elisha

SUNDAY 1 MARCH 2026: THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT.

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The Transfiguration, Leandro Miguel Velasco 2007, Incarnation Dome of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC, USA.

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And (Jesus) was transfigured before [Peter, James and John]; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.      Matthew 17:2-3.

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At the end of this remarkable event, Jesus told Peter, James and John, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (verse 9). They could not comprehend neither the event, nor the words “Son of Man has been raised from the dead” but it is clear they remembered everything, written down years later. It seems to parallel Jesus’ baptism, the first revelation of the Blessed Trinity, but with two divine presences this time, God the Father and God the Son (both identified by what the Voice said) rather than three. The Holy Spirit might have been present in the dazzling light though… The disciples saw two towering figures from the Hebrew Scriptures appearing with Jesus. Moses, he who had actually encountered God, both in the burning bush episode and when he received the Tablets of the Law, the 10 Commandments, from God on Mount Sinai (and note that he holds the two Tablets of the Law in the picture above, the first three commands with reference to God, and the remaining seven to us, the children of God). And Elijah, who had also experienced God’s presence on Mount Horeb (some say it is another name for Mount Sinai) and, most famously, was taken into heaven in his chariot of fire!

Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire, Giuseppe Angeli c.1740, Samuel H. Kress Collection, The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA.

But almost universally the scholars say the two figures with Jesus embody the Law of God and the Prophets of God. It also displays the continuity of the Law and the Prophets leading inexorably to the Messiah standing between them. The man kneeling and watching Elijah ascend to heaven is his disciple and successor, Elisha.

Today’s first reading goes back even further than Elijah and Moses, back to Abram (even before God renamed him Abraham). This was back to the original promise, to make Abram’s successors into a “great nation”. And remember there are three Abrahamic peoples: the Jewish people, the Muslims and us Christians. It might even seem to suggest that God looks on us three almost as “a great nation” and that all others will find blessing in us all… In which case we should all try to outdo ourselves in putting God’s law, love of God, neighbor and self, into fullest action! How about that for a Lenten thought!

But we Christians are called back to our own mission in life by today’s second reading. Here we are reminded of the “grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”. And we are part and parcel of that “light through the gospel”. It has to be through each one of us that Jesus is clearly seen, in our words and actions. And so we end up in Lent once more. This is the ultimate time of the year when we examine our own lives, actions, words. Do we try and make everything we do and say a reflection of the Lord living in us? Not that we should be sanctimonious, because that smacks of being “holier than thou” which is NOT the idea! Just simple generosity on every true level is what we are called to. And once more, we are not alone in this. If we allow it, the Lord’s strength is within us to help and guide us. We just have to ask and apply….

The Transfiguration, Lattanzia Gambara c.1570, Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Parma, Italy.

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Today, 1st March, is St. David of Wales’ feast day, my patron and confirmation saint. I was born in Newport in Wales and although brought up in London, have always considered myself Welsh. David was a tough leader, nicknamed WaterMan as he forbade beer in his monasteries… He was one of only two UK patron saints who actually lived there (Patrick 0f Ireland was the other – possibly Welsh himself; George of England and Andrew of Scotland never set foot in old Britannia). 

St. David pray for us!

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SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER 2025: THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME.

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Elizabeth Eckford Enters Little Rock Central High School, September 1957. Hazel Bryan Shouts Behind Her, Each Aged 15 Years. 

(St. Paul wrote) ….such is my gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of chains, like a criminal.    2 Timothy 2:9

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First, a few words of necessary explanation, The first reading states that Naaman, who had just been cured of leprosy through the intercession of the prophet Elisha, requested “two mule-loads of earth” in order to offer holocaust or sacrifice to the God of Elisha (and our God) once he got home. He was a foreigner: he was Syrian, not Jewish. To understand that strange request we have to return to that time and place. You will note that each country had its own gods and goddesses back then. Egypt had familiar gods, such as Isis and Horus, Mesopotamia had Ashur and Marduc and so on. And just look at what the Greek gods and goddesses got up to! They were all gods of place, not universal deities. This was found almost everywhere. Consequently the Syrian Naaman, wanted the local earth of Elisha’s God so he could bring that place, as it were, home with him and consequently the God of Elisha. The fact that the Jewish God was universal took some time to be accepted even by Jews. The exile in Babylon assisted in the development of that radical concept. 

Secondly, the single cured leper to return to Jesus to thank God through him was called a “foreigner” by Jesus because he was a Samaritan. Although Jewish, the Samaritans were a somewhat despised branch of Judaism as they had apparently allowed elements of other religions to creep into their beliefs, they also allowed intermarriage with non-Jews, and other practices considered blasphemous by strict Jews. But no such condemnation from the Lord, simply the word “foreigner” and gratitude that he had returned to give thanks (though the Greek original says “glory”) to God. 

So perhaps today’s readings invite us to consider our own attitude towards “foreigners”. It is, one might say, a touchy subject. I myself was once a focus of hatred for no other reason than I was born in Britain. I was an assistant principal in a Catholic school in the 80s here in the USA. I had two small flags in my office, the US and the UK. One morning I noticed the UK flag had vanished. I asked the dean of discipline to find out who had done it. He was very good at his job, and within hours had discovered the culprit. I asked him to bring him in to my office. “He won’t come” was the answer. So I sent for his parents. They refused to see me. “Why?” I asked. “Because you’re British” was the answer. They were supporters of the IRA, the Irish Republican Army. It was the time of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. And, being British, I was responsible… But my father was Irish. “Your British”. I am a Catholic priest. “You’re British”. I could get nowhere with them. Being unable to return to the womb and be reborn in Ireland (or anywhere other than Britain) I could do nothing. It was the only time in my life I was confronted with pure prejudice, and it was scary and very unfair – just look at that photograph above. But it was also, weirdly, positive. It allowed me to feel what many people must feel every day of their lives for no good reason, and about which I could do nothing. I recall after 9/11 many Sikhs (those men who wear large turbans) were attacked by ignorant ruffians who thought they were Muslim. They were utterly innocent of any wrongdoing – as indeed were so many Muslims who were also attacked, but were completely innocent. All that is so unfair. And so unchristian, as we see from today’s gospel with its example of acceptance, despite the man being “foreign”. Prejudice, stereotyping and its ilk are immoral and utterly at odds with all that is Christian. They are, simply, evil. There should be no room in any heart for anything even approaching prejudice at all. If we are to judge anybody, it must be on their own actions within their community and elsewhere. 

So today, looking at today’s readings, and noting that Paul was “in chains” for his Christian belief, which calls on everyone to honor and respect everyone, the message is clear. If we are called to judge anyone, let it be based on their words, their behavior, their works, in the community and their reputation. And, as with justice itself, let them be presumed innocent unless proven guilty on their actions alone.

Time for Courage, Dietrich Bonhöffer

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