Reflection on Today's Readings, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Year B, August 6th, 2021
Texts: Dan. 7:9-10.13-14; Ps. 97:1-2.5-6.9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2b-10
Today is the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord; it is the manifestation of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. By Transfiguration, He made His divine nature to shine forth for His disciples, Peter, James and John, to behold and experience. He allowed them to behold His divinity for our sake. He chose three of His disciples for the event so that their testimony can be accepted as nothing but the truth. It is said, _"Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained"_ (Deut. 19:15; cf. 2Cor. 13:1). In today's second reading, St. Peter says, _"We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of his majesty. ... You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."_ Hence, the revelation of His divinity to the three disciples was the revelation of His divinity to the people of His time and the generation to come.
The experience of the disciples reveals what eternal life is. Eternal life is the beholding of God face to face in heaven. It is a state whereby abiding in the presence of God becomes our joy. Beholding God face to face, St. Peter said, _"Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”_ We begin eternal life here on earth as we make the presence of God our joy. We are to begin to enjoy the presence of God on earth. Our longing to enjoy the presence of God is fulfilled by visiting the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle and when exposed for adoration. It also manifests by our active and conscious participation at mass and pious devotion. We enjoy the presence of God in the activities of the Church and in our personal prayer. We also enjoy the presence of God in His words.
Jesus told the disciples to keep their experience to themselves till after resurrection because the event of resurrection shall be a definitive revelation of His divinity. For us, too now, we bear in us the glory of God by the gift of Holy Spirit. This glory of God is hidden in us now but it shall manifest at the resurrection. Now, it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration shows that both law and prophecy are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thomas Pazhayampallil has this to say: " _Moses and Elijah represent two of the great foundations of the Old Testament, law and prophecy. Moses was the law giver. The law established the norms of life in relationship with God. Like Moses, Jesus brings to us the possibility of a life lived in covenant relationship with God. Jesus is the new Moses leading us from the slavery of sin to the promised land, heaven. What Moses had done was just a symbol of what Jesus had come to do. The prophets served as the conscience of Israel, constantly calling back God's people from the error of their ways to their first and true relationship. Elijah was considered the greatest of all prophets. The presence of Elijah on the mountain was a witnessing that in Christ all prophecies were being fulfilled. Like Elijah, Jesus calls us back from false ways to which we have turned. Jesus was to continue the work of Elijah to take us away from idol worship and lead us back to God"_ (Words of Eternal Life, pp. 198-199).
O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of your Only Begotten Son confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption to sonship, grant, we pray, to your servants, that, listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may merit to become coheirs with him. (Colect). Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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