Sunday 6th August 2023 - The Transfiguration of The Lord

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14/ Psalm 96(97)/ 2 Peter 1:16-19/ Matthew 17:1-9

Peter, James, John, and the other disciples had been attracted to Jesus because of his new and authoritative teaching. It may have been dawning on them that Jesus was the long-promised messiah that the world had been waiting for from the very beginning of human self-awareness. It was that gift of knowledge given by God that gave us the choice between right and wrong, good and evil. As we know humanity made the wrong choice and has continued to do so down the ages. Humanity insists on being its own master, thinking itself able to control all things with the authority to decide what is right and what is wrong.

Jesus slowly revealed who he was by showing his authority over creation through his miracles, forgiveness of sins, a prerogative of God alone, and fulfilment of the prophesies of scripture. Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man, pointing towards the figure in the first reading prophecy, the one on which eternal sovereignty was conferred. Just as the disciples were beginning to understand that Jesus was both man and God their faith was shattered when he predicted his suffering and death. They needed some reassurance, a sign that they were right to follow Jesus, that he was who he said he was.

Peter, James and John had been close to Jesus when he had worked some of his greatest miracles, they had been endowed with many graces and Jesus chose them to reveal his divinity to so that they would not lose heart at his forthcoming death. Taking them onto a mountain, traditionally the place where God met with his subjects, Jesus was transfigured. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light. He was joined by Moses and Elijah, Moses representing the law and Elijah the prophets, indicating that Jesus was fulfilling the law and the prophets as the Messiah was predicted to do. Jesus, the man that Peter, James, and John knew as an everyday companion revealed to them his divine self, his sovereignty, glory, and kingship.

At this awesome sight Peter was impelled to say, ‘Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here’ and when they heard the voice from the cloud of heaven the three companions fell on their faces in fear. The voice they heard said, ‘this is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour’ with the command ‘Listen to him’. Jesus then told them not to be afraid and touching them invited them to stand at which they saw only Jesus and he had returned to how they normally saw him.

We might have thought that this experience would have been sufficient to carry Peter, James and John through the experience of the suffering and death of Jesus. In the event only John remained close throughout the trauma. Peter and James, along with the others, kept a low profile going into hiding after apparently losing their leader. Peter even denied knowing Jesus just as Jesus had predicted he would. It was not until Peter saw the empty tomb did he believe and begin to understand, eventually reaching a full appreciation of the divinity of Christ as witnessed in the second reading today.

The transfiguration is just as much a sign to us today as it was for Peter, James and John. It reminds us of who Jesus is. The God who became human like one of us to take on all our sin so that we can fulfil the plan God had for us in the beginning, to share in his divinity. Whatever suffering we encounter in this mortal life will be as nothing to the glory we will share with Jesus in our true and immortal life beyond earthly death. Our ordinary mortal earthly bodies will be transformed into immortal heavenly bodies becoming what God created us to be, perfect and in his likeness.

We encounter Jesus in many ways, in the people we meet, in our personal prayer, in communal prayer and most especially in Holy Communion and Eucharistic Adoration. In times of adoration, we can gaze upon Jesus in the sacred host and repeat Peter’s words, Lord it is wonderful for us to be here.

God Bless Brendan