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A
Step Towards the Truth
Fr.
George Smiga
7
March 2004
Luke
9:28b-36
A
young priest was paying his first pastoral visit to a nursing
home in a new parish. He was running late. He had skipped
lunch and was hungry. As he entered the room of an elderly
bedridden woman and introduced himself, he couldn't help but
notice a large bowl of peanuts sitting on her nightstand.
Although it was not his normal practice, he excused himself
and said, “Ma'am, do you mind if I have some of those peanuts?”
“Of course, Father,” she said with hospitality. “Help yourself.”
So he took some, and although the peanuts had a strange texture
and a faintly stale taste, it was good to have something in
his stomach. So he kept eating handful after handful as the
old lady rambled on about her connection to the parish and
the achievements of all of her children and grandchildren.
By the time he caught himself, he realized that he had eaten
almost all the peanuts in the bowl. Somewhat embarrassed,
he took the bowl and extended it to the woman saying, “Excuse
my rudeness. Would you like some of these peanuts?” “Oh, no,
Father,” she said with a smile. “I don't like peanuts. I just
like the chocolate coating. After I have sucked that off,
I put the peanuts in that bowl.”
Things
are often different than they seem. It is amazing how often
we walk around with a false picture of who we are, who other
people are, and what is the true condition of our surroundings.
We can know someone for many years and suddenly find out that
there is a part of that person—a gift, a flaw, a dream—to
which we were blind. Someone that we always trusted can turn
out to be false. Someone we never understood can suddenly
step forward as a friend. And when this new truth hits us,
it can confuse us and disorientate us.
This
is what happens to the disciples in today's gospel. In the
Transfiguration they see a new truth about Jesus. They had
always seen Jesus as a teacher and a friend, but in this experience
they see him as a being in glory, as a companion to Moses
and Elijah. That new truth overwhelms them. Peter doesn't
know what he is talking about. They are all terrified. Yet,
when the vision passes, the disciples realize that they have
grown. For now they see clearer who Jesus really is.
Even
though truth can be confusing and disturbing, we always take
a step forward when we can claim it. Even though truth can
be painful, it is better to own it than to continue on in
illusion and denial. Lent is a time where we try to take a
step closer to the truth. And in a particular way where we
try to own the truth about ourselves, because self knowledge
is always incomplete. The height of Greek wisdom was inscribed
on the temple of Apollo in Delphi, and it read, “Know yourself.”
The Greeks understood that following that command was the
task of a lifetime.
So
how do we come towards greater self knowledge? How do we move
towards knowing ourselves? Let me suggest two steps: Know
who you are not, and know where you are going. No one is good
at everything. None of us have all the gifts. Yet it is amazing
how we continue to frustrate ourselves by trying to be people
who we are not. We have always dreamed of being on American
Idol, and so we sing at parties even though we have no voice.
We are determined to help other people. So we give advice
even though we don't know what we're saying. We want others
to see us as successful, so we talk about our talents and
our accomplishments, but instead of impressing people we make
ourselves look foolish.
All
of us have gifts. But the first step to discovering the gifts
we have is admitting the gifts that we do not have. It is
freeing to be able to admit, “I'm not good at organization.
I'm not good at listening. I'm not good at communication.”
When we can admit who we are not, we take a step towards knowing
ourselves.
We
also need to know where we are going. This truth is fundamentally
a matter of faith. Because we believe that we are daughters
and sons of God, that our final end is union with God, that
we are bound to eternal life. When we know where we're going,
when we know what our final destination is, it gives us strength
to face the troubles of life. When I was serving in a parish
in Akron, I remember visiting a great Christian woman who
was dying of cancer. She was in great pain, not only because
of the cancer but also because of the treatments that were
trying to arrest it. I remember saying to her, “Louise, how
you doing?” She responded by saying to me, “It's a good thing
that I'm bound to glory, because I'm getting pretty tired
of this.”
Knowing
yourself is the work of a lifetime. But knowing who you are
not and knowing where you are going are two steps towards
greater self knowledge. The season of Lent encourages us to
take those steps. The transfiguration of Jesus reminds us
that moving towards the truth will lead us to growth. Even
though it is difficult to face the weight of truth, it is
better than living in illusion. For claiming the truth of
who we are gives us power. Or as Jesus says in John's gospel,
“The truth will set you free.”
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