The Transfiguration of the Lord (Year A)
Dan 7:9-10,13-14; Ps 97; 2 Pet 1:16-19; Mt 17:1-9
The big events in our lives are always good moments for reminiscence and reflection. Big moments like graduations, weddings or even winning prestigious competitions tend to lead us to look at how we got there, remembering the hard work, the building of relationships, the joys and sorrows that got us to those moments. As we reflect on these big events, we would realise that the events themselves do not stand alone but are part of a longer journey, that there was a long journey that allowed us to reach that event and that there’s a journey to be taken after as well.
Big events thus do not happen in a vacuum and lead us to look at how we got there and what we’re invited to do after. The Transfiguration of the Lord is one such event that has to be looked at in context because what lead to this and what this leads us to can help us to live this event in our lives. The Transfiguration itself is a hugely important miracle that shows the truth of the divinity of Jesus without taking anything away from his humanity. The latter was shown by Peter’s insistence on building tents for him, a reminder that Jesus is truly man. At the same time, the voice of God the Father confirming Jesus’ being as Son of God rang out clearly, showing his divinity and relationship to the Father. That we’re called to listen to Jesus shining out in the darkness is a potent image for us to welcome this light into our hearts as we seek to follow him.
Fully appreciating the truth of the Transfiguration requires us to go back a little, to look at what led us to that high mountain. The 1st Reading from the prophet Daniel showed that the coming of the Son of Man was prefigured from long ago, that this event was something that many in Israel were looking forward to. The prophecies in Scripture all point to the coming of the Christ, the reality of which was announced clearly at the Transfiguration. Closer to the actual event, I imagine that Jesus would have prepared his disciples for this event, teaching them and building a relationship with them (and us too!) so we all can begin to appreciate how and why the Lord shines in our lives.
It is also important to recognise that the Transfiguration is not an event that occurs once, is celebrated and then forgotten. Just as a graduation prepares us for life beyond and a wedding is the start of a long journey of love for the couple, the Transfiguration is a moment of wonder in our faith lives that invites us to further journeys with the Lord with his mission. It is a potent image of conversion, of how we’re turning towards the Lord but is also an invitation to take the light that we experienced and bring it down the mountain to share with others (2nd Reading). We have to share our experiences of God with others, as we seek to inspire others to seek the Lord in their lives.
So let us live our lives of conversion and love as we build this relationship with the Lord. Let us be open to the ways in which the light of the Transfigured Lord comes to us, recognising his call to bring this light with us wherever we go. And let us always remember that we are on a journey with the beloved Son, who loves and comforts us with his light every step of the way.
musings of a brush 