Introduction: May you continue to be transformed by the glory of GOD
and may you give the Lord Jesus all the praise and glory that He is due.
Can you think of one key moment in your life that was
truly life-changing? Most people can remember a time when they were raised to a
higher level of existence. It might have been when they experienced the beauty of
creation – a sunrise or sunset, an overpowering view of mountain, desert, or ocean.
Others may recall a spiritual moment in which they were on a spiritual high – such
as during a retreat or prayer time. A few may recall a near-death experience and
sensed being close to being in heaven. Hopefully, such experiences can be a reminder
of GOD’s loving presence and a call to fulfil a mission which the Lord Jesus has
for them.
Commentary: This prophecy of
Daniel was written in the dark days of the Syrian persecution of Judaism a
couple of centuries before Christ. First the evil empires which persecuted
Judaism are described under the imagery of ravening beasts which tear their
prey to pieces. Then comes this altogether different image of a noble human
being on whom God confers all power and sovereignty on earth. In the original
vision this human figure is the personification of the Jews, ‘the holy ones of
the Most High’, who will be freed from this persecution and exalted to glory.
This mysterious title, ‘son of man’, is the only title which Jesus uses of
himself, no doubt with reference to the prophecy of Daniel. In the gospel
accounts of the Transfiguration the title does not occur, but the description
of Jesus transfigured, with his ‘robe as white as snow’, immediately brings to
mind the scene in Daniel.
The psalm today is a hymn of praise to the LORD GOD
for being the majestic Ruler of all, the Leader of a time of glory for all GOD’s
people. All of creation (earthly and heavenly) come in homage before the LORD GOD.
Psalm 97 is a
celebration of God's sovereignty, righteousness, and glory. It calls all
creation and people to recognize His reign and submit to His perfect and just
rule. It reminds us that God's presence and power are beyond comprehension and
that He alone deserves our worship and praise. The psalm also serves as an
encouragement for believers to trust in God's righteous judgment and to find
joy in His presence.
Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-19
We heard this ourselves, spoken from heaven
Commentary: Since 2 Peter is
one of the latest documents of the New Testament (possibly dating from the
second century) the author’s claim to have been present at the Transfiguration
is probably more conventional than historical. However, the point remains valid
that it was an indication of the glory of Christ and his divine authority.
These verses
emphasize the importance of relying on the eyewitness accounts and the
prophetic word to confirm the truth of the Gospel. Peter presents his firsthand
experience of the transfiguration as a powerful testimony to the divine
identity of Jesus Christ. He encourages believers to hold fast to the
Scriptures, which shed light on the truth and guide them until the day of
Christ's return.
Commentary: The
Transfiguration was the moment when the disciples were shown the divinity of
Jesus on the Holy Mountain. The scene is reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with
God on Sinai, when his face, too, shone like the sun. Moses and Elijah are
present because they are the two Old Testament figures who experienced the
presence of God on the Holy Mountain. With his usual impetuous generosity Peter
attempts to ‘freeze’ the moment. The public declaration of Jesus as God’s Son
at the Baptism is repeated, but with the addition that Jesus is the authorized
divine teacher; Matthew is alert to the implications for the Church of the
presence of Christ as Teacher. The cloud is also a symbol of God’s presence, to
which the human response can only be to fall to the ground in fear and
reverence. The awesome moment of revelation cannot, however, last, and Jesus
brings his disciples back to the dire realities before them with the reminder
that his death must precede the revelation of his glory at the Resurrection.
Until they have experienced the limitless generosity of his death, and the
vindication by God of this love, they are not ready to spread the message of
Jesus. The Voice from Heaven is an echo of the Voice at Jesus’ Baptism. There,
however, it was addressed to Jesus, whereas here it is spoken to the disciples,
proclaiming Jesus as authorized teacher, the extension of that same divine
voice.
Reflection: The Gospel
passage is sometimes interpreted as a brief preview of the experience of
paradise, granted by Jesus to a group of friends to prepare them to endure the
ordeal of his passion and death.
There is a need
for caution when approaching a gospel text because of what, at first glance,
seems to be a chronicle of facts, while at a closer look, it often reveals a
theology drawn up according to the canons of biblical language. The account of
the Transfiguration of Jesus reported almost identically by Mark and Luke is an
example.
Today, Matthew’s
version is proposed to us. It opens with a seemingly irrelevant entry: “After
six days.” After what? It is not said, but the reference seems to be the most
likely debate about the identity of Jesus that occurred in the region of
Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13-20). One even wonders why he takes with him only
three disciples and why he goes up on a mountain.
Let’s start with
this last detail. This is a curious fact, especially in Matthew’s Gospel.
Jesus, when he does or says something important, goes up a mountain: The Last
Temptation takes place on the Mount (Mt 4:8); the beatitudes are spoken on the
Mount (Mt 5:1); he multiplied the loaves on the Mount (Mt 15:29) and, at the
end of the Gospel, when the disciples encounter the risen Christ and are sent
into the world, they were “on the mountain that had been indicated to them” (Mt
27:16).
Just scroll
through the Old Testament to find out the reason for such insistence. The
mountain, in the Bible—as indeed, among all peoples of antiquity—was the site
of encounter with God. On the mountain, Moses received his manifestation of God
and received the revelation that later was passed on to the people. It was also
at the top of Horeb that Elijah met the Lord.
There’s more. If
we read Exodus 24, we find that of Moses it was said, “after six days” (Ex
24:16), he did not go alone, but took Aaron, Nadab and Abihu with him (Ex
24:1,9), and was enveloped in a cloud. On the mountain, even his face was
transfigured by the splendor of God’s glory (Ex 34:30).
In light of these
texts, the aim of the evangelist is clear. He intends to present Jesus as the
new Moses, who delivers the new law to the new people, represented by the three
disciples. Jesus is the definitive revelation of God.
The shining face
and bright robes (v. 2). These are also frequent occurrences in the Bible. The
Lord is “covered with majesty and splendor, wrapped in light as with a
garment,” says the Psalmist (Ps 104:1-2). They are images that affirm the
presence of God in the person of Jesus.
The meaning of
the luminous cloud that envelops all with its shadow is identical (v. 5). The
book of Exodus speaks of a luminous cloud that protected the people of Israel
in the desert (Exodus 13:21), a sign of God’s presence that accompanied his
people along the way. When Moses received the law, the mountain was enveloped
by a cloud (Ex 24:15-16). He also came down with a shining face (Ex 39:29-35).
Cloud and shining face are, therefore, a reflection of God’s presence.
Using these
images, Matthew says that Peter, James and John, in a particularly significant
moment of their lives, have been introduced to the world of God and have
enjoyed an enlightenment that gave them an understanding of the true identity
of the Master and the destination of his journey. He would not be the glorious
Messiah they expected, but a Messiah who, after a severe conflict with the
religious power, would be opposed, persecuted, and killed. They also realized
that their fate would be no different from that of the Master. The voice from
heaven (v. 5) is a literary expression frequently used by the rabbis to end a
lengthy discussion on a theme and present the thinking of God.
The topic
discussed in the previous chapter (Mt 16) concerned the identity of Jesus. The
Master himself had opened the debate with the question: “Who do people say that
the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13). After presenting the various opinions, the
apostles, through the mouth of Peter, expressed their conviction that he is the
long-awaited messiah. The voice from the sky now declares the thought of God:
‘Jesus is the beloved,’ the faithful servant of whom God is well pleased (Is
42:1).
This ‘voice’ that
declares the same words had already been heard at baptism. “This is my beloved
Son” (Mt 3:17). Now an exhortation is added: “Listen to him.” Listen to him,
even when he seems to propose too demanding a path, indicate the narrow and
steep way, paradoxical or humanly absurd choices.
In the Bible, the
word ‘to listen’ does not just mean ‘to hear’ but is often equivalent to the
verb ‘to obey’ (Ex 6:12; Mt 18:15-16). The Father's recommendation to Peter,
James and John, and through them to all the disciples, is ‘to put into
practice’ what Jesus teaches. It is the invitation to focus life on the
proposal of the beatitude.
Who are Moses and
Elijah? The first is the one who gave the Law to his people; the other is
considered the first of the prophets. For the Israelites, these two characters
represented the Holy Scriptures.
All the holy
books of Israel are meant to lead to a dialogue with Jesus; they are oriented
toward him. Without him, the Old Testament is incomprehensible, but also Jesus,
without the Old Testament, remains a mystery. On Easter day, to make the
meaning of his death and resurrection clear to his disciples, he will again
resort to the Old Testament: “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he
explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27).
The meaning of
the image of the three tents is not easy to determine. Indeed, they refer to
the path of the exodus. Here, they indicate, perhaps, Peter's desire to stop
and perpetuate the joy experienced in a moment of spiritual intimacy with the
Master. Whoever builds a tent wants to fix his abode in one place and not move,
at least for a time. Jesus, instead, is always on the move. He goes directly to
a destination, and the disciples must follow him.
Our own spiritual
experience can help us to understand. After having spoken at length with God,
we are not willing to go back to everyday life: the problems, social conflicts,
and family disagreements, the dramas we must confront frighten us, yet we know
that listening to the Word of God is not everything. We cannot spend our lives
in the church or the oasis of spiritual retreats. It is necessary to meet and
serve the brothers and sisters, help those who suffer, and be close to anyone
in need of love. After discovering how to go in prayer, we must throw ourselves
into following Jesus, who goes up to Jerusalem to offer his life.
Let us summarize
the scene's meaning: the whole Old Testament (Moses and Elijah) receives
direction from Jesus. Peter does not understand the meaning of what is
happening. Although in words he proclaims Jesus as “the Christ” (Mt 16:16), he
remains profoundly convinced that he is just a great character, a man at the
level of Moses and Elijah; for this, he suggests that three equal tents be
built.
God intervenes to
correct the false interpretation of Peter: Jesus is not just a great legislator
or a mere prophet; he is the ‘beloved Son’ of the Father.
The three
characters cannot continue to be together any longer. Jesus stands out clearly
from the others and is absolutely superior. Israel had listened to the voice of
the Lord, which Moses and the prophets had transmitted. Now this voice—Peter
says—comes to people through Christ. It is he and him alone that the disciples
should listen to. It is noted that, when the three look up, they see no others
but Jesus. Moses and Elijah are gone; they have already accomplished their mission:
they have presented the Messiah, the new prophet, the new lawgiver to the
world.
The promise made
to the people by Moses before his death is surprisingly realized: “The Lord
your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself from among the people, from
your brothers, to whom you shall listen” (Deut 18:15).
“FIX YOUR EYES ON
JESUS” (HEB 3:1)
“We were
eyewitnesses of His sovereign majesty. He received glory and praise from God
the Father when that unique declaration came to Him out of the majestic
splendor: ‘This is My beloved Son, on Whom My favor rests.’ We ourselves heard
this said from heaven while we were in His company on the holy mountain…Keep
your attention closely fixed on it, as you would on a lamp shining in a dark
place.” —2 Peter 1:17-19
Sts. Peter, James
and John witnessed the transfigured majesty of Jesus on the holy mountain (Mt 17:1ff).
They heard the voice of God the Father testify that Jesus is His Son (Mt 17:5).
They saw Jesus’ face become “as dazzling as the sun, His clothes as radiant as
light” (Mt 17:2). What a vision of heaven on earth!
St. Matthew
places the vision of the transfigured glory of Jesus between prophecies of
Jesus’ intense suffering (Mt 16:21; 17:12). Thus, Jesus’ glory is connected
with His suffering. This is a message for our own lives; there is no glory
apart from suffering.
So we must bring
Jesus our brokenness and sufferings. Through our crosses, we will share in His
glory (see Rm 8:18). Currently, we suffer in this valley of tears (see Ps
23:4). St. Peter encourages us to keep before our eyes the transfigured majesty
of Jesus (2 Pt 1:19), His coming again in glory, and our eternal destiny in
heaven.
A great way to do
this is by attending Mass as often as possible, even daily. At each Mass,
heaven is wedded to earth in Jesus (see Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1335), and we receive the Eucharistic, transfigured Lord Jesus. “Listen to Him”
(Mt 17:5). “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Heb 3:1).
Prayer: Father, help me
stay focused on Your beloved Son, Jesus. “You, O Lord, are the Most High over
all the earth.” —Ps 97:9. Praise Jesus, transfigured in glory, the “Light of
the world” (Jn 8:12), shining in radiant splendor. (This teaching was submitted
by a member of our editorial team.)
The personal action for today: When I think about the Transfiguration, what thoughts,
feelings, or questions come to me? What do I see as the meaning of the Transfiguration
for Jesus, for the three apostles, and for me? How can I spend more time in the
presence of the glorified Lord Jesus so that I can be renewed to continue the mission
which GOD has given me? What difference can the Transfiguration be for me as I meet
people today, this week?