When Jesus was transfigured, "from the cloud came a voice which said, 'This is My Son, My Chosen One. Listen to Him' " (Lk 9:35). However, the apostles did not listen to Jesus, especially regarding His death on the cross and His resurrection. Even after Jesus died and rose, they didn't listen to Him. Jesus knew this would happen. He concluded one of His parables with the statement: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if one should rise from the dead" (Lk 16:31). Finally, after Jesus' Ascension, the apostles listened to Jesus a little bit by remaining in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). At this first Christian Pentecost, they received the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8). A spiritual bomb exploded. Their hardness of heart and hardness of hearing were melted. From this point on, the apostles listened to Jesus.

On this day, we sorrowfully remember the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Similarly, Jesus' Transfiguration was a beginning of bringing together a "critical mass" of spiritually explosive material. This bomb exploded at Pentecost. The bomb of Pentecost causes us to listen to Jesus. Other bombs cause us to hold our hands over our ears (see Acts 7:57) and not listen. Choose your bomb.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert J. Buschmiller, February 17, 1998

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 25, 1998