I find that St. Peter is one of the most fascinating and relatable figures in the Gospel. In Matthew 16, just before today’s Gospel, Christ asks the apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” St. Peter responds, “The Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Christ blesses him, promises to build his Church on him, and promises he will be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Then, almost immediately, Peter opens his mouth and inserts his foot.
Our Lord begins to explain that he will go to Jerusalem to suffer, to die, and to rise on the third day, and Peter rebukes Him for this. These are not the things a Messiah is supposed to do! Our Lord responds, “Get behind me, Satan.” Peter does not yet understand what following the Messiah means. Christ then explains that his disciples must take up their own crosses and follow Him.
The very next story in St. Matthew’s Gospel is the Transfiguration. Nothing in Scripture is accidental. The Transfiguration happens when it does for a reason. One of the many things it shows us is that Peter is still struggling to fully understand what will be required of Christ and of him. He offers to make three tents, because this is a good place to be. It’s as if he’s implying: Why not stay here? Why go down the mountain to Jerusalem? Let’s preserve this moment and make this our dwelling place. He’s no longer denying Christ, but he is trying to follow Christ on his own terms. Isn’t Peter so relatable here? Because most of us know we shouldn’t argue directly with Christ. We simply try to change what He asks to do into something easier.
Then the voice from Heaven, the voice of the Father, breaks in. A bright cloud, the cloud of God’s presence, overshadows and envelops them. St. John Chrysostom says that on this mountain Peter is shown the true dwelling of Christ, one not made by human hands. The Father interrupts him to make it clear: Christ is not one figure among others, he is the beloved Son of God. When the cloud lifts, to drive home the point, only Christ remains. The final words of the Father are, “Listen to Him.” Scripture tells us that they were very afraid.
If you’re Peter, what has just happened? You offered to make a dwelling for Christ, but he showed you that he dwells in a place not made by human hands. It’s almost as if he invited you to join Him in that place by showing it to you. It’s as if he said, “No, Peter, I will make a dwelling for you.” Then you are told, “Listen to Him.” The next words you hear are, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Yet surely, in the back of their minds, they recall the words spoken earlier: Christ must go to Jerusalem, suffer, die, and rise, and they must take up their crosses and follow Him.
Strengthened by this vision of Christ’s glory, Peter, James, and John follow Him down the mountain and to Jerusalem. After He rose from the dead, they shared the vision with us. As we mirror Peter’s journey in our own relationship with Christ, today’s Gospel invites us to ponder a question: Where do I want to build the tents? More directly: Where am I trying to preserve a version of Catholicism that inspires me but does not cost me? Where am I happy to confess my Christianity, but hesitant to follow Him into the parts of discipleship that are uncomfortable, inconvenient, or painful?
St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians that “this is the will of God, your sanctification.” He doesn’t write that the will of God is for us to be comfortable, to have a lot of money, to be well regarded by society, or even to have a nice emotional high when we come to worship Him at Mass. The will of God is our sanctification, because that is how we join Him in that glorious dwelling not made with human hands. We become holy and sanctified by abstaining from immorality and, as St. Paul writes to Timothy, by “[bearing] your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.”
Becoming holy is hard work, and it is different for everyone. For those who are married, it means fidelity to your spouse, even in the hardest of times. For the lonely, it means persevering and putting your hope and trust in God’s goodness. For those tempted with sins of the flesh, it means resisting and fasting and praying and refusing to fall into despair. For those who have been hurt, it means asking God for the grace to forgive. For all of us, it means that when our prayer feels dry and God seems far away, we stay faithful to Him and never give up. Holiness requires discipline. It requires saying no to things that draw us away from God. It requires suffering and bearing your cross. It requires us to recognize that our strength comes from God, not ourselves.
Peter wanted to stay on the mountain and make a moment of glory permanent. He didn’t want to go through the suffering that would be required, and he didn’t want to see Christ suffer either. Then the Father said, “listen to Him.” The Son said, “Rise, and do not be afraid,” and He led them down the mountain, back to the painful reality he had foretold.
So, as we continue this journey through Lent, let us ask ourselves: Where am I resisting, like Peter, what the Lord has shown me I must do? Where am I negotiating with God and resisting Him instead of following Him? Where am I trying to build tents?
This Lent, let’s stop trying to stay where we are and build tents. Instead, let’s listen to our Savior, who says “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Let’s follow Him down the bumpy, challenging, and painful path. At the end of that path, we will find the glory of eternal life with God forever in Heaven.