My dear friends in Christ, today is the first Sunday of the month of August,
2023. Also, this Sunday, we are celebrating the feast of the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is the glorious
manifestation of his Divine nature before the Apostles. It is an event in
which the heavenly Father confirmed that Jesus is the anointed one, the
expected Messiah whose suffering, death and resurrection will bring
salvation to mankind. The transfiguration event helps us to believe that
Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets.

In order to understand better the transfiguration event, we have to refresh
our mind to what happened in the gospel according to Mathew16. Jesus told his disciples that he must suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed and rise after three days. How did they react? Peter rebuked Jesus for saying this and Jesus responded, “Get behind me,Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

For the Apostles, what Jesus was telling them contradicted their
understanding about the Messiah. They were expecting a Messiah who is a
hero that will liberate Israel from the control of the Roman government. And so, hearing that the Messiah they hoped for would be a suffering one and would be executed, was a shock, and a big bit to take. For them, they had left everything to follow Jesus, and now he is telling them the unfortunate story about his near death. And while they were recovering from this, Jesus continued by saying, if they want to be his disciples, they will have to be ready to walk the same road. “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mt. 16:24). It is in this depressing situation of disillusionment and incomprehension that the Transfiguration takes place.

Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus took three of them: Peter, James and John
to the mountain top. The number “three” not only reminds us about the
Trinity, but it also indicates completeness, and regarding bearing witness, it
is apt. There, on the mountain top, Jesus was transfigured; the glory and
splendor of his majesty was revealed before them. Moses and Elijah also
appeared and spoke with Jesus. The high Mountain is the symbol of Sinai
and Jesus is the new Moses who has reached the mountain. Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai. Elijah on the other hand, is considered as the greatest of the prophets; he is certainly representing the prophets during the transfiguration.

Now, these two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, were
there to endorse what Jesus is doing and saying as true. The cloud stands
for the Shekinah, the symbol of God’s presence. God himself declares Jesus
as his Son, the beloved, the chosen person. The disciples, representing the
human race, have the task of listening to him. So, the Old Testament and
the Father in heaven are now confirming that Jesus is indeed the expected
Messiah.

Although Jesus shocked them by telling them he must suffer and die, his
suffering and death did not refute his identity as the Messiah. The Father
said, “Listen to him.” In other words, “Do not be scandalized by his teaching
about his forthcoming Passion, death and resurrection.” As our preface today says, “He revealed his glory to his disciples, to strengthen them for the scandal of the cross.”

The Transfiguration was the mountain-top experience of the apostles which prepared them for their future trials. The Mass is our mountain-top
experience which prepares us for the trials of our day. The Mass is not a
transfiguration but a transubstantiation, in which bread and wine are
transformed into the body and blood of the Risen Jesus. And in the joy and
consolation of Communion we say with Peter, “Lord, it is good for us to be
here.” Later we hear the words, “The Mass is ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” So, we pick up our cross and leave to face the trials of the day. But having experienced the transformation on top of the mountain we know that “nothing can separate us from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Feast of the Transfiguration should be a time of renewal and
rededication for all of us. We are given a foretaste of the glorious kingdom
that awaits us as we journey back to the home of God our Father.
As we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray for
the grace to keep listening to and obeying the voice of the Beloved Son of
the Father. Peace be with you!