RCL Year C The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, II Corinthians 3:12–4:2, Saint Luke 9:28-36
The better the day, the better the deed. And today is the Sunday when Our Lord ascends the holy mountain to have the veil of his human flesh pulled back for a brief moment to reveal the glory of God. His appearance dissolves to allow his reality to shine, and that reality is his identity as the Son of God.
This is the day when we present to God his own creature, Matthew James, in Holy Baptism. If the veil of his human flesh were to be pulled back, the glory of God would again be revealed to allow his reality to shine, and that reality is his identity as a Child of God. For that is what he is: the image of God robed in human flesh.
It goes without saying, I suppose, that that is what you and I are: images of God robed in human flesh. And our lives have as their combined purpose to choose: to choose to love, to create, and to reason in such ways as allow us to live in harmony with each other and with God.
At every moment of every day of every year that is the choice before us. We can choose in every decision we make to be God’s Child. As a group, as a parish, and as a people, we are free to choose to be God’s. We are about to promise again to do that ourselves, and also we are about to promise to guide Matthew James himself to make those very choices.
Every day, but especially today, the only day we have in hand on which to make those very choices, we should remember all these things and who we, Jesus, and God are. Nowhere I know are all of these things expressed as clearly and briefly as in the great hymn:
Not to oppress, but summon all
their truest life to find,
in love God sent his Son to save,
not to condemn mankind.[1]
[1] The Hymnal 1982, Hymn 489, Stanza 6.
hs3rd 