03.11.25 - | Prophets Daniel | Habakkuk | Transfiguration |

Opening Prayer:  ​​​​​​​

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Most Holy Trinity, Godhead Indivisible,

You all showed up at Jesus’ baptism and now you all show up at his Transfiguration.

As you did with Peter, Andrew and James

Enlighten us with your presence and wisdom so that we may be  

Conformed and transformed by Your holy, perfect, and loving will.

And as you taught us to pray together…

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!

Upcoming major holy days:   ​Lent began last week on Ash Wednesdayand goes until the Last Supper.

Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19.

TODAY:​

• Lent, week 2, The Lenten Bus comes for you every morning!

• Gospel reading for 2nd Sun of Lent (3/16): The Transfiguration, Luke 9:28-36

• Bible Timeline – The prophets of Daniel and Habakkuk.

Quote of the Week:  

“If you think of this world as a place simply intended for our happiness, you will find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place for training and correction and it’s not so bad.” – C.S.Lewis

LENT

Is Lent really 40 days?

Some of you may have noticed that there there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and the Last

Supper. The reason for this is that Sundays are not counted since on those days we celebrate Christ's resurrection at Sunday Mass.  So in effect, you have some free days in there if you need them.

What happens if we fall off our Lent plan?

Lent is not one 40-day commitment so that if you fail once you’ve screwed up. It’s better to look at it as 40

1-day commitments. Each morning, the Lenten Bus arrives at your bedside, and you make a decision to get on. Your

goal is to get through one day. 40 times. If you mess up a day, you have several Sundays to make it up. God forgives,

so He will send the bus to you every day, and if you only get half of them right the first time, he will be thrilled. It’s

all about the journey.

Are ashes in the Bible?

Yes, ashes are very much Old Testament-y! Throughout Biblical history, the Israelites donned sackcloth and ashes during times of sacrifice, penance, humility, and mourning, seeking forgiveness or help from God.

• Jacob wore sackcloth when he thought his son Joseph had been killed.

• David wore sackcloth as penance and in mourning for his dying son.

• Job wore sackcloth and sat on an ash heap and said, “I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.”

• The people of Nineveh performed penance in sackcloth & ashes after Jonah delivered God’s message to them.

• The early Church continued the Jewish custom of ashes as an external symbol of humility, penance, or grief.

The Transfiguration, Luke 9:28-36

Luke 9:28-36

Context

Every 1st Sunday in Lent we read last week’s reading, which was Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. Every 2nd Sunday in Lent we read about Jesus’ Transfiguration. Jesus starts off in the lowest place on Earth (the desert near the Dead Sea, fasts for 40 days, and meets the devil – three low points!) and then heads up the mountain to meet God. That represents the human journey, doesn’t it? In a sense, this is a sacramental story, as Jesus brings Heaven to earth so that he can bring earth to Heaven. A sacrament is the grace exchanged when man encounters God.

This year’s reading of the Transfiguration is from Luke, Ch 9. Ch 9 is the point in Luke where Jesus concludes his 3-½ year ministry. By the end of Ch. 9, Jesus heads towards Jerusalem for the last time.

In the passages prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus informs his Apostles that he is going to be rejected by the Temple officials, suffer, die, and then rise after three days. This was totally unexpected as the Apostles were still clinging to the hope for an “earthy” Messiah and an earthly messianic kingdom. And Jesus’ words that he will “rise on the third day” did not help their angst and dread since Jews already assumed souls rise from the dead.

So, imagine where this puts the Apostles’ state of mind:  

- They are no longer going to be part of a heroic story of saving of Israel from Roman occupation and taxes.

- After they left everything behind 3 years ago to follow Jesus, now Jesus going to leave them.

- Worse, Jesus is going to be arrested, tortured, and killed, which would bring anew onset of fear. What will happen to them? Will they be next? What are they supposed to do? What can they possibly do without Him?

To add further context to what happens next, Jesus adds this in Matthew’s version:

Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” – Mt 16:28

What on earth does this mean?

People often wonder what this statement means. However, in the next chapter(today’s reading), Jesus takes that “some” (Peter, James, and John) up the mountain for the Transfiguration. Jesus knows their state of mind and desires to give them encouragement, so he’s going to let them see the Son of Man in his glory.  

What is a theophany?

Theophany is Greek: theo=god + phaneia=appearance. It means to witness the appearance of God, which is what happens next.

Q:  Where did the Transfiguration take place?

A mountain!  Theophanies in the Bible typically happened on mountains.Some other examples:  Noah lands the Ark on Mt. Ararat; Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac on Mt. Moriah; Mt. Sinai is where God appears to Moses on Mt. Sinai; the Temple in Jerusalem is on Mt. Zion; and now the Transfiguration.

Mountain of Transfiguration

Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.

While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.

And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Exegesis – Study and Interpretation

Jesus only took three – Peter, James, and John – up the mountain. Any similarities to Exodus?

Moses also took three with him – Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu.  

Btw, Nadab and Abihu were brothers (sons of Aaron).  James and John werealso brothers.

What did they talk about?  

    “… and they spoke of the exodus he (Jesus) was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.”  

What “Exodus” was being planned?

A new Exodus was at hand. The old Exodus was freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. The new Exodus is freedom from slavery to sin – as Jesus will be reopening the gates of heaven.

It says Peter, James, or John did not tell anyone about their experience at that time. Did they ever tell anyone?

Yes…

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. – 2 Peter 1:16-18.

Some have asked how Peter knew that it was Moses and Elijah who Jesus was talking to. Thoughts?  

Those were the two main figures to play a role in the Messianic prophecy, so it would have been a reasonable guess. However, it is assumed that in the spiritual realm, normal “verbal” introductions will not be necessary as we will automatically know who is whom.

What was Peter talking about when he said, “Let us make three booths?”

1. Booths – another name for small tents, also called “tabernacles” – were temporary dwelling places that people lived in during the 40 years of Exodus. Jews to this day celebrate the Feast of Booths (Feast of Tabernacles) for 7 days in the fall (harvest season) to memorialize their exodus from Egypt, and in anticipation of the New Exodus/New Age to come.  

2. Peter is so excited at what he is seeing he hardly knows what to say. Hissuggestion of “booths” means he thinks they have now arrived at the “end of the age.”

3. Remember, Jesus is giving them this vision as a gift – a much needed comfort because of the news he had given them about his comingpassion/death.

Why Moses and Elijah?

​One reason is because Moses and Elijah represented the most significant figures in Jewish salvation history up to this point. When wanting to refer to all (OT) scriptures, the Jews would use the reference, “Moses and the prophets.”  Moses represented the first five books of the bible (the “Torah”) and “the Prophets” referred to all the writings of all the prophets. Elijah represents “the Prophets,” and was a central figure in Messianic prophesies.  

​Second, Moses prefigured Jesus in the Exodus from Egyptian slavery to a “worldly promised land” whereas Jesus is leading all humanity from a “slavery to sin” to the “Eternal Promised Land” – Heaven.

Interestingly, both Moses and Elijah had been witnesses to “theophanies on a mountain.”    

One of the prophesies that point to the Transfiguration, written about 440 BC:

Daniel 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw:

One like a Son of Man

Coming on the clouds of heaven;

When he reached the Ancient One

and was presented before Him,

The one like a Son of Man received dominion, glory, and kingship;

All people, nations, and tongues will serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Peter’s suggestion about the booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah suggests that they are equals. Granted, Moses was considered the greatest and Elijah the greatest prophet, but Peter is mistaken. God then comes in a cloud and says,

“This is my Son, listen to him!”

What was the significance of the Jesus shining so brightly?

Whenever Moses came from meeting with God, his face radiated such that he had to start wearing a veil. But where Moses’ exterior face glowed as a reflection of God’s glory, Jesus’ glory and radiance came from within.  

What is the significance of God coming in the cloud?

God also came in a cloud to Mt. Sinai.  Interestingly, the “shadow” referred to in the cloud was the same word that is translated in the Annunciation to Mary when Gabriel says the Holy Spirit will “overshadow” her in order to conceive Jesus. The point here is that the HS is also present at the Transfiguration, which makes this the 2nd time in the Gospels all three of the Trinity were present.

Bible Timeline

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United Kingdom 1050 BC to 930 BC (King Saul, King David, King Solomon)

The Prophets

So far, we have covered Elijah, Elisha, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah.

As a refresher, these Biblical prophets are classified into “major” and “minor” prophets, which is not based on their significance but on the length of their writings.

Major Prophets: There are four major prophets in the Old Testament:

1. Isaiah

2. Jeremiah

3. Ezekiel

4. Daniel

Minor Prophets: The minor prophets consist of twelve individuals, whose writings are shorter. They are:

Two books you don’t see here but are in the Bible are Baruk and Lamentations, so a quick word on them.

Lamentations (~585-565 BC)

The book of Lamentations comes after Jeremiah in the Bible and Jeremiah is traditionally considered its author. The book consists of five poems that, until the 16th century, were treated as a kind of appendix to Jeremiah. That being said, the book makes no claim that Jeremiah was its author so we can’t be 100% certain. It was likely written soon after the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC(Babylonian Exile), and the author was an eyewitness to the destruction that took place.

Lamentations is a set of laments – poetic literature usually written after some horrible event – in this case, the destruction of Jerusalem. The five poems/chapters mourns the fall of the great city of God but also expresses a measure of hope for the people of Judah that God will bring about good things from their suffering.

The leader at the time of the Exile was King Zedekiah, who was very bad/evil and would not listen to Jeremiah or follow the commands of God. After endless warnings, God finally lifted his protection. You may recall last month when we read that the prophet Ezekiel was at the Temple at the time of God’s dramatic departure.  

Baruch

Baruch, the scribe and companion of Jeremiah, plays a crucial role in preserving and disseminating Jeremiah’s prophecies. One of the most memorable stories involving Baruch is found in Jeremiah 36. God commands Jeremiah to write down all the prophecies He has given him. Baruch faithfully transcribes these words onto a scroll. When the scroll is read to King Jehoiakim, the king reacts with anger, cutting the scroll into pieces and burning it. Despite this, Baruch and Jeremiah continue their mission, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to God’s message.

Baruch’s own lamentation is recorded in the Book of Baruch, where he expresses sorrow for the sins of the people and the destruction of Jerusalem. He acknowledges the consequences of their actions and pleads for God’s mercy, reflecting the themes of repentance and hope for restoration. In some early biblical texts, Baruch was attached to the Book of Jeremiah, as was Lamentations, which is why Baruch doesn’t appear among the list of prophets.  

Daniel (~ 615-535 BC) – the shortest book of the major prophets – 14 chapters.

Daniel is renowned for his unwavering faith and courage in the face of adversity. The first half of Daniel contains several incredible narratives. One of the great stories of Daniel is his interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan 2). The king is troubled by a dream that none of his wise men can interpret. Daniel, through prayer and divine revelation, interprets the dream, revealing a statue made of various materials that represent different kingdoms. This story emphasizes God’s sovereignty over history and His ability to reveal mysteries to those who seek Him.

Another famous story is that of the fiery furnace (Dan 3), where Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship a golden statue erected by Nebuchadnezzar. They are thrown into a furnace but miraculously survive, leading the king to acknowledge the power of their God. This narrative emphasizes the theme of divine deliverance and the importance of remaining faithful to God, even under threat of death.

One of the most famous stories of all is that of Daniel in the lion’s den (Dan 6). Despite a decree that prohibits prayer to anyone but King Darius, Daniel continues to pray to God three times a day. His enemies conspire against him, leading to his arrest and subsequent punishment of being thrown into a den of lions. However, God sends an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, and Daniel emerges unharmed the next morning. This miraculous deliverance not only demonstrates God’s protection over His faithful servant but again leads to the king’s acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty.

Apocalyptic Visions

The second half of the Book of Daniel shifts to apocalyptic visions, which are rich in symbolism and prophetic significance. In these chapters, Daniel receives visions concerning the future of Israel and the rise and fall of empires. The vision of the four beasts (Dan 7) represents four kingdoms that will arise, ultimately leading to the establishment of God's eternal kingdom.

The “prophecy of the seventy weeks” (Dan 9) is particularly notable, as the Angel Gabriel visits Daniel and outlines a timeline of “seventy sevens” or “sets of seven” for the coming of the anointed one and the ultimate restoration of Israel. This prophecy is interpreted as a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ, linking the Old Testament to the New Testament and underscoring the continuity of God's plan for salvation. (Seventy sets of seven is interpreted to mean 70 weeks of years, or 490 years. The date of the prophecy (457 BC) to the death/rising of Christ (33 AD) is 490 years.

Habakkuk (just prior to the Exile ~650-600 BC)

Habakkuk was a minor prophet who was obviously well-educated in the ways of the Temple and liturgical life. He wrote when the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was at his peak, which was around the time of the fall of Nineveh (capital of the Assyrians).

What is the main message of Habakkuk?

Trust the Lord, no matter what. That is Habakkuk's message for God's people around the world today. Believers can, and must, trust in God no matter how tumultuous the outward circumstances may become. Habakkuk is unique in that the prophet is not speaking to God's people but rather to God himself.

This famous quotation is also attributed to him – “The righteous shall live by his faith” (verse 2:4) – and was later used by St. Paul in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11.

Habakkuk was known for his unyielding faith to God and was an example for the Jews of strong faith looks like during difficult times. Our closing prayer will have an amazing excerpt from Habakkuk. If ever you are feeling like the world is against you, read this and take hope!

Closing Prayer: ​​​​​

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Though the fig tree does not blossom

and no grapes are on the vine;

though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain,

though there are no sheep in the pens nor cattle in the barns,

I will yet rejoice in the Lord God my Savior!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.