Transfiguration

Today is the celebration of the Transfiguration, a moment in Luke’s Gospel (our reading passage for today) in which Jesus reveals Himself in His Divine Glory to Peter, John, and James.  The sermon this morning offered a different perspective on this event.  The lectionary reading also included Moses, face shining from having experienced the Glory of God atop the Mount, descending from Mt. Sinai and being asked by Aaron and the Israelites to cover his face — they were scared of what they saw in Moses.

Moses reflected God’s glory while the disciples became God’s glory.  Jesus revealed Himself, and His radiance blazed and dazzled the disciples.  He spoke with Moses and Elijah, whom the disciples would have known from their study of Scriptural texts.  Watching this exchange would likely have been a most incredible event.  It was such a powerful event that Luke says they told no one of what they saw.

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  These three men were most certainly transformed:  even Peter, the one we sometimes shake our heads at because he always pops off at the mouth, managed to keep quiet about his experience!

But what does this mean for me?

Christianus Alter Christus.  Because of Jesus and His revealing of Himself within us, we are another Christ.  We are daily transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We draw close to God and He draws close to us.  Just as we have the tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament in our church, we also are the tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament within us.  We shine and radiate with the Glory of God just as the sanctuary candle flickers with the real presence of Jesus.

What am I supposed to do with this understanding that I am a tabernacle of Christ and His glory?

Let Him loose.  Let Him continue to transform my mind — stubborn, selfish, scared — into a person of truth and love and wisdom.  I need to read and study and pray and worship.  I need to see the flawed, sinful, human nature that I am and allow God to transform His tabernacle.

More than this, I am to see Christ in others.  I am to recognize the light of Jesus in others around me and allow them to be what Christ is calling them to be.  Will they get on my nerves?  Undoubtedly.  Will they hurt my feelings?  Probably.   Additionally, will I irritate and hurt them?  Yes.

We are to see Jesus in each other.  It doesn’t matter if it’s clear and crisp and beautiful or ugly and mean and isolated.  Jesus is present.  Jesus is real.  We have to keep going and not stop.  We will fail, but He knows that.  Look at Peter!  We must be honest with ourselves.  We must trust those few around us who know us, our spiritual directors, and allow them to speak God’s truth to us.  Let Him complete His work as He transforms not only our minds but our lives.  And as I do this, so is my neighbor to the left and to the right.  Not only am I being transformed but we all are being transformed.  We all are God’s Church; may He continue to make us worthy to be His tabernacle.