TRANSFIGURATION
MOMENTS
The title of my homily is “Transfiguration Moments.”
They happen. How many have happened to you? Describe them!
THEY HAPPENED TO JESUS
Jesus had a few Transfiguration Moments that we know of.
There was that moment on the mountain - that we heard in
today’s gospel - when Jesus shone like the sun.
It was a moment with his 3 key disciples: Peter, James and
John.
They saw him in prayer. And wow could he pray.
His face changed. Bright light radiated off the skin of his
forehead and cheeks. His clothes became dazzling white.
Notice its connection to a future moment in the garden - on the night
before he died. In both scenes Peter and
the disciples had fallen asleep.
In the Transfiguration scene, they were awakened by the
spectacular in the scene.
At that moment on the mountain they saw Jesus with 2
mysterious figures: Moses and Elijah.
They saw a cloud moving over them, enveloping them.
They heard a voice say, “This is my chosen Son; listen to
him.”
It was a transfiguration moment - a transfiguring experience.
His disciples were frightened,
His disciples wanted to stay there forever.
Jesus knowing they couldn’t contain this experience, Jesus
knowing they couldn’t explain this experience, told them to keep this personal
and private - till his exodus experience in Jerusalem - which was to come.
Jesus had a similar transfiguration moment at his Baptism -
in the Jordan
- when a cloud came over him. Like at the Noah’s ark story, a dove indicated
where to land and start again. A voice said, “You are my Son, the Beloved, my
favor rests on you.”
The title of my homily is, “Transfiguration Moments.”
Jesus had a few of them - at his birth in Bethlehem - when a great crowd of angels
praised God - singing, “Glory to God in the highest - peace on all those on
whom his favor rests.” Then there were the moments before he died: in the upper
room, at Calvary, and all those resurrection
moments.
People were transfigured by Jesus - changed by him - in
their transfigured moments with him - especially Paul on his way to Damascus - when a light
blinded him. He gets to Damascus
- not with his destructive urges - but with new life - as a transfigured human
being.
WHAT HAVE BEEN OUR TRANSFIGURATION MOMENTS?
People have transfiguration moments - moments when they saw
the light - moments that changed their lives: the birth of a baby; a sunrise at
the ocean; waking up and seeing the face of a sleeping spouse in the morning
light; seeing a son or a daughter graduate or marry or have their first
grandchild; seeing a 7 year old play a piano or a trombone - in a kids’
orchestra.
People have transfiguration moments - transcendental moments
- moments filled with light and joy - insight and the shattering of darkness -
at Mass while singing a hymn like, “Joyful,
Joyful, We Adore Thee,” to the music of Ode
to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven - or at
a picnic in the park with one’s family -or we’re at a parents 60th
wedding anniversary - or the death of a loved one.
People have transfiguration moments - like the 3 million people at the World
Youth Final Mass at the Cococabana Beach in Rio just
two weeks ago. Will that moment solidify their faith life - life in Christ for
life - for those people?
CONCLUSION
Today we’re celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration - whose Gospel Message
- is that Christ is the Light of the World - that Christ can transform our
lives - his light can penetrate all darkness.
One of its key messages is that Christ is not only the light
of the world - but that we are called to be light to our world. As Pope Francis
told the young people of Brazil
- we are called to spread the faith to the fringes of society.
May Christ’s light shine in all the corners of our life - so
that we can spread that light to all corners of the world. Amen.
Painting on top:Transfiguration by Lewis Bowman
