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A reading from the Gospel of Luke

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning.

Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’

And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.

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­­­­­­­­­­­­Although he was God, Jesus was also human. There are many small accounts of Jesus acting in a human way.  He wept when his friend Lazarus died, we hear of him being hungry, and thirsty, he got angry when the temple was being treated improperly.

But through the miracles he performed, like raising Lazarus from the dead, calming the stormy waters, curing people of their ills. We know too that he came from Heaven.

Jesus Mission was to show us we too can get to Heaven. His body died because of sin, but his body rose in glory, with all trace of the shocking death he suffered wiped away.

We cannot get to heaven if we simply say “yeah I am a sinner but I believe in God”, we have to work for our place. This is what God calls us to do.  Lent is a time we remember this. At those times when people challenge us about our faith, or tell us “the world has changed and the Church should also change, we must remember that Heaven has not changed, nor have the entry criterion.

• We renew our relationship with God in prayer.
• We help those that need help, just like Jesus did when he performed miracles
• We deprive ourselves to remind ourselves how lucky we are to have what we have.

This half term we will be helping those in need again the response last time was phenomenal with 34 families in the local area helped. We, all of us at St Joseph’s College, helped transform Christmas for those people, which in turn helps transform us, and we will be doing the same for Lent.

Jesus did not come to tell us that we can transform and be God, he tells us we can transform so we can be with God in Heaven.  In Heaven he will still be our Heavenly Father, what must we do to be worthy of that.

Closing Prayer (taken from Psalm 113)

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,  who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children