Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord.
Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1: 16-19; Matthew 17: 1-9;
There’s a story that has been passed down through the years about a little boy who was terrified during a thunder and lightning storm. He screamed, ‘Daddy, I’m scared!’ His father, I wanting to stay in bed, replied ‘Don’t worry, God loves you and will take care of you.’ After a bit of silence the son replied, ‘I know God loves me, but right now I need somebody with skin on.’
It is interesting to see the placement of today’s feast. In the sixteenth chapter, St. Matthew starts out with the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding Jesus for a sign from Heaven. Jesus said, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days. Then Jesus told the apostle to beware of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. After this, Jesus asked the Apostles, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is? They gave the various responses and Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responded, “You are the Messiah the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus gave the first prediction of His passion followed by the conditions of discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Scripture scholars say that Jesus was preparing the disciples for His passion and death. Just like the little boy in the story above, they needed some sort of physical assurance that God would not abandon them when His physical death occurred. This is why He showed them a glimpse of His divinity so that they would remember this when they experienced the trauma of His passion and death. It also prepared them for the persecutions and sufferings they would go through. They just needed to know that God would always be with them.
There is another powerful fact about the Transfiguration, we have the account of eyewitnesses. Peter spells this out in the second reading, “Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the unique declaration came to Him from the majestic glory, ‘This is My Son, My beloved, with whom I am well pleaded.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.”
I look back and see how important it has been for me to hear from witnesses. I remember the horrible day of 9/11. I was glued to the newscasters retelling the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and the TV reporters asking the brave rescue workers and courageous people from the fire departments going ‘into hell’ and going back and back because, ‘these are our friends and neighbors in there’. I cried along with everyone else.
I just finished an article from the Franciscan magazine, The Holy Land Review on the completion of the restoration work on the Edicule that encloses the remains of the Tomb of the Risen Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For the first time in more than 200 years the ancient stones were visible to a very small group who were able to enter and view the original stone. Here they found themselves face-to-face with he mystery of Jesus’ Resurrection. One said, “When we speak about the Resurrection of Christ, we relate how the women went to see the Sepulchre or that the Apostles saw the tomb empty; but none of them was a witness to the Resurrection. The only witness of the Resurrection was just this Sepulchre, which we venerate as empty..” One said, “It was like entering into a mystery and one could touch it - at least a little, with one’s finger.” Another, “But it’s as if we needed to have even more certitude and, there, something made me perceive that, yes, it’s really true. I was overwhelmed when I left.” I saw the stone then I experienced a long silence. The silence deeply moved me and I experienced a great joy.” A Franciscan Sister who works at the shrine said “To begin with. I didn’t know what to do. You don’t know if your should cry or just look at the tomb. You feel something in yourself something that is pushing you to say ‘it’s beautiful’ and then something which makes you think: ‘It’s true! Jesus was really there, on a piece of rock.’ It’s a feeling that stays with you and you don’t know how to explain it. You have to experience it to believe it.”
In the first reading we hear about Daniel who has successfully interpreted visions received by kings. Now he receives a vision himself of the heavenly court. In this vision, God is identified as the Ancient One showing God’s eternal existence. Daniel sees one like the Son of Man coming among the clouds with the promise that this King brings the promise of lasting peace and joy. Here we have another eyewitness. The Sacred Scriptures are loaded with story upon story of people’s faith journeys. God has created the human race showing His eternal love for each and every one. In realizing that we are loved, we know that it entails a commission by God for us to be love. We do this so that those we come in contact with know that God is love. We touch others with our own stories, our own eyewitness.
Today we hear from Matthew who was not an eyewitness. He was not one of the apostles who witnessed the Transfiguration. He tells us that Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain. Matthew heard this story from them. He was excited about it and had to share it to help each person believe that God is God and God cares about us with His deep forever love. God spoke on the mountain, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.” This is our role - to listen and to act on the mission that we have received in Baptism. Living the Word, Scripture Reflections and Commentaries for Sandy’s and Holy Days gives a wonderful reflection today. “We put on Christ in baptism. We became adopted daughters and sons of God, called to be God’s beloved and give dominion, glory and power to the Transfigured Christ. We promised to listen to Him and rise up out of any fear that our own sin makes us inadequate to the task of living Jesus and shining with the light of God. We can live in ways that are pleasing to God or that are not because they reveal our preference for darkness to the light of the Transfigured One. Like Peter, James, and John, we are witnesses to Jesus’ transforming power. While challenging, that good news can make our faces shine like the sun and fill the world with the light of the Son.” So I reflect on:
If I diagram my faith journey, it has mountains and valleys, and low points. Have I shared my faith at the high points? What has the response been? During the low points, what memories or high points have sustained me? Was there a person or people who touched me?
The birth of a child, falling in love, realizing that a friendship is special…where and how do I see God present in these? What helps me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus?
The road of discipleship stretches from Transfiguration Mountain to Calvary hill; the joys and sufferings; both show God’s love and presence. Do I celebrate these?
Sacred Space 2007 states:
“Transfiguration is about Jesus and about us. When we are with Him, we are with the divine. When He is with us, He is with the human. His love, grace, sacraments, peace and compassion can transfigure us. May I be present in prayer to this light.
The voice from the cloud had a simple message for Jesus and for us. Jesus saw that there was a time for silence and a time to speak. I ask God to help me to know what is appropriate—and when. I may draw strength from considering how I have been able to show restraint in the past.”
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