Deeper into the Transfiguration

My Lenten journey has led me deeper into the Transfiguration this year. As you may know, I’ve been reading and reflecting with the Lenten Companion: A Personal Encounter with the Power of the Gospel by Fr. Mark Toups (currently sold out but would recommend it even after Lent when it becomes available).

What I love about the book is that most days, in addition to the one page of reading in the book, we are encouraged to go deeper. We are directed to read and reflect on a passage of Scripture. So I’ve spent the past four days reflecting on the Gospel of Mark 9:2-10 – The Transfiguration. As you would imagine, the more I reflected, the more I gleaned from the passage.

FIRST THOUGHTS

The first phrase that spoke to me was “led them up a high mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them……” My immediate thoughts focused on the importance of solitude and silence. Upon reading the words “apart by themselves” and the awesomeness of the Transfiguration, I immediately thought of the powerful revelations and consolations that can occur when we step away from our busy-ness to spend some time in silence with God.

On the other hand, those words also reminded me of how we, as children of God, are set apart. Through our baptism we are consecrated to God and through our consecration we are called to something greater. We are called to be transfigured. Transfigured means to be transformed into something more beautiful, elevated. Isn’t that our purpose? To work toward being more like Christ. How’s that working out for us?

PETER’S REACTION

Peter’s reaction to that awesome experience was attachment. He really didn’t want that moment to end. While the moment was fleeting, the revelation was much more powerful and everlasting than Peter could have imagined (more on this in a moment). For me, Peter’s reaction and the fact that his desire was not fulfilled is an indication that in those moments of prayer when we receive consolation from God, when we feel His closeness – we shouldn’t get too attached to the “feeling.” Those moments of consolation are few and far between. When those warm fuzzy feelings occur, quite often they’re fleeting.

MOSES AND ELIJAH

How many times have I read this Gospel or heard it read? And yet, it wasn’t until I read it several times over the course of four days that this Gospel came alive. We’re told Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and they were talking to Him. We also hear of God’s voice coming from the cloud saying “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” After God speaks, the disciples see no one else but Jesus. I’ll start by saying “WOW!” Why? Because for the first time ever, I changed the emphasis of God’s words and the verse made so much more sense to me.

First, there’s Moses and Elijah on the mountain with Jesus. Moses is a symbol of the law and Elijah a representative of the prophets. Jesus is the fulfillment of these two characters. They’re speaking with Him, for me that is symbolic of the passing of the torch so to speak. And God speaking from a cloud -where have we heard that before? This command, coming from the cloud was no joke and the disciples knew it. It was GOD speaking to them.

CHANGE THE EMPHASIS

“This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” I don’t know about you, but I often put the emphasis on the word listen. However, as I contemplated what occurred before and after God’s words, I was drawn to change the emphasis to the word HIM.

You see, Moses and Elijah appeared and Peter wanted them to stay. I’m guessing Peter and the other disciples knew enough about Scripture to understand Moses and Elijah were like celebrities in their circles. But God speaks something profound after Peter’s reaction. His words are quite telling. Listen to HIM. In other words, let go of Moses and Elijah. You have everything you need in Jesus. Listen to HIM – He has the new law, He is the present day prophet. He is ALL in ALL! And they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus ONLY! Jesus is all we need.

AS THEY WERE COMING DOWN

Jesus comes down the mountain with his disciples. He comes down the mountain with us too. He is with us in the good times and the bad. Let us never forget that. He is with us now during our Lenten journey. Lean on Him when you struggle to get through the things you’ve committed to.

Lastly, “He charged them to tell no one what they had seen.” And what do you know – the disciples actually listened to Him. They followed God’s command and listened to Jesus. They told no one even though they really didn’t understand what He meant. Even though they questioned, they listened. Do we do the same?

TELL NO ONE

Many Gospel stories, including this one, talk about Jesus commanding others to tell no one what transpired. Most of them relate to healings performed by Jesus. What authentic humility, right? He doesn’t want the attention or the accolades that come along with knowing he performed a miracle.

In addition to the humility factor, I think Jesus knew he was here to be a guidepost for humanity. His main goal was to lead us to the Father. He knew that if too much attention was placed on Him our focus would shift.

One other thing: I think Jesus sought and still seeks authentic, unconditional love. Jesus knew that humanity’s love would not be authentic if everyone became aware of the miracles he performed and that His divinity was revealed on that mountain. They wouldn’t love him for his humility, they would love Him for what he could do for them. That’s probably another reason why He didn’t want the news to spread.

WHAT NOW?

So what do I do now that I’ve gone deeper into the Transfiguration? I make a list of the lessons and continue on my Lenten journey hoping to be transfigured. What lessons have you gleaned from this Gospel? Wishing you much success this Lent! God bless you!