TRANSFIGURATION 

VS.  DISFIGURATION 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Transfiguration Vs. Disfiguration.”

Today, August 6, we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration.

TODAYS GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus climbs a high mountain with Peter, James and John and Jesus is transfigured before them.  His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.

Think of the most beautiful bride in the most beautiful white wedding dress - on her wedding day.

That image of bright - white as snow - clothing -  is in today’s first reading as well.

Sometimes people look dazzling: at their wedding, anniversaries,  proms, winning awards. Our figures are transfigured. We look our best. Check out your photographs.

Sometimes we look horrible - or feel horrible. We look or feel our worst.

Hence the title of my homily: Transfiguration vs. Disfiguration.

JESUS

The small mountain called Calvary - was a place where people were nailed or hung from the cross.  It was the place the disfigured Christ was killed on the cross - after being beaten and crowned with thorns the night before.

St. Alphonsus painted a famous disfiguration image of Christ on the Cross. This one up here is nothing.  If you walk into some churches in Europe - especially Italy and Spain - you can see some horribly disfigured images of Christ.

STOP SIGN

I like to say that the cross is a huge red bloody stop sign.

What would it be like to have just that up front: a gigantic red stop sign?. After a while, after seeing it Mass after Mass after Mass, we would grow used to it. However if a stranger walked in here for the first time, they would see and be startled or stopped by that big red STOP sign.

THE MESSAGE

The message is obvious, stop doing this to people.

Stop disfiguring people. Stop hurting one another. Stop crucifying one another.

The obvious message would be, start transfiguring people.

Start lifting people up.

In today’s gospel Peter, James and John, want to stay with Jesus.   That’s one great way of transfiguring people.  The hurt, the psychologically disfigured people of the planet feel it all the time, when people want to run from them. Talk to - better listen to gay people, transgender people, old people who are dribbling, with food all over them - and they will tell you about people who don’t want to be with them.

In today’s gospel Jesus hears the wonderful words, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”  When a kid hears that, she or he glows and grows. Then there is the opposite: when a kid knows he or she is not liked, not loved or  honored - because of marks, work, looks, tattoos, athletic skills, what have you - they can feel they are disfigured.

CONCLUSION

Today, August 6, goes down in history as one of our worst days.  A bomb was dropped on folks in Hiroshima and killed and disfigured so many people. It ended the war - especially after a second bomb was dropped a week later.  It might have prevented future bombings - still August 6^th is the day of the dropping of the atomic bomb.  Too bad, they couldn’t have dropped it out at sea or what have you - but we’ll never know.

Today, August 6^th, there are people being honored, transfigured, complimented. Hopefully we are the ones who help others feel transfigured and honored - this day and every day of our lives. Amen.