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A “theophany” is a
word that refers to those special events when God reveals himself to
a human being. In today’s readings we have a couple theophanies.
First Abram has an encounter with God when he is concerned about
God’s fulfilling his promise. He sets out the sacrificial animals in
preparation for a covenant ritual and then falls into a trance. Then
in the trance God comes in the form of a smoking brazier and
performs the covenant ritual. In the gospel Peter, John and James go
up the mountain with Jesus. Jesus is transformed and God comes in
the form of a cloud. They hear God’s voice when they awaken from
sleep exhorting them to listen to his Son.
These thephanies written about in scripture are not rare moments
then and they are not rare now. Though we may not call them
theophanies, many of us have had these special moments when God
reveals himself to us. We may have these moments when we are on a
retreat, spend time praying, and even when we are going through a
particularly difficult or meaningful time in our lives. They may be
in a dream, a special feeling, or some otherwise seemingly common
occurrence.
Theophanies are a gift and not something we can control. Abram
receives his while he is in a trance. Peter, John and James wake
from sleep. Peter doesn’t understand what’s going on after he wakes
up we are told he speaks without knowing “what he was saying.” It is
a gift from God that we can only seek to be open to receive.
A theophany is also non-intellectual. God does not explain to Abram
what he is doing. Yet Abram understands that the smoking brazier
represents the presence of God. Peter, John and James have never met
Moses or Elijah yet they know who they are. A theophany is something
we experience and only later reflect upon and try to understand what
we experienced. The experience is something we know for certain is
true though we may find it difficult to explain. Most of us never
tell many other people about our experiences because they are hard
to explain and never provable.
A theophany is very powerful. Abram’s experience of God making a
covenant with him will give him perseverance in trusting in God even
though all evidence that God will fulfill his promise is to the
contrary. Jesus is strengthened by his experience to face his
“exodus” in Jerusalem which most anyone would want to avoid. Peter,
John and James will find in this experience a greater understanding
of who Jesus is even after he is crucified. Our theophanies also
give us hope and strength. They give us insight into who God is and
what God’s kingdom is all about. They help us to be willing to
sacrifice for the kingdom. In this season of Lent we are called to
make sacrifices as a way to prepare for the fulfillment of God’s
kingdom. This doesn’t make intellectual sense as we always have to
think of ourselves first. But when we experience God, we touch
something greater than ourselves. The attraction draws us beyond
ourselves as we love what is other than us. This move us to
sacrifice for the good of God’s kingdom, the good of others, and to
a selfless love of God. |
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