TUESDAY, EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Dn 7: 9-10, 13-14 Ps 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9 2 Pt 1: 16-19 Mk 9: 2-10
INTIMATE UNION WITH THE FATHER
The readings today reveal God’s glory. In the first reading Daniel in a vision sees God’s glory revealed to him. Daniel was a person of prayer and always remained faithful to God in all trials of life. In the gospel, Jesus Himself becomes God’s glory.
The Gospel passage on the Transfiguration offers many insights with useful implications for the spiritual life. Jesus going up a high mountain, to be apart, to be in union with the Father, where His appearance is transformed in the presence of the Father and this union strengthened Him to face the forthcoming passion. In the previous chapter from the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus for the first time expressed His own faith as the intimate connection between His suffering and glorification by God. A further theological reflection of major significance is represented by the presence of Moses, the mediator of the law and Elijah symbolizing the prophets. Jesus is the fulfilment of the law and the prophets.
This becomes clear from a comparison of scenes from the Old Testament which speak of the experiences of Moses and Elijah on the mountain. Moses encounters God on a ‘high mountain’; a cloud descends and overshadows the mountain (Ex 24:12,15) Elijah, who is mentioned first in Mark’s account journeyed forty days and forty nights to this same mountain and heard God, but it was in ‘sheer silence.’
On the mountain of the transfiguration, Jesus is gazing at God’s face and listening to god’s voice. His whole being is caught up in God’s glory. He transcends the law and the prophets, for He is God’s son, the beloved. It is to Him that they are to listen. So it is that when the three disciples looked up ‘they saw no one with them anymore but only Jesus’. Moses and the prophets prepared the way for Jesus, now, however, God’s word is revealed fully in Him.
Mark’s portrait is rich in symbolism. The glory-cloud reminds us of the cloud that was a symbol of God leading his people through the desert (Ex 13:21) It was from this cloud that God spoke to Moses. Mark is portraying Jesus as the new Moses, leading his disciples to the Promised Land. It is to Jesus now that they must listen.
Every time you come to the Lord in prayer, you too have the opportunity to hear from Him – whether in Scripture, as you review the events of the day, or as you reflect on the people in your life. Keep your “spiritual ears” open to hear Him. Even if it’s just a sense of peace or a quick thought that makes you feel more compassion for someone, Jesus wants to talk to you!
When Jesus transfigures Himself in the sight of the apostles, he also does so before each one of us, for the liturgy enables us to profit today, from the graces that were poured out two thousand years ago during that event. Every Christian who faithfully follows in the footsteps of Jesus experiences spiritual Tabor moments – moment of transfiguration. Such experiences can be felt during liturgical celebrations: when receiving the Eucharist, during the sacrament of reconciliation or the confession or a moment of fervent prayer and even in circumstances that crop up in daily life. The remembrance of such consolations should be carefully cherished in our memory, like snapshots of life’s most special moments in an album, so that these unique moments can be later relived.
The opposite also holds true; the good Christian undergoes “Good Fridays.” These can consist of simple problems, painful illnesses, family issues, financial setbacks, calamities or tragedies of which no existence is devoid. We can even feel abandoned by God and are tempted against faith. At such times we need to recall the moments of transfiguration, in which we felt His help with greater intensity. This simple recollection will fortify us in faith and help us to bridge times of aridity or life’s trials and tribulations.
Response: The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
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