SCRIPTURES Genesis 12 The Lord said to Abram: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Psalm 33 See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them… Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. 2 Timothy 1: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus. Matthew 17. Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them.
CITIZENRY OF EARTH, CITIZENRY OF HEAVEN.
In the week after the Olympics and some golden wins for the USA hockey teams, I am feeling a little pride for the red, white and blue. Our nation’s hockey programs have come a long way, having it been 46 years since the USA got gold in hockey, and then to finally have our national anthem played twice to the hoisted flag of the victor, after both of the US hockey teams won it all. I connect the good feelings, then, to my citizenship in the USA and my love of sports.
I also am well aware of this 2026 year as our 250th year as an independent nation. On July 4, 1776—we’ll have made it to our quarter of a millennium as a free land. That is, we celebrate our semquincentennial. (Say that six times fast!) We’ve had 250 years of free citizens of the USA.
Are you a US citizen or working to be one? People have backgrounds from all over that have settled in the USA. I would call my ancestry Irish-American. Others are Polish-Americans, Brazilian-Americans, Filipino-Americans and Cameroon-Americans.
In the end, we seek to be US citizens. I have a passport when traveling away, to indicate my home nation. Holding on to the passport gives me proof of that USA citizenship, and gives me the comfort of knowing that, while even in a foreign country, the US government will offer help to me if I need it. I have needed it; I got some assistance. It was a matter of all my luggage getting confiscated in a communist held airport in Split, Yugoslavia years ago. Yet somehow, my luggage got returned intact later to my home address here in Maryland. My nation sought my restitution. And I got it. I was glad to be an American, where even in Split they had my back. And eventually, my Samsonite. Back.
Yet, even in as much as being a USA citizen is great, we have a higher identity than that.
On the Mount of Transfiguration (told of in today’s Gospel) the three men followers up there on Tabor with Jesus got an amazing revelation that they had a higher identity given to them with Jesus than of just being Galilean Jews of Israel. With Jesus they could now be “citizens of heaven.”
Jesus showed the dual citizenship He had, as the Son of Man on earth, but always as belonging to Heaven, too. This dual identity He would be sharing out with His followers. Peter, James and John could see that the children of men would soon become children of God. Heaven opened up and a Light Shone from Jesus and two visitors from Heaven arrived to salute Jesus, as Their Lord. It was Moses and Elijah, we are told. The Feast of Tabernacles up on the Mount marked a turning-the-corner occasion when Jesus was telling His followers that they would one day be granted Heaven, for putting faith in Him and in God. After Jesus rose from the dead, and appeared to the many as alive, this trio of apostles broke the news of what they saw in Jesus’ Transfiguration.
St. Paul told his Philippine church that, due to Christ’ Rising and The Spirit’s coming, believers could have an identity added to them to become “citizens of heaven.” (Philippians 3) This is also true for us here. We were issued our heavenly citizen papers on the day of our Baptism. Dual citizenry!
But will one need their baptism certificate to get into Heaven?! ‘Should someone put a copy in your pocket at the viewing in the funeral wake?! No. ☺ Besides the paperwork, the Lord imparted an indelible spiritual marking upon your body and soul at baptism. God can see it there today upon you, and will see it on you, and welcome you up Home, that is, if you lived out your baptism identity, prior to coming “Home” to meet Him. Is Heaven your home, your aim, your hope? Are you living like it is your calling?
Being a citizen of Heaven is a privilege and a Blessing; it also gives us the responsibility to be faithful citizens. It is a sign of God’s love for us that our citizenship begins at Baptism. Our Heavenly Father sent his Son to take on our cause, especially as Lamb of God for our sins, so that the separation once put there of making us outcasts of Glory, is turned around in our humanity and our souls to give us a new relationship with God and access to the kingdom of God via Jesus Christ reign in you.
Jesus revealed to us that his Father has adopted us as sons and daughters. Ephesians 1:5 says: “In love he predestined us for adoption as His own sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Romans 8:15 says: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, as to live in fear, rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sons and daughters of The Lord. And by him we cry Abba Father.” John 1:12 says: “As many who did receive him, to those who believed in his Name, to them he gave right to become children of God.” (So—check out your passport!)
God is our Father, Jesus is our Brother, and the Spirit sanctifies us in that Triune relationship. What would the response of friends, neighbors and even strangers be if we began claiming our citizenship by telling them, “I am a citizen of Heaven?” It would certainly get their attention, and it might even provide us with the opportunity to do some basic evangelization. It is also a good way for us to remind ourselves, first and foremost, we are citizens of Heaven.
Some of the privileges we are given are receiving the Sacrament, in particular the Lord himself in the Eucharist, and being able to approach God as His sons and daughters and to address him in prayer as, “Our Father.” The ultimate privilege we receive as citizens of heaven is the opportunity for eternal life with our Lord Christ Jesus .
We are given a glimpse of this in the account of the Transfiguration. Peter, James and John saw a “change of appearance”, “dazzling white” clothing, and some heavenly citizens dropping by! Moses and Elijah. Also is heard the voice of the Father. The communications with eternity are getting opened up.
The evangelist Matthew who relates this may have been dumbfounded, just like Peter was in the moment, after all, how could one begin to describe the infinite glory of this vision of eternity? The privilege of eternal life leads to an eternity of being in the presence of God, and of being changed from our mortal bodies to bodies that will conform with Christ’s glorified body. Glory citizens: It gives us much to look forward to!
Lent is the season for us to see how we are living as citizens of heaven, and how we are preparing for the privileges that come with that. We began Lent with the three-fold call from Christ to pray, fast, and give alms. We examine if we are being led by the Holy Spirit, and in practice of a Christ’ Love. Lent, too, is not just a preparation for Easter Sunday, 2026, yet it is a preparation for our Glory time ahead. As citizens of Heaven we have the responsibility, then, to live each day in faithfulness to our Baptismal promises. We each have struggles, temptations and sins; Our responsibility is to face them, repent of sin and strive to be godly, readying ourselves to be faithful citizens of Heaven. ‘Right?
Citizenship joke: A man goes to apply for Finnish citizenship. He says to the employee, “I want to be a citizen of Finland. My name is Mr. Geisz.” The employee responds in broken English. Employee: “Would you say you are a nice man, Mr. Geisz?” The man replies: “Um… I suppose so.” “Then, go to the back of the line.” says the clerk. “What’s the problem?” says the applicant. The clerk replies: “We have a saying here in our country—nice guys Finnish last.” Citizenship joke #2. A man claims to belong to three different nations: Triple citizenship. He arrives in the US and comes to the airport customs line at Dulles Airport. The customs clerk says: “Declare yourself and your business.” The man honestly says: “I’m visiting a restaurant chain in your country. My name is Bo Pellegrini. I am Turkish and Swiss and originally just from Italy.” The clerk looks at the passport, and says: “You say—Pelligrino and Turkey with Swiss on Italian?” The traveler says: “Uh—Pella–” The clerk says: “Passed! And I think I am going to take a lunch break now, as I suddenly got hungry!” +