Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent (C)

As I’m sure most of you know, this month the city has commenced a yearlong celebration of Grand Central Terminal’s centennial anniversary.  There are all sorts of special events planned, and there have been a number of newspaper articles and television specials on the history of the city’s landmark station.

I have to confess that, despite being a native New Yorker, I learned a most remarkable fact from one of these articles about the station’s beloved ceiling mural … Perhaps I never knew this fact because the mural had remained covered for more than sixty years until a restoration was undertaken in 1998.

Anyway, Paul Cesar Helleu, a renowned French portrait artist of the Belle Epoque, visited New York in 1912 and was awarded the commission to design the ceiling decoration for Grand Central.  He conceived the ceiling mural we see again today: a blue-green night sky covered by the constellations of the zodiac.

But the remarkable fact I recently learned is that the constellations on the ceiling are all backwards!  Now there are several different theories about how this came to be, and the article I read went through them all one by one.  But I was blown away that the most likely scenario is that the mural is based on a medieval manuscript that visualized the sky, not as we see it from earth, but as it looks to God, from above the celestial sphere.

I thought of this fantastic story as I prayed with the readings for this second Sunday of Lent, because they, too, involve staring up into the beauty of the heavens; and at the same time they invite us to see things not as human beings do, but as God does.

In our first reading, from the Book of Genesis, “God takes Abram outside” and tells him to look up into the sky and ponder the radiance of all the stars, and to count them if he can.  God promises Abram that his descendants will be just as numerous as the stars, and our reading tells us that, “Abram put his faith in the Lord.” 

Let’s pause for a moment to recognize how remarkable that is.  Remember that when God makes this promise, Abram is seventy-five years old and he and his wife Sarai don’t have any children at all; and Abraham is one hundred years old when Sarah finally does give birth to their only son, Isaac.

So, we couldn’t exactly blame Abram if he had laughed at God’s promise and doubted that He was serious.  From a human perspective the thought of Abram having countless heirs is completely ludicrous.  And yet, “Abram put his faith in the Lord.”

Brothers and sisters, faith is trusting, not in how we see things, but in how God sees things.  Having faith isn’t believing in God’s promise as we understand it, or as we would choose to have it fulfilled … faith is trusting in the one who made the promise in the first place.

In our Gospel today, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray.  While there, the Apostles look up into the sky and see the transfigured Jesus shining more brightly than any star. God makes the Apostles a promise, just as He did for Abram.  “This is my beloved Son,” He tells them; and then He asks them to put their faith in Christ, saying, “Listen to Him.” 

Unlike our first reading, we’re not told right away that the Apostles do indeed put their faith in the Lord.  In fact, this encounter happened shortly after Peter told Jesus that he would never allow Him to be arrested and put to death.  Remember that Jesus then rebuked Peter saying: “get behind me Satan, you are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

And now, on the mountaintop, the Apostles long to build three tents … in other words, they long to remain in the peace, and beauty, and calm of that moment of Divine transcendence. But Jesus takes them back down the mountain – down to Jerusalem, where He knows the Son of Man must be arrested, tortured, and killed.

To human eyes, this isn’t any way for the Messiah, the king of Israel to redeem His people.  The scandal of the cross challenged the Apostle’s faith that Jesus was indeed the beloved Son of God and the Messiah for whom they had been waiting and longing.

Just the same, when you and I encounter the cross, and experience some form of suffering, some loss, or some struggle with sin, we too can have a hard time believing in God’s promise; a hard time seeing things the way God sees them.

During the season of Lent, we spend a significant amount of our spiritual energy taking up the cross, examining our consciences, and confessing our weakness and sinfulness.  And yet, the ultimate point of our Lenten fast – like Jesus’ forty day fast in the desert – is not that we dwell on our miserable human weakness, but that we cast aside and overcome all the things that keep us from seeing ourselves, and others, the way God sees us.

And how is it that God sees us?  Well, the Apostles today hear God say that Jesus is His beloved Son, just as He announced at Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan.  By virtue of our Baptism we too are the beloved sons and daughters of God!  Therefore, the transfiguration that the Apostles witness in today’s Gospel isn’t just about Jesus – it’s about us well.  As St. Paul told the Philippians in today’s second reading: “He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body.”

In other words, Jesus’ Transfiguration isn’t just proof of His Divine glory – it’s proof that we too are destined to share God’s Divine life forever in heaven!  The Transfiguration is not only a vision of how God sees Jesus, and thus how He really is – it’s how God sees us as well, and thus how we really are!

Some 750,000 people walk beneath the murals in Grand Central Station each and every day - each of them the beloved son or daughter of God - any one of them, at any given moment, carrying some cross and wondering if God is really there; if He really notices or cares.

I love the thought that even just a few of them might be reminded, looking up at those backward constellations, that God really does see us, and really does care ... but that how we humans see things isn’t as important as how God sees them.  

This Lent, may our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving train our eyes to see as God sees, and our hearts and minds to act as the beloved sons and daughters that we are.

D.C.'s Best Burger Joints ... and a Staten Island Extra

After receiving word this week that one of the President's favorite DC burger spots closed - for failure to pay its rent! - I decided it was as good a time as any to finally release the results of a little burger study I did when I lived in Washington. Believe it or not, I've actually had several requests for this, so here it goes ... 

During my four years in the City of Roses, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Portland's gastronomic hot spots and often offered reviews and pictures of wonderful meals on these electronic pages.  In Portland, I found that even the best and most popular restaurants were reasonably priced for a humble religious and I had a cohort of friends always game to try a new restaurant.   

When I first moved to D.C. I had hoped that I'd be able to continue my culinary adventures and report on them here on the blog. But alas, graduate studies kept me busy and the significantly higher prices in our nation's capital kept me from venturing to some of the best and brightest spots. 

I decided I needed a more wallet-friendly way of exploring the capital's food scene. I also discovered that our President (and his lovely wife) are fans of junk food, especially the all-American burger and fries.  Whenever either of them snuck out of the White House to cheat on their diets, the Washington Post would almost inevitably have a brief article and photo covering the event as if it were really news.

Politically speaking, there isn't very much President Obama and I agree on.  But I decided, in a spirit of bipartisanship, that I would visit some of his and Michelle's favorite burger joints and review them on my blog. (Interestingly, it turned out the President and I don't necessarily agree on the capital's best burger either! Michelle and I, however, are more simpatico.)

At the start, I should mention that I was not attempting to find the District's best burger, but to tour the District's burger joints. So I didn't look to visit restaurants or bars that serve excellent burgers as part of a lengthier menu. Rather, I chose to limit myself to places that serve burgers and fries almost exclusively.

My evaluation of the burgers covered the quality, quantity, and flavor of the meat; the texture and taste of the bun; and the quality and diversity of the toppings.  I also took account of the french fries' flavor, temperature, and texture, and noted any special dipping sauces that might have been on offer.

Finally, I gave restaurants bonus points when they offered milk shakes, deserts, or some other pleasant extra. Speaking of points, I should note that, in fact, there really is no point system ... I just made a list of the places I visited in ascending order of enjoyment.

10. Elevation Burger

My least favorite burger came from Elevation Burger which has several locations in the DC-MD-VA area, and is also franchised in eight other states. They pride themselves on serving organic, grass-fed, free-range beef ... but it was the burger itself that I so disliked. The patty didn't seem as if it were made of ground beef at all - rather, it seemed to be more 'lumped' ... which, in these parts, works for crab cakes but not for burgers. The bun was also pretty terrible - basically the starch-white industrial bun found in public school cafeterias. The toppings and fries were fine, but not enough to save the burger. I wouldn't waste the calories on Elevation again.

9.  BGR

BGR, or The Burger Joint, was the first of the D.C. burger establishments that I visited. They have locations throughout the South, in California, and in New York, though outside of the City itself. I enjoyed the burger well enough - it was a good size and it was nice and hot, but it wasn't especially flavorful. I had it topped with bacon, American cheese, and grilled onions - all of which were very good. But the bun was a little too bready for my liking, and the sweet potato fries weren't quite as crisp as I like them to be. BGR was fine, but I would look for other options before making a return visit. 

8 and 7. Z-Burger and Five Guys

I rank and evaluate these two burger joints together because it's hard for me to distinguish between the two of them. Both of these franchises are native to the DC area, although Five Guys has spread to all but three of the fifty states and Z-Burger has remained a local establishment.  Both restaurants serve a quality burger, quickly, and cheaply (and wrapped in aluminum foil!).  Their fries are hand cut, hot, and served in giant portions (their toppings are numerous and adequate) but are rarely crisp enough.

I have a slight preference for Z-Burger's bun, which is loaded with sesame seeds. I also like that they offer a variety of milk shake flavors (75 to be exact) and that they serve onion rings. On the other hand, Five Guys offers peanuts for an 'appetizer' as you wait.  Over all, both establishments are quite good and together they kind of served as a base line for what I expect out of a good burger joint.

6.  Ray's Hell Burger 

This is the President's favorite in-town burger joint. The picture above shows Mr. Obama at Ray's chowing down with then Russian President Medvedev. The locals are also over the moon about this place. They've had to open a second location mere storefronts away from the original to handle the crowds.

Perhaps my own experience suffered from all the hype. It seemed to me that offering extremely large burgers was what most recommended Ray's. Otherwise, the toppings, sauces, bun, and fries, were all pretty standard issue. Sorry D.C., but I don't think Ray's demise is worth shedding tears over.

5.  Black & Orange 

Originally called Rogue States, Black & Orange was founded by celebrated chef Raynold Mendizabal and has two locations in D.C. Black & Orange is known for being open into the wee hours of the morning.  But to me, its true uniqueness lies in the fact that while other burger joints name their burgers by the combination of toppings that adorn the burgers, at Black & Orange the names denote different flavors and seasonings used in forming the patty. These include curry, soy, jerk, and black truffle among others.

I enjoyed the black truffle oil burger which was very flavorful - and the peppered bacon I added on was simply fantastic. I thought the bun was okay, but it didn't stand out as anything special. The fries, too, were simply adequate. However, the Old Bay mayonnaise for dipping is an inspired addition!

4.  Bobby's Burger Palace  

The nearly ubiquitous celebrity chef Bobby Flay has jumped onto the burger craze bandwagon with his BBP chain. The gourmet burgers on the menu are named for different major cities and feature toppings that represent that city's culinary trademarks. These include a Dallas Burger with barbecue sauce, and a Philly burger with peppers, onions, and provolone.

Flay also gives you the option of having any burger "crunchified" which means that it comes topped with potato chips. I went ahead and gave it a try, but it didn't do anything for me at all. After compressing the monstrosity enough to take a bite, the mass of chips quickly became something akin to wet sawdust as it melted into the cheese and soaked up the ketchup. I also didn't think the onion rings were nearly crunchy enough.

Still, the Crunchburger's bun and the cheeseburger itself were quite good, and the fries - both regular and sweet potato - were very good. The sweet potato fries were especially good: crispy and served with a great spicy mustard. And I really enjoyed the black and white milkshake which was the perfect consistency.

3.  Kraze Burger

Kraze Burger (pronounced Crazy Burger) is, believe it or not, a South Korean burger chain. Their first American location was in Bethesda, and they have since opened another DC restaurant.  There are numerous interesting options for burger toppings at Kraze, but unfortunately I don't recall that kimchee was one of them! I ordered a fairly standard bacon cheeseburger with an onion ring added on, but everything about it was perfectly done. And the handcut fries were - unlike Five Guys a few doors away - perfectly crisp.

2.  Good Stuff Eatery

The soft potato bun is probably my favorite nest for a burger, so Good Stuff Eatery was certainly off to a good start. And the burger itself and the toppings were very good as well.  But then I tasted the superb toasted marshmallow shake ... and then I sampled the various dipping sauces for the french fries, especially the fantastic Old Bay Mayo ... these delights allowed me to easily overlook the fact that the french fries were on the soggy side.

1.  Shake Shack

I actually don't know if this is Michelle Obama's favorite DC burger, but after her lunching at Shake Shack garnered a lot of attention from the media, let's just assume it's her favorite ... in which case, I couldn't agree more!

I'm probably a bit biased, since Shake Shack was founded by the legendary Danny Meyer in New York City, but to my mind they offer the platonic ideal of the french fry: crinkle-cut, hot and crisp, and available with a cheese sauce that's closer to fondue than to the toxic canned "cheese" that usually gets poured over fries or nachos. The burger itself is griddle-pressed, hot and just slightly crisp around the edges, and the lettuce and tomato are always cool and fresh. Again, they're all set on my favorite: a soft potato bun.  And then there are the milkshakes and concretes, perfect in consistency and flavor.

Now that I live in NYC there is a Shake Shack just about three blocks from where I live. It is a miracle that I have had the fortitude to resist (I've only eaten there twice since August!) or else I'd weigh three hundred pounds!

A Staten Island Extra ... 

While I was undertaking this survey of DC's burgers, a friend insisted that one would be disloyal to one's home-place if they did not believe that some restaurant in their hometown served the best burger in the world.  When he said this, I honestly couldn't think of a place on Staten Island that fit the bill.  Shake Shack had to serve as my hometown favorite.

But I'm happy to say that the burger craze that Shake Shack helped spawn has now led to at least two burger joints opening on Staten Island: Standard Burger and Burga.  I've gotten to both since I moved back to the city, and although I enjoyed Standard Burger's "Texan" very much ...

I have to say that Burga is simply the best burger joint I have ever been to, anywhere, ever.  Their truffle oil fries, and thin, crisp onion rings; their black and white milkshake; and the fabulously flavorful burger (or should I say burga) have all been absolutely perfect every time I've eaten there.