The Transfiguration

First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Gospel: Luke 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

When Abraham was called by God to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans, he listened to God’s call and acted on it, moving to Canaan. The Lord promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation and promised that his people would occupy the land to which he had traveled. Abraham asked God how he could know that God would be true to His promise, so God established a covenant with Abraham by the sacrifice of animals and birds. Covenant requires sacrifice, and sacrifice requires blood. We are never more dedicated to a cause or purpose than when we spill our blood for that cause or purpose. We can do this literally, like the red martyrs of the Church, or figuratively, like the white martyrs. In committing ourselves with blood, we become invested. God invested himself in Abraham, and He was true to His promise.

Jesus took Peter, John, and James up the mountain. There He was transfigured, revealing His glory. There also was Moses, representing the law, and Elijah, representing the prophets. Jesus, in all His glory, represented the fulfillment of both. They were discussing the exodus Jesus would accomplish in Jerusalem. Interestingly, Luke is the only evangelist who mentions what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were discussing.

When we think of exodus, of course, we think of the Exodus – when God freed the Hebrews from the chains of slavery in Egypt. Every year, per God’s instructions, the Jews would celebrate the Passover to remember this central saving act of God for His people. To remember, according to ancient Jewish understanding, is to take an event from the past and make it present today so those gathered over the ages can participate in that event. That is why at every Passover meal, the youngest boy asks the patriarch of the family, “Why is this night like no other night?” Notice, he doesn’t ask, “Why was that night so long ago like no other night?” No, he asks, “Why is this night like no other night?” This cues to patriarch to tell the story of the Exodus, the central saving act of God in the history of His people. The Exodus is made present so those gathered today may participate in that event.

Just so, Jesus’ exodus, His offering Himself for the sake of our salvation to free us from the chains of slavery to sin, is made present on the altar at every Mass so that we gathered today may participate in the sacrifice. This is the New Covenant established by Jesus. Covenant requires sacrifice, and sacrifice requires blood. Christ was willing to shed His blood for our salvation, and now we participate in that sacrifice at every Mass. The glory of Christ revealed at the transfiguration is a foretaste, a foretelling of His resurrection, demonstrating that those who participate in His sacrifice will share in His glory.

The Last Supper Jesus celebrated with His apostles was a Passover. Only at this Passover, Jesus did something extraordinary. For centuries the Jews had been celebrating the Passover in remembrance of what God had done for them at the Exodus. Now, Jesus removes the celebration of the Exodus, of the central saving act of God for His people, from the meal and replaces it with Himself! “Do this in remebrance of ME!” Jesus created the New Covenant with His own Body and His own Blood, and we participate in that sacrifice by eating His Body and drinking His Blood, as He commanded us to do. God desires to be this close with us, this intimate with us. You don’t get more intimate than “Eat my Body; drink my Blood.”

But Peter’s is overjoyed at this experience, so much so that he wants to keep it going. He wants to build tents so that they can all hang out on the mountaintop and enjoy the revelation of Christ’s glory. But that’s not the point of going to the moutaintop. The point of going to the moutaintop and of experiencing Christ’s glory is to then go down from the mountaintop and do the work of sacrifice for the sake of our salvation. Experiencing Christ’s glory will fill us with confidence in His mission, and in the truth He teaches us. That truth gives birth to hope, and that hope gives birth to joy. Because we know the truth of Christ, we can live lives of hope, and living lives of hope will empower us to live lives of joy.

Living a life of Gospel joy in this crazy and messed up world will cause others to be curious about us, to wonder about us. They will be inspired by our life of joy, so inspired that they will want to ask about it. And the question they will ask us is, “What is wrong with you?” “Why are you always so happy?” “Why are you always smiling?” “Why do you never get out of sorts when something goes awry?” In other words: “What is the cause of the hope that is within you?” And when they ask us, then we get to tell them about Jesus!

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.