significant changes for the better. The world gives us ready-made answers to everything, just as it gives us ready-made things that we can buy in one minute, with a few clicks, and which the courier will drop off at our door. You don't have to try at all. Today a stranger will pour you coffee for 3 dollars and you fly on because there is no time, because it's more comfortable, because I can't stop, because if I keep the sauce, then ...., then what? If I stop, I won't know what to do with myself, I won't know where to go, I won't know who I am. Once my spiritual father told me: Martin, you have to swim against the current to understand who you are. One swims to the source not with the current, but against it. It's easier to go with the flow, but then what happens? I am moving away from the source, I am moving away from my true self, I am moving away from the meaning of my life. Each of us knows this word: DISTRACTION. It is the virus of our time, a deadly disease that kills our souls, a cunning disease that is difficult to diagnose because it often disguises itself as good, sincere intentions. I have so much to do, I can't leave this, it's important, I need to be productive, I can't waste my time, I'll pray in the car, I need to save the whole world. Today the world is full of such Messiahs who want to instruct others, set their lives in order, correct them, convert them, but they are far from their own conversion and salvation. May we never be like this, because it is even illogical: how can I help others if I do not want to help myself first? Jesus calls such people hypocrites and addresses them with the following words: Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Are you distracted? Do you live absent-mindedly, too fast, without reflection? Is your wish going too fast? If so, slow down, because you will lose control of yourself and you will spiritually hurt yourself and even kill yourself. Does God have you running, jumping, flexing so much in this life? Why do you keep running, rushing for who knows what? Stop and think about eternity. Soon you will have to stop forever! It's just that then there will be no time for reflection, for transformation. Look aside at the life that is fleeing, to judge it wisely and not be controlled by it.
Father Marcin Cwierz, OSPPE