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Homilies

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
August 6, 2006

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What’s the Meaning?

Today’s readings for the Feast of the Transfiguration present before our intellect the paradox of the glory of suffering.

In the first reading, the prophet Daniel recounts his amazing vision of Heaven, revealed to him by God. We hear about the moment in which Jesus has ascended into Heaven and is presented before the Father.

Here Daniel refers to God the Father as the Ancient of Days. Obviously there is no way human language can completely convey this supernatural reality, but with God’s grace, Daniel paints an amazing picture. We see the Father is sitting on his throne, adorned in pure white; fire is streaming out from his very presence; thousands upon thousands of angels are attending him. It’s the king in his court, taken to the level of magnificence.

Enter the Son of Man, the resurrected Jesus. The Risen Christ now presented before the Father in Heaven. The judgement is made, and Jesus is given dominion and glory and kingship. All people and all nations will serve him, henceforth.

Jesus in all his glory is the subject of today’s Epistle as well. We hear Pope Saint Peter teach about the Transfiguration of Jesus. Saint Peter’s message is simple: We were there, we saw it happen, it’s an historical fact. Here’s what he says: “We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.” We ourselves saw him transfigured in glory and we heard God the Father say to us: “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Way of Christ, is not like other religions, says Saint Peter. It’s not some “cleverly devised myth.” Rather, our faith is founded upon the Son of the living God, the Messiah who actually walked the earth for all to see, “fulfilling the prophetic messages.” Hence, “we will do well to be attentive to him as a lamp shining in a dark place.” “Listen to him,” says Saint Peter.

This is exactly what God the Father says in the Gospel for today’s Mass: “Listen to him!”

At the beginning of the Gospel, Saint Mark mentions in passing that it is now a week after Peter’s famous confession: “You are the Christ.” (Mk. 8:29) After hearing this from Peter’s lips, Jesus explained to him that it was the Father in heaven who had revealed it to him. Now, a week later, Jesus deems it fitting that Peter experience what he—the Christ—will look like when he is presented before the Father in heaven, in all his glory.

Hence, Jesus takes him (together with James and John) up a high mountain so that he can be transfigured before their very eyes. He becomes dazzling white, looking very much the way the Ancient of Days is described in Daniel’s vision (cf. today’s first reading). Elijah and Moses appear on the scene and begin to talk with Jesus. Moses, of course, is there and behalf of the law, and Elijah on behalf of the prophets. The point is obvious: Jesus is the Christ. He is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.

Then we hear the booming voice of God the Father. Now we haven’t heard the Father speak since the baptism of Jesus. Then he sent a dove to rest upon Jesus and boomed from the clouds: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Now he transfigures the same Jesus in dazzling white and says again from the clouds: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” But this time he adds: “Listen to him!”

And what are the first words out of the mouth of Jesus after we are commanded to listen to him? Jesus orders Peter that no one should know of his glory, “until after the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

While these words may not seem very strange to us, Peter is bewildered. He keeps questioning “what this rising from the dead could mean.” Peter, of course, knows that men are to rise from the dead. But Peter cannot fathom that the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God would ever rise from the dead. Rise from the dead?! The Messiah doesn’t rise from the dead! The Messiah doesn’t die, so what business would he have in rising from the dead?! What?! Murdered?! Ridiculous! He’s the Messiah! He’s going to conquer all!

Yes, Jesus is going to conquer… but in a way other than Peter imagines.

What’s the Message?

There is a clear message contained in today’s readings. It is this: we can only truly understand the glory of Christ in light of the Cross.

And this message has direct application to our own lives, for we ourselves who wish to participate in the glory of Christ will do so only by way of the cross.

This teaching is found throughout Scripture, both in word and in deed:

But this teaching of self–denial and taking up the cross runs counter to our hedonistic culture. Hence, it doesn’t really take root in us.

Seduced by the allurements of this world, we have allowed ourselves to become habituated to a self–seeking way of life. We tend to do only what we like to do and make room for God and our neighbor only when convenient. When we hear Jesus teach the doctrine of self–denial, we give it lip service but don’t put it into practice.

Take fasting, for example. For most of us, fasting is something of the past. We tend to think it’s not necessary any more. We are naïve (or delusional) enough to think that we are above fasting.

But Jesus does not think that we are above fasting. In fact, he takes it for granted that we practice the habit of fasting. Notice in the Sermon on the Mount that he doesn’t say “if you fast” but rather, “when you fast…” (Mt. 6:16)

Yes, perhaps Peter was naïve at the time of the Transfiguration. But he matured and learned that the way to glory is through a life of self–sacrifice. Hence, in the end he joyfully embraced the very cross upon which he himself was to be nailed.

But what about us? Are we ever going to mature? Are we going to be prepared one day to embrace our cross and thus obtain true glory?

What’s the Response?

A good response to these readings today is to look for opportunities to be purged of our self–seeking habits. To strive to become mature enough that we might embrace a life of self–sacrifice.

One good way to break our self–seeking habits is to do violence to ourselves at a very fundamental level: to fast. “Heaven is gained by violence,” says Saint John the Baptist. (Mt. 11:12)

We can offer up the physical pleasure of eating and ask God to feed us with the love of the Holy Spirit. We can mortify “brother ass” in order that our thoughts might rise from the passing pleasures of this world to glories of Heaven.

During our fasting, we can pray. We can begin by fixing our eyes on the glory of Heaven. And we can start by praying with the Psalmist in today’s Mass:

The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
and all the peoples behold his glory.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

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To download a printable pdf of this homily, click here.

Contribution by Brother Anthony Myers
© SACROS 2006 {www.sacros.com}