Dear friends,
There is a saying we usually hear, especially when we are to face difficult situations. It says, “Everything works for good for one who believes in God.” Today’s gospel reading leads us to that truth. The Transfiguration event recounted in the gospel follows immediately the profession in Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asks this question to his disciples: “But you, who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter clearly proclaims it: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” We hear these last words twice with regards to Jesus: at His Baptism and today at His Transfiguration.
In the minds of all who were awaiting the coming of the Messiah, the latter was thought powerful and invincible. We can understand how shocked Peter was when Jesus talked about his suffering and death. “No Lord, no such thing can happen to you…” However, contrarily to Peter’s and others’ line of thought and belief, that is what Jesus has to endure before rising to the life of glory. And this the true path to glory. Jesus does not stop at the announcement or prediction of his suffering and death. He goes beyond all that to announce and proclaim that he will be raised from death after three days. Yet, Peter doesn’t get it. He sticks to first part of Jesus’ message.
Today, Jesus reminds us that suffering and sorrows will never have the last word in our lives if we trust in God and follow in his footsteps. Time and again, we are moved with the present events we endure or go through, particularly painful ones; we dwell on them and tend to lose hope. The transfiguration is the manifestation of who Jesus is and where his sufferings would lead. Jesus invites us to always look beyond what we see with our human eyes and dive into God’s plan of love and salvation for us. Saint Paul says it clearly: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”(Rom. 8:18).
As we can see, it is in the challenges of our every day’s life that we should experience the closeness of God and nurture our hope of sharing in the glory of the Lord. No wonder why Jesus asks his disciples to go down from the mountain. The apostles wanted to stain on the mountain, but the work lays ahead as Jesus points out. For this work to be fruitful, God the Father gives us the secret: to “Listen” to the One with whom He is well pleased; that is His Son Jesus Christ.
Therefore, let us open our hearts and ears to listen to Jesus Christ who is the source of our peace and comfort. For it is only in so far we pay heed to Him that we can share in His glory. And let us continue to pry for one another and for our parish family.
Fr. Emery