Friends for the Journey

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to visit with a friend of mine. My buddy Rob had flown into Dallas and we were able to reconnect after not seeing each other in person for about six years. We greeted each other with a bear hug and started laughing, picking up our friendship like we never left off. The purpose of his visit to Dallas from New Jersey was for us to reconnect with another old friend: “The Boss”. When Bruce Springsteen announced a world tour for 2023, I knew that I had to see him again in concert and knew I had to see him with Rob, who is the (self-professed) world’s biggest Springsteen fan.

The concert was a three-hour whirlwind and celebration of rock and roll, with the theme of this set focusing on friendship. Songs played from Springsteen’s older albums centered on the idea of the kind of friendships we have in our late teens or twenties, having fun along the Jersey Shore, and trying to make it home before the sun rose. Those friendships, despite providing a lot of laughs, fun, and memories are based on common interests, surface-level and often superficial. These hits were played in tandem with songs from Springsteen’s newest album Letter to You, which really grabbed my attention. Told from the perspective of a septuagenarian, Springsteen sang those songs about the beauty of having real friends, and how over time, the meaning of friendship shifts from one of convenience to deeper soulful relationships. Those deeper relationships are built upon mutuality, trust, love, and rooted in God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus takes Peter, James and John and “leads them up a high mountain” where he “transfigured before them” (Mt 17:1-3). During the Transfiguration, Jesus’ “face shone like the sun/and his clothes became white as light” (Mt. 17:3-4). A face shining like the sun along clothes of dazzling white are indications that something powerful is occurring on that mountaintop, but it is difficult for the disciples to understand. The disciples have come to know Jesus as a teacher, a healer and even a prophet. Jesus had a special relationship with Peter, James, and John, as they were present with Him during some of the most important portions of His ministry. However, this scene indicates that something greater is happening. The disciples are beginning to see Jesus as the Christ, their perspective of Him shifting from the emphasis being on “Son” to that of “God” in His title Son of God. Knowing there is sense of confusion among these three men, a voice from the Heavens emerges and spoke to the disciples telling them “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Mt 17:5). This line was particularly moving to me, as it sums up what Lent is about: the road is going to be tough, but if I listen to Christ and witness his light, the journey will be manageable, especially knowing what (and Who) is waiting for me at the end!

There is a shift in perception from the disciples. If they did not realize who Jesus was before this trip, all doubt is gone. There is now a deeper layer to their relationship. Jesus instructs the disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen. These are powerful visions, but the time is not quite right for them to share their experience with others. The Transfiguration cannot be fully understood until after that Friday known as Good where Christ is laid in the tomb and rises from the dead. Lent can be a time of discomfort, and sensing the unease or troubles of his friends, Jesus came to them at the end of today’s Gospel and touched them, saying “Rise, and do not be afraid” (Mt 17:7). Christ’s calming touch and comforting words reassure Peter, James, and John. There is no fear in the hearts of these three men as the transfigured Christ is the man they have known for three years.

As they descended down from the mountaintop, they were able to recognize, but probably not fully comprehend, how their relationship with Jesus was deeper. The question I always come back to is how can Peter, James, and John reciprocate this new form of friendship? What can they do now that Christ has been so vulnerable with them? They had one idea of who Jesus was as they traveled up to the mountaintop, but left with a newfound and deeper understanding as they made their way down to be with the other disciples. The next big event we see these men at, they fall asleep in the garden, and Peter denies Christ three times. Not exactly great examples of what true friends do for each other. Nevertheless, over time, these three men figure out what they need to do in order to be fully invested in Christ and in their friendship with Him. They became pillars of this new Catholic community, devoting their lives to be as good as friends to Christ as he was to them.

When Springsteen brought the concert to a close, he spoke from the heart about the power of friendship. He spoke about band members who have passed away through the years: “The pain slips away, the love remains, and [our brothers] live in that love and walk alongside [us] as a part of [our] spirit. I’m not going to see [them] at the next session, but I’ll see [them] in my dreams”. As we enter into the heart of this Lenten season, the journey may be tough. My hopes and prayers during these 46 days center on the friends I have, who will walk beside me during this journey. By placing my trust in them, I believe that they too, will be able to provide the calm and comfort that Christ provided the disciples as they descended that mountain and will provide to us beyond that Easter Sunday.

Author: Colin Hanley, Counseling Department