The 17th century English poet, John Donne, tells of a man searching for God. He is convinced that God lives on the top of a mountain at the end of the earth. After a journey of many days, the man arrives at the foot of the mountain and begins to climb it.

At the same time God says to the angels: “What can I do to show My people how much I love them?” He decides to descend the mountain and live among the people as one of them. As the man is going up one side of the mountain, God is descending the other side. They don’t see each other because they are on opposite sides of the mountain.

On reaching the summit, the man discovers an empty mountaintop. Heartbroken, the man concludes that God does not exist.

Despite speculation to the contrary, God does not live exclusively on mountaintops, in deserts, or at the end of the earth, or even in some Heaven,

God dwells among and within human beings and in the Person of Jesus.

Staying on in the safety of the mountain is what Peter would prefer. During the Transfiguration, Peter and his companions get a glimpse of the future glory of Jesus’ Resurrection. They want nothing more.

However, after they come down the mountain, they are told by Jesus that the glory they witnessed would be real only after he had gone through suffering and death. We too will share in his glory, only by sharing in his suffering and death

Submitted by Fr. Joseph Dovari