2nd Sunday in Lent C Transfiguration of Jesus
Transfiguration Of Jesus
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
It is always a grace to be someone special. What a grace for Peter and James and John to see Jesus transfigured. They got a preview of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead and his glory in heaven. A Mountain-Top Experience. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven.
It was not the only special grace Jesus shared with Peter, James and John. Earlier in the Gospel (Mark and Luke) we read that Jesus only allowed Peter and James and John with him into the house of the synagogue official whose daughter he raised up again (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51). Later when Jesus was teaching in the temple Peter and James and John asked Jesus a question privately and he gave them more teaching (Mark 13:3). In Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James and John aside from the others to be near him during his agony (Mark 14:33). So Peter, James and John received many special graces from Jesus.
Peter, James and John were the three main councilors of Jesus, or the best disciples or best friend or the people whom Jesus loved more than others. They were selected to experience this dazzling revelation of the inner reality of Jesus. Even though they were privileged persons we see in today’s gospel account and in Gethsemane account that they were sleeping.
How could they have slept, we ask? How… after all these privilege experiences and love, could they have slept, not only in the presence of Christ but also in such a moment when Christ is so desperately needed their companionship, their comfort, their consoling presence with Him in His agony?
While we blame the apostles let us think “how could we, after receiving so many gifts from God , still spiritually snooze and doze our way through our prayers, our Masses and, indeed, throughout our whole spiritual life?
When we were young we’ve had many mountain top experiences in our spiritual life. We were proud to be catholic and to go for the sacraments and serving in the church and supporting, but now after all these wonderful experiences we just sleep. We sleep because of routine, because of boredom. We sleep because we're exhausted, drained, and running on empty. Why does Jesus gives us some special experiences? To be active and to live for Him even at the point of death.
At the transfiguration story Jesus is joined by two great men of God from the Old Testament: Moses and Elijah.
Why were Moses and Elijah chosen to meet with Jesus on this occasion? Why not Adam and Eve? Why not Noah? Why not Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or King David?
It’s because Moses represented the Law: the Law that God had given to his people on Mt. Sinai. And Elijah represented all the prophets, whom God had raised up to prepare his people for the Messiah. when combined, they symbolize the Old Covenant. Their conversation with Jesus points to Him being the fulfillment of the Covenant. God had used the Law and the prophets in the Old Testament to get his people ready for Jesus, and Moses and Elijah witnessed to that fact by their presence at the Transfiguration.
What was; what is; what will be: Moses and Elijah saw the connection! They understood how their work in the past was a preparation for what Jesus was doing in the present, and for what he was about to do in the near future through his passion and death.
I think that is one of the greatest challenges of our life to see the connection between what was, what is, and what will be. Even if we are witnessing different transfiguration in our everyday lives we may not find the connection between what was; what is and what will be. We get glimpses of God in the love we receive from other people. We get glimpses of God when badly needed help suddenly comes to us from out of nowhere. We get glimpses of God when we look back over our lives and what we couldn’t understand in the past makes sense now.
There is a mysterious story in 2 Kings that can help us understand what is happening in the transfiguration. Israel is at war with Aram and Elisha the man of God is using his prophetic powers to reveal the strategic plans of the Aramean army to the Israelites. At first the King of Aram thinks that one of his officers is playing the spy but when he learns the truth he dispatches troops to go and capture Elisha who is residing in Dothan. The Aramean troops move in under cover of darkness and surround the city. In the morning Elisha's servant is the first to discover that they are trapped and fears for his master's safety. He runs to Elisha and says, "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" The prophet answers "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." But who would believe that when the surrounding mountainside is covered with advancing enemy troops? So Elisha prays, "O Lord, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opens the servant's eyes, and he looks and sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:8-23). This vision was all that Elisha's disciple needed to reassure him. At the end of the story, not only was the prophet of God safe but the invading army was totally humiliated. Ask the Lord to open our inner eyes that we may see and experience him. When we are spiritually blind we may not experience the providential hand of God in our lives and we are afraid.
If you ask any film directors, they will tell you how they make the horror movies and how they make those gruesome films with beasts that tower over us like ten-storey buildings and gigantic, slimy creatures that send us quivering under our seats? It’s quite easy. All they do is to destroy the ordinary backcloth and replace it with a false one, and against this false sense of perspective an ant can look like a terrifying monster.’ It is true when the splendor and majesty of our God is forgotten our problems, our demands and talks will appear to be nightmares that outstrip our resources. And we are afraid. Don’t ever forget that everything flows from God’s grace. John Newton wrote: “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what one day I hope to be, But, Praise God, I am not what I used to be, and I am what I am by the grace of God.”
My dear brothers and sisters, the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain is also awaiting each of us after death. Why can we look forward to being transfigured after death like Jesus? Because we are baptized. When we were baptized God put his seal on us. What was that seal? The Holy Spirit. We were sealed with the Holy Spirit on the day we were baptized. We were marked out as God’s property, belonging to God. Let us hold our heads high. When the media or your friends criticize the Church and make you look foolish because you are still a practicing Catholic, hold your head high. Because you have been baptized into the Church Jesus will transfigure our wretched bodies into copies of his glorious body. When you were baptized you were sealed with the Holy Spirit as God’s own child. Be proud to be a catholic.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
It is always a grace to be someone special. What a grace for Peter and James and John to see Jesus transfigured. They got a preview of the glory of Jesus risen from the dead and his glory in heaven. A Mountain-Top Experience. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven.
It was not the only special grace Jesus shared with Peter, James and John. Earlier in the Gospel (Mark and Luke) we read that Jesus only allowed Peter and James and John with him into the house of the synagogue official whose daughter he raised up again (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51). Later when Jesus was teaching in the temple Peter and James and John asked Jesus a question privately and he gave them more teaching (Mark 13:3). In Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James and John aside from the others to be near him during his agony (Mark 14:33). So Peter, James and John received many special graces from Jesus.
Peter, James and John were the three main councilors of Jesus, or the best disciples or best friend or the people whom Jesus loved more than others. They were selected to experience this dazzling revelation of the inner reality of Jesus. Even though they were privileged persons we see in today’s gospel account and in Gethsemane account that they were sleeping.
How could they have slept, we ask? How… after all these privilege experiences and love, could they have slept, not only in the presence of Christ but also in such a moment when Christ is so desperately needed their companionship, their comfort, their consoling presence with Him in His agony?
While we blame the apostles let us think “how could we, after receiving so many gifts from God , still spiritually snooze and doze our way through our prayers, our Masses and, indeed, throughout our whole spiritual life?
When we were young we’ve had many mountain top experiences in our spiritual life. We were proud to be catholic and to go for the sacraments and serving in the church and supporting, but now after all these wonderful experiences we just sleep. We sleep because of routine, because of boredom. We sleep because we're exhausted, drained, and running on empty. Why does Jesus gives us some special experiences? To be active and to live for Him even at the point of death.
At the transfiguration story Jesus is joined by two great men of God from the Old Testament: Moses and Elijah.
Why were Moses and Elijah chosen to meet with Jesus on this occasion? Why not Adam and Eve? Why not Noah? Why not Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or King David?
It’s because Moses represented the Law: the Law that God had given to his people on Mt. Sinai. And Elijah represented all the prophets, whom God had raised up to prepare his people for the Messiah. when combined, they symbolize the Old Covenant. Their conversation with Jesus points to Him being the fulfillment of the Covenant. God had used the Law and the prophets in the Old Testament to get his people ready for Jesus, and Moses and Elijah witnessed to that fact by their presence at the Transfiguration.
What was; what is; what will be: Moses and Elijah saw the connection! They understood how their work in the past was a preparation for what Jesus was doing in the present, and for what he was about to do in the near future through his passion and death.
I think that is one of the greatest challenges of our life to see the connection between what was, what is, and what will be. Even if we are witnessing different transfiguration in our everyday lives we may not find the connection between what was; what is and what will be. We get glimpses of God in the love we receive from other people. We get glimpses of God when badly needed help suddenly comes to us from out of nowhere. We get glimpses of God when we look back over our lives and what we couldn’t understand in the past makes sense now.
There is a mysterious story in 2 Kings that can help us understand what is happening in the transfiguration. Israel is at war with Aram and Elisha the man of God is using his prophetic powers to reveal the strategic plans of the Aramean army to the Israelites. At first the King of Aram thinks that one of his officers is playing the spy but when he learns the truth he dispatches troops to go and capture Elisha who is residing in Dothan. The Aramean troops move in under cover of darkness and surround the city. In the morning Elisha's servant is the first to discover that they are trapped and fears for his master's safety. He runs to Elisha and says, "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" The prophet answers "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." But who would believe that when the surrounding mountainside is covered with advancing enemy troops? So Elisha prays, "O Lord, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opens the servant's eyes, and he looks and sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:8-23). This vision was all that Elisha's disciple needed to reassure him. At the end of the story, not only was the prophet of God safe but the invading army was totally humiliated. Ask the Lord to open our inner eyes that we may see and experience him. When we are spiritually blind we may not experience the providential hand of God in our lives and we are afraid.
If you ask any film directors, they will tell you how they make the horror movies and how they make those gruesome films with beasts that tower over us like ten-storey buildings and gigantic, slimy creatures that send us quivering under our seats? It’s quite easy. All they do is to destroy the ordinary backcloth and replace it with a false one, and against this false sense of perspective an ant can look like a terrifying monster.’ It is true when the splendor and majesty of our God is forgotten our problems, our demands and talks will appear to be nightmares that outstrip our resources. And we are afraid. Don’t ever forget that everything flows from God’s grace. John Newton wrote: “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what one day I hope to be, But, Praise God, I am not what I used to be, and I am what I am by the grace of God.”
My dear brothers and sisters, the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain is also awaiting each of us after death. Why can we look forward to being transfigured after death like Jesus? Because we are baptized. When we were baptized God put his seal on us. What was that seal? The Holy Spirit. We were sealed with the Holy Spirit on the day we were baptized. We were marked out as God’s property, belonging to God. Let us hold our heads high. When the media or your friends criticize the Church and make you look foolish because you are still a practicing Catholic, hold your head high. Because you have been baptized into the Church Jesus will transfigure our wretched bodies into copies of his glorious body. When you were baptized you were sealed with the Holy Spirit as God’s own child. Be proud to be a catholic.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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