The following homily was given in the historical town of Emaus at the end of eleven days of pilgrimage through the Holy Land
When Jesus was presented in the Temple it was easy for most people to miss it. Simeon and Anna were waiting and rejoiced at his coming, but probably not many others even noticed the return of God to the temple. On the Mount of the Transfiguration which we just visited, Jesus manifested himself in a way that could not be missed. Peter, James, and John got to see a glimpse of the divinity of Jesus. It was so wonderful that Peter just wanted to say and set up camp.
As we celebrated Mass there, I noticed the four mosaics on the vault of the ceiling. It struck me that the point of these images seemed to be to show other ways in which Jesus is revealed. However, each of these manifestations seemed to me to be almost the opposite of the transfiguration. While the transfiguration is the highlight of clarity, the images on the ceiling seem almost to hide more than they reveal. In the homily today I consider how each of these mosaics reveals Jesus.
A Son Has Been Given Us
I Am the Bread of Life
I Was Dead and Behold I Am Living
He Has Risen He Is Not Here