Feb. 28 2010: 2nd Sunday of Lent (C)

A couple of days ago I did a funeral of a mother whose children, grandchildren, and great-grand children were numerous like the stars in the sky, as the Lord told Abram in the First Reading today. It was beautiful to see grandchildren taking active part in the funeral. Some proclaimed the funeral mass readings, some brought gifts during offertory, and some were pall bearers, helping to carry the casket. Seven years ago, her health began to decline, and the family almost lost her then. Her liver failed, and she had to be on life support. Doctors brought her back to life. And the family was surprised that when their mother opened her eyes, she was disappointed and began to fuss. "Why didn't they take me to heaven?" This mother had a near-death experience. She was more than willing to tell her children and grandchildren about her experience.

During the coma when her life hung by a thread, her soul was pulled into a dark tunnel with a faint light at the end of the tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel, she saw a beautiful heavenly realm, and seated in front of her were her deceased family members, friends, and the saints. She tried to speak to them, but they did not reply. Shortly she was pulled back into the tunnel, and when she opened her eyes, she hoped she was in heaven, but alas she was in the hospital room. She was disappointed and fussed. "Why didn't my family pull me into heaven?" Unbeknown to her, she still had a mission on earth, to carry a cross for her family on earth--to suffer for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Strangely ever since then, every year around the time of Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, she fell seriously ill or fell into coma. It was as if she was going through the passion for a purpose. Incidentally around that part of the year, a grandchild was giving a birth to a great-grandchild. Could she have suffered and carried her cross of suffering for the new birth?

People ask me in the confessional, "Father, I had such a powerful experience of closeness with God several years ago. I felt so close to God then. I don't have that experience any more. How can I get back to that experience?" This is a common experience. By God's sheer gift, they experience a mountaintop closeness with Him. But they must come down from that mountain and face the reality, which may have become tougher to bear since coming down. It's very similar to the experience of Peter, James, and John as they climbed the mountain with Jesus where they experienced Jesus' Transfiguration.

Jesus took them up this mountain to pray, and while Peter, James, and John were asleep, Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Jesus. What did they talk about? The gospel says, "they spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem." As Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to Egyptians through the Red Sea, Jesus was going to free humanity from slavery and bondage to sin through the Red Sea which was his Passion, death, and Resurrection. When the disciples woke up, they did not get to hear this portion of the dialogue. When they woke up, they saw the glory of Jesus whose clothing has become dazzling white. And they wanted make this wonderful moment of glory last for a long time. So Peter said, Lord it is good that we are here; let us make three tents for you, Moses, and Elijah. Yet that wasn't how it was going to be. The glory disappeared, and Jesus was again found alone. Yet they were left with one important direction from God the Father Himself, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him."

For those of us who have experienced this glory, this closeness with God, isn't it natural for us to ask that this experience be our every waking moment? Yet Our Lord is telling us in the experience of his Transfiguration, 'In order to reach this glory, I need to undergo suffering, to carry the cross, to be crucified on the cross, and die.' And he has been asking us, "Whoever wants to be my disciple, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me." So I tell people who ask me that question in the confessional, "Lord has given you a great grace to let you have the mountaintop experience. Now our Lord is asking you to follow his footsteps, to pick up your cross and follow him, for we have much work to do for our families and for the Lord."

Let's back to the mother who was given a glimpse of heaven in her near-death experience. Why was she given that experience but had to return to earth? She had much work to do for her family and for the Lord. By her suffering, she was joining herself in the very work of Jesus to bring her family back to faith and to help Jesus in conversion of souls. As St. Paul tells us in the Second Reading, "Many conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their 'shame.' Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord."