"Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory." Today's Gospel records the event we call the Transfiguration of the Lord. In this miraculous moment, Jesus' divine nature was revealed clearly to Peter, James and John. Often, we think only in terms of what happened to Jesus: "his face changed" and "his clothing became dazzling white" and he began a supernatural conversation with two ancient prophets. But that was only half of the story. The other part is what happened to the men.
They were able to witness this revelation of Jesus only because they were "fully awake." Had they stayed sleeping, they would have missed out. They would not have had this astonishing insight into the glory of their friend and Master. It's an obvious point but one that may need more attention than we'd care to admit. Of course we have to be "awake" in order to absorb the fullness of our faith. If we are not tuned in, not attentive, not exerting any effort, then we are certainly going to miss out. But the fact is that we don't always realize we are falling asleep.
Just as Peter, James, and John were "overcome" with sleep, we too can slip into this state without necessarily realizing it's happening. Spiritually speaking, we can become numb or lazy and slowly fade away from the fervor of authentic faith. This is why the church, in her wisdom, gives us the season of Lent. During these weeks, we strive to purify ourselves by attacking the sins and selfishness that make us spiritual sleepwalkers. This is the time to refocus, to clear away the cobwebs and to become "fully awake." Ultimately, we pray that these efforts will allow us to truly see "his glory" come Eastertide.