Next week on August 6th we celebrate a major feast day, called the “Transfiguration”. It is rooted in a historical incident mentioned in the New Testament gospels in which the hidden divinity of Jesus shines with white snow like brilliance from the human body of Jesus. This happened in the presence of the three major apostolic witnesses, Peter, James and John. These three were also the ones that were allowed to be with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus underwent his “agony in the garden”, the night before he died. This was frightening scene for the three, especially when two major Old Testament witnesses, Moses and Elijah, appeared with Jesus.
The purpose of the transfiguration was to strengthen the faith of the apostles during the events of the arrest and crucifixion of the Lord. The mystery of the Transfiguration is also celebrated on the second Sunday of Lent to remind us at the very beginning of that season that transfiguration, Easter transformation, is the goal of the Christian life. The Transfiguration is now also the fourth mystery of the “mysteries of light rosary”
Why does the Church emphasize this aspect of the life of Jesus? Certainly it is to strengthen our own weak faith in the divinity of our human Lord. But there is more to this mystery. A few years ago we led a retreat in which the goal was “Transcendence”. It was reminder that we have within us not a divine nature as possessed by Jesus, but a new life which is a born again participation in the divinity of Jesus. We are called to exceed the limitations of our humanity, and witness the reality of that new life within. Of ourselves we are incapable of producing evidence that a new life exists in a hidden way in the depths of our souls. Yet we are called to witness this to a world that most times is oblivious to this hidden reality. How solve this dilemma? We resolve this incapacity by “yielding”, allowing God to have his way within us, by submitting again the baptism of the Holy Spirit who enables us to escape the bonds of our sinful weaknesses. He enables us to exceed, transcend the natural incapacity of our humanity especially a humanity that has been also wounded by original sin. How many countless times in the past have we done this? I am sure we can count at least some spiritual victories. As we repeat our “giving in” over and over again we became progressively more capable of bringing others to a realization that they too are loved by God who shares his divinity with the human race.
Why does the Church emphasize this aspect of the life of Jesus? Certainly it is to strengthen our own weak faith in the divinity of our human Lord. But there is more to this mystery. A few years ago we led a retreat in which the goal was “Transcendence”. It was reminder that we have within us not a divine nature as possessed by Jesus, but a new life which is a born again participation in the divinity of Jesus. We are called to exceed the limitations of our humanity, and witness the reality of that new life within. Of ourselves we are incapable of producing evidence that a new life exists in a hidden way in the depths of our souls. Yet we are called to witness this to a world that most times is oblivious to this hidden reality. How solve this dilemma? We resolve this incapacity by “yielding”, allowing God to have his way within us, by submitting again the baptism of the Holy Spirit who enables us to escape the bonds of our sinful weaknesses. He enables us to exceed, transcend the natural incapacity of our humanity especially a humanity that has been also wounded by original sin. How many countless times in the past have we done this? I am sure we can count at least some spiritual victories. As we repeat our “giving in” over and over again we became progressively more capable of bringing others to a realization that they too are loved by God who shares his divinity with the human race.