THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST
Today the Church celebrates the “Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord”, and the Gospel reading for Liturgical Year C is Luke 9:28-36.
What a momentous occasion! Peter, James, and John beheld Jesus in His resurrected glory. Gazing into heaven, they saw Moses and Elijah and heard the voice of God. They saw Jesus as He would be after His ascension into heaven. And, in Him, they saw the hope of their own resurrection and transformation.
Jesus knew that such a glorious revelation was vital for these disciples. Just a week earlier, He had told them, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” …… “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:22,23). Having heard such challenging words, the disciples needed to see the glory that awaited Jesus and them, if only they would indeed embrace His cross.
Who among us would willingly surrender the desires of our heart unless we were certain that we would receive new life as a result? Without the knowledge of Jesus’ risen majesty, none of us would be able to endure the death to self that is the nature of the cross. Without Jesus’ resurrection, our faith would be futile, and we would do better to “eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1Corinthians 15:12-19,32). But Jesus has risen from the dead, and He wants to reveal His glory to each of us. The promise of the transfiguration is that we can see Jesus’ glory and – gazing upon Him – be changed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).
At the heart of our becoming like Jesus is our loving as He loved. It may take an act of faith for us to love some of the people we encounter every day, especially if we are burdened by our own problems. But as we join ourselves in prayer with the transfigured Christ, we will be strengthened, consoled, and comforted. The risen Lord will glory us and bless us with all the joy of heaven. He will accomplish His intention of making us like Himself.