16 March 2025

16 March 2025 - Second Sunday of Lent

Transcript

Write:  

Genesis 15:17

When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces.

Luke 9:34

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.

Reflect:   

What is with this smoke and clouds? Genesis called it smoke but there is little difference between smoke and cloud. Remember that during the Exodus as Israel was trying to travel to the promised land, a cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptians at the Red Sea. God looked out of that cloud toward the Egyptians and they panicked, and then they drowned in the Red Sea. This same cloud was on Mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments. This same cloud rested on the Meeting Tent where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. It was also in the Holy of Holies when the temple was built by Solomon. I think this is the cloud that the three apostles saw on the mountain of Transfiguration.

This is called the Shekinah of God. Shekinah literally means dwelling – or presence – of God.

Apply:   

I think more of us have experienced this than we realize. Have you had a time when you have been in prayer were you knew you were in the presence of God, that there was an overwhelming… sense of His presence? I think the experience that the apostles had in the gospel was just that. They knew they were in the presence of God, and they wanted more! They wanted more so badly that they lost their vision, except for seeing Jesus. Nothing else mattered. The world seemed to disappear. This is the experience of the Shekinah of God.

I do not think it is something that only mystics experience. I think it is something that most people who are believers have had some sense of because they desire to see God. Those of you who participate in an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament have probably experienced this more than most. May I suggest to those of you who would like this kind of spiritual experience that is available to you – simply for the asking, because God wants to share himself with us.

Sometimes it takes a great deal of prayer for this Shekinah to happen. It takes effort on our part to want to draw close to God. But He wants to draw close to us.

Different prayers from our Catholic tradition help us to grow in that. And since St. Patrick’s Day is coming up here on Monday, I thought I would read for you Saint Patrick’s Breastplate as the rest of my homily. Legend says that Saint Patrick first prayed this prayer when he confronted the pagan Irish King to convince him of the truth of Christianity. Please excuse me but my Irish ancestry has got to come out sometime. Here is a Patrick’s Breastplate.

I arise today 
 Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
 Through belief in the Threeness,
 Through confession of the Oneness
 of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
 Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
 Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
 Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
 Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
 Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
 In the obedience of angels,
 In the service of archangels,
 In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
 In the prayers of patriarchs,
 In the predictions of prophets,
 In the preaching of apostles,
 In the faith of confessors,
 In the innocence of holy virgins,
 In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
 The strength of heaven,
 The light of the sun,
 The radiance of the moon,
 The splendor of fire,
 The speed of lightning,
 The swiftness of wind,
 The depth of the sea,
 The stability of the earth,
 The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
 God's strength to pilot me,
 God's might to uphold me,
 God's wisdom to guide me,
 God's eye to look before me,
 God's ear to hear me,
 God's word to speak for me,
 God's hand to guard me,
 God's shield to protect me,
 God's host to save me
 From snares of devils,
 From temptation of vices,
 From everyone who shall wish me ill,
 afar and near.

I summon today
 All these powers between me and those evils,
 Against every cruel and merciless power
 that may oppose my body and soul,
 Against incantations of false prophets,
 Against black laws of pagandom,
 Against false laws of heretics,
 Against craft of idolatry,
 Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
 Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
 Christ to shield me today
 Against poison, against burning,
 Against drowning, against wounding,
 So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
 Christ before me,
 Christ behind me,
 Christ in me,
 Christ beneath me,
 Christ above me,
 Christ on my right,
 Christ on my left,
 Christ when I lie down,
 Christ when I sit down,
 Christ when I arise,
 Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
 Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
 Christ in every eye that sees me,
 Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
 Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
 Through belief in the Threeness,
 Through confession of the Oneness
 of the Creator of creation.

Sometimes people pray a shorter version of this prayer, just with the 15 lines about Christ above. Let me repeat them:

Christ with me,
 Christ before me,
 Christ behind me,
 Christ in me,
 Christ beneath me,
 Christ above me,
 Christ on my right,
 Christ on my left,
 Christ when I lie down,
 Christ when I sit down,
 Christ when I arise,
 Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
 Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
 Christ in every eye that sees me,
 Christ in every ear that hears me.

A great prayer calling for the presence of God in our souls. Maybe this will prompt the Shekinah – that indwelling of God that the apostles experienced – in you.

+++++