Transfiguration or God Among Us
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10
Every solemnity, liturgically speaking, celebrates an aspect of the Christian salvation mystery. For example, every Sunday is the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord. As Christians, every Sunday celebration reminds us that one we will be raised from the dead like Jesus rose from the dead. What mystery, then, do we celebrate on the solemnity of the Transfiguration?
Let us begin with our first reading. Four figures are presented in it, Daniel, Son-of-Man, the Ancient-of-Days and the “myriads” of worshippers of the Ancient-of-Days. From the meaning of his name, dan-i-el – God is my judge, the first part of the mystery of the Transfiguration is manifested – one day, God will judge the world. But what is Judgment, on Transfiguration day?
The arrival of the Son-of-Man on the scene of Judgment Day reveals the meaning of “Judgment” – the reception of reward or glory for the quality of life lived upon earth. The “books” that were opened contain human deeds – the good, the bad and the ugly – upon which judgment is based.
The Ancient-of-Days is the judge, and he transfers glory, dominion and kingship to the Son-of-Man. The Son-of-Man becomes immortal and eternal. That is, only God can accord immortality and eternity. Interestingly, “myriads upon myriads” attended the Ancient-of-Days on Judgment Day, when glory, dominion and kingship were transferred to the Son-of-Man.
Apart from the fact that Judgment Day is inevitable, no one was condemned or punished in our first reading. This means that our first reading is about the Son-of-Man and no one else; it is the scene of the appreciation of the Ancient-of-Days towards the Son-of-Man. The contents of the “books” that were opened pleased the Ancient-of-Days so much that he honors the Son-of-Man.
If there is any lesson to be learned from our first reading, it is that God rewards good deeds. This same lesson passes to the gospel. In the gospel, it is Jesus, Moses, Elijah and three of Jesus’s apostles that constitute the Transfiguration scene.
The immortality of the Son-of-Man, in our first reading, is now manifested in Moses and Elijah – they are shown as immortals. Jesus takes over the place of the Ancient-of-Days and converses with the duo, in the sight of Peter, James and John. This time around, instead of Dan-i-el (God is my judge), the three disciples of Jesus are told the meaning of the Transfiguration of Jesus – God saves or God is Salvation – the meaning of Jesus (Joshua or Yeshua).
The fulfillment of the Transfiguration as Salvation will only happen “when the Son of Man had risen from the dead”, according to Jesus. However, Peter made a discovery – Jesus is God! By requesting to make “three tents”, Peter remembers the Tent-of-Meeting, where Israelites used to meet God. Jesus is the “Tent” or “Tabernacle” of God among human beings.
The Judgment Day of our first reading and the salvation Jesus brings, after his resurrection, according to our gospel, transform you and I as witnesses to the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. This is the point of the second reading and summary of the Solemnity of the Transfiguration: “we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty”.
Every good Christian has the possibility of experiencing Heaven on Earth. The realization that God is present among us is Transfiguration! Peter, James and John saw it, Moses and Elijah witnessed to it, and Jesus achieved it after his resurrection from the dead.
You and I, have we discovered God’s Tabernacle among us yet or do we consider our religion a “cleverly invented myth”? The worship of God and care of human beings and nature will take a different form, when we encounter God in his creatures! We will continue to fake our faith and worship of God, up until we have our personal experience of the Transfiguration or until we believe firmly the apostolic witness of the Transfiguration in the Scriptures and traditions of the Church.
Assignment for today:
Go spend sometime with Jesus in the Tabernacle or worship his presence in the poor, the sick and homeless, by caring for their needs (as much as you can).