If you walk into a religious bookstore, in most cases you'll see a number of celebrity biographies. These are the life stories of actors, athletes and corporate leaders who are also Christians.

I've always found it interesting that there is a tendency in religious communities to celebrate the fact that wealthy, famous and powerful people share our faith. Sometimes it seems that the organizations that sell and promote these books, usually faith-based businesses, are using celebrities in the same way that makers of consumer products use celebrities. Madison Avenue uses celebrities to endorse breakfast cereals, razor blades and cosmetics. The idea is that if a beautiful person uses a product, you and I will want to use it too. If a beautiful person promotes his or her faith, perhaps others will be more inclined to consider that religion.

In today's Gospel reading, Peter, James and John follow Jesus to the top of a mountain, where they are greeted by a vision of Moses and Elijah conferring with Jesus. "Rabbi, it is good that we are here!" Peter says. "Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

No doubt Peter, James and John are thrilled that Moses and Elijah --- giants of the Jewish religion --- have joined the company of Jesus. Perhaps Peter wants to seize the opportunity to elevate Jesus' status in the minds of the religious leaders of the day. A photo-opportunity with Moses and Elijah could be the ultimate endorsement.

God has a different pecking order in mind. "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him," says a voice from the heavens. Moses and Elijah are not there to elevate the perceived status of Jesus. Rather Jesus is at the center of God's plan for the world.

Listen to him. That is a great message for us at Lent. There are so many voices we listen to. We have spouses, friends, children and parents asking for our attention and offering direction. We have marketers and advertisers in every media imaginable telling us what to want, what to desire, what to aspire to.

If you're like me, you try and accommodate the people who are close to you. And if you're like me, when you see an ad for a car, a vacation, an investment portfolio, you think you'd like that kind of life. Finally, if you're like me, you probably don't often get around to asking yourself what kind of life God would like you to live.

We are called to listen for the voice of God in the midst of our busy lives and our message-saturated culture. It is not easy. We need to put ourselves in a position where we can hear that voice.

For me, it means not just hearing the Scriptures each Sunday but listening to them. It means not just reciting prayers at Mass but praying the prayers. It means not just doing an occasional act of charity but actually looking for the presence of Jesus Christ in my neighbor who has less than I do.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ did not spread because of celebrity endorsements. Indeed, it was a bunch of "nobodies" who lived Jesus' message of love, compassion and redemption, and these nobodies changed the world. We are called to do the same. It starts with listening to him.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.