Yesterday’s gospel reading told us about some of the people with whom Jesus was keeping company. Peter, James, and John were with Jesus on that high mountain when He was transfigured, and then Moses and Elijah made an appearance. Good company, indeed!
Just think about it! During Lent 2023, we know we are in good company in our journey toward Easter. God, the Father, is with us, and that means we have access to his holiness, power, faithfulness, righteousness, and kindness. God, the Father, is the kind of company that comes to dinner and brings the food—and even prepares the meal!
We certainly know about Jesus from the gospels. He is the gift from God, the Living Bread come down from heaven, the life-giving, Living Water through whom we are thirsty no more. Because Jesus is fully human, he knows from experience about emotions, challenges, and temptations. He relates to us with fullness of understanding. He gets up with us in the mornings and is with us throughout our days. He saves us over and over again, picks us up and helps us to respond to God’s love. His shoulder is always right next to us if we need to lean or to cry. His approving smile is always waiting when we do His Father’s bidding. Jesus’ name is our password to salvation.
The Holy Spirit is a motivating and consoling companion, especially during this time as we anticipate Easter. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us those little nudges to pray, repent, or do a kind act. It is the Holy Spirit who can energize us and give us courage to overcome temptations. The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity prays with us, through us, and for us in words that are beyond words, when we cannot find the words. If we let the Spirit work, we can seize our lives’ moments and make them shine. Through the waters of baptism and our confirmation, the Spirit offers us make-overs that no Lenten visit to a health spa can rival. We can have a perpetual newness about us.
At all Masses, we call upon the Communion of Saints, that is, Linus, Sixtus, Cornelius, Agnes, Agatha, and the holy Apostles, those saints we have heard about and read about, all the faithful in the Church like our families, friends, teachers, acquaintances, the people with whom we live, work, play, and pray. We ask that great company to help us. And, of course, our loving Blessed Mother prays for us generously. Even our guardian angels are keeping company with us. We might forget or ignore them, but they pray for us, too.
We might want to customize or adapt our prayers today. We could pray the “Glory Be” or “The Sign of the Cross” to help us be more aware of the company we keep:
Glory be to the Father, who is Abba, and to the Son, who saves me, and to the Holy Spirit, who fires me up. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.
In the name of the Father who is so faithful, and of the Son who shepherds me, and of the Holy Spirit who consoles and inspires me, I pray I remain aware of such holy company today. Amen.