Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke: 9:28b-36
When the three disciples, Peter, James and John are taken up the mountain to pray, they experience the Transfiguration of Jesus. They see something they cannot make sense of. Luke says that they kept silence and told no one. They could not understand or even explain what it was they experienced.
Normally, we do not see God’s glory. Even the disciples as they traveled with Jesus throughout Palestine did not see his glory. Sure, they saw his extraordinary goodness and kindness and they were amazed by the insight of Jesus and also were amazed at his miracles.
The disciples had all kinds of ideas about who Jesus might be. They were sure he was the Messiah, but they really did not know what that meant for them and for Jesus.
You might feel that this gospel story brings to mind how many see the Transfiguration as somewhat bewildering and wonder what the gospel is trying to tell us.
This brings to mind what might help us understand, in human terms, what happened at the Transfiguration and what it means for us.
What comes to me is the movie “MASK”, from 1985, starring Cher and Eric Stoltz. Do some of you remember that movie? It is based on a true story of a 16 year old boy. He has a rare disease that disfigures his face and head. The boy feels badly about his appearance but he accepts it as part of life.
One day he goes to an amusement park with some of his friends. They go into a “house of mirrors” and begin to laugh at how distorted they look.
Suddenly, the boy is startled-the mirror shapes his face in such a way that it appears normal, even handsome.
For the first time his friends see him in a whole new way. They see from the outside what he is on the inside, a truly beautiful person.
Something like this happened to Jesus in today’s gospel. During the Transfiguration Jesus’ disciples see him in a whole new way. For the first time, they saw from the outside what Jesus is on the inside, the glorious beautiful Son of God; even though they still had trouble understanding what they had just seen.
I have to ask: why is the Transfiguration of Jesus placed among the Lenten readings, which are usually somber in nature, instead of the Easter readings, which usually deal with the glory of Jesus?
The Transfiguration bears a striking similarity to the Agony in the Garden. Like the Agony in the Garden, which took place on a mountain the Mount of Olives, the Transfiguration also took place on a mountain, Mount Tabor.
And like the Agony in the Garden, the Transfiguration was witnessed by only three disciples, Peter, James and John. And like the Agony in the Garden, which took place at night, the Transfiguration also took place at night. And in both cases the disciples fell asleep while Jesus was praying.
On Mount Tabor, the three disciples saw Jesus when his divinity shone through in a way that it had never done before. There is a practical message that comes from both the mountain experiences. Like Jesus who was human and divine, we too have a twofold dimension about us.
There is in each one of us something human and something divine. Like Jesus on Mount Tabor, we too experience great moments when the spark of God shines through so brightly it almost blinds us. We feel so close to God that we feel we can reach out and touch him.
Do you remember the feeling you had at the birth of your child or children as the case may be? Do you remember how you feel when seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset? How about that feeling when you gave your life to another standing on an altar and saying “I DO”?
During these moments we are amazed at how beautiful life is. We love everyone. We hug our friends and forgive our enemies. It just seems during moments like this we do the right things, the good things.
Like Jesus on the Mount of Olives, we also experience moments of agony, moments that bring us down to a place not pleasant for us. During these moments life is miserable. We find fault with our friends and curse our enemies.
We might even doubt that God even exists. We need to remember that Jesus also experienced these highs and lows during his life on earth. One important lesson we should remember from all this is that Jesus prayed.
If prayer was the way Jesus responded to these moments then it should be the way we respond to them too. And if we do, like Jesus during his Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, we too will hear the Father say to us; this is my chosen one”.
And like Jesus during the Agony on the Mount of Olives, we too will experience the touch of the Father’s healing hand. Through prayer we will experience our own Transfiguration, bringing us closer to God.
Prayer is our way of connecting to God on a daily basis, on the spur of the moment. Prayer changes us. Prayer transforms us. We unite ourselves with God and commune with him. This has an effect on us-a good effect-it makes us better people. Something of God rubs off on us.
Something of his Glory enters into our lives and makes us more holy, just as receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist makes us holy. I ask that each of you take a look at your prayer life. Does it change you? Does your prayer life make you more holy? Or, are you a little confused as to what your prayer life can do for you?
If you are, there are two more dates, the 3rd and 10th of March, after the soup supper, where you can enter into a better understanding of your prayer life by joining Elizabeth Guss as she takes you through the journey of prayer.
My sisters and brothers, as we experience moments in our lives like the one Jesus knew on Mount Tabor, let us do what Jesus did. Let us turn to the Father in prayer and know in our hearts that each of us is his chosen child.
In the same way, when moments of agony come to us, as they did to Jesus on the Mount of Olives, let us do what Jesus did. Let us turn to the Father in prayer and let us feel the touch of the Father’s healing hand.
Let prayer become a part of your every day life. Let prayer give you a glimpse of the eternal life to come.