About six days before the radiance of the Holy Face of Jesus, and the dazzling of the holy cloth that covered so great a gift, and the beautiful testimony of the heavenly Father, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him,” and the brief taste of the beatific vision on the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Lord had made an inquiry among his disciples about who they thought he was. Peter gave the right answer, “You are the Christ, son of the living God,” Matthew 16:16. Then the Lord made the first prediction of his passion, death, and resurrection to his disciples. And they became very sad. Peter took our Lord aside and persuaded him to give up the Cross, but our Lord made it clear that this must happen to him because it is God’s will. Jesus is the Christ who goes to the Cross, he is the lamb of God that is given for the remission of sin. The Cross is the only sure path to heavenly glory. And “those who would be Jesus’ disciples must deny themselves, take up the cross and follow after him” Matthew 16:24.
Here lies the turning point in the life of Jesus. The Christ now begins to show who he really is, and what his mission is about. He is going to the Cross like a Lamb led to slaughter. And by the shedding of his blood, sins are forgiven, and heaven opened for all mankind. And the voice of the heavenly Father coming from the cloud confirms the identity of Jesus and his mission. From now on, the disciples must listen very carefully to what and how Jesus speaks to them.
The news of his approaching death was, of course, very difficult for the disciples. For, who would not grieve at the loss of a dear friend or a loved one! And in order to wash away this fear and sadness, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up the high mountain to show them what lies beyond his death. Beyond the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, lies heavenly glory. And those who pick up their Crosses and follow him will share the same glory. For a moment, our Lord lifts the human veil that covers his divinity. He is transfigured. His appearance is changed as it will again be changed after his resurrection. This, is the meaning of the Transfiguration.
The joy of seeing this heavenly glory that is to be ours is obvious in Peter’s answer, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” Matthew 17:4. St. Augustine was right, we shall find true rest in God alone, but for the present, our hearts are restless, searching, desiring, and seeking the face of God. We carry our crosses of human suffering; we embrace it as the sure path to glory. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, let us stay the course, let us lovingly and willingly endure the pain of human weakness in order to maintain the justice of God, for, it is through this struggle that we attain heavenly glory.
Amen.
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