In today’s readings, Jesus takes a break from his work teaching the crowds and the disciples. He takes Peter, James, and John with him up on a high mountain. He is “transfigured” before them—that is, his appearance is changed. Instead of being seen as the 100% human he was typically seen as, for a short time, those three disciples saw him as the 100% divine he also was.
August 6th is the Solemnity of the Transfiguration, so we celebrate it this week, although we have to skip ahead four chapters of Matthew’s narrative to do it. The Transfiguration has been historically seen as occurring in late summer of the third year of Jesus’ public ministry. It is a major turning point in his life. Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah while he is transfigured. The disciples do not hear their conversation, but they recognize them. They do hear a voice coming from a cloud that says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
The Old Testament and Epistle readings complement the Gospel. All the readings can lead us today to consider what difference it makes to us when we encounter God in His Glory.
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
We seldom see Sunday readings from Daniel. It is a teaching book, rather than a history, written for Jews of the Diaspora during the persecutions by the Greeks in the third or second century BC. It includes various references to historical figures and events, but it puts them together for teaching purposes, rather than historical accuracy.
The selection for today is chosen because it is a vision of the prophet Daniel of a “Son of Man.” “Son of Man” was a title Jesus used to describe himself and was generally understood in Biblical times to mean the Messiah. This Old Testament reading ties the events in today’s Gospel with the expectations of the Jewish people that they would be saved by a man who came with the glory of God on him.
The message of all of Daniel is a message of hope. Our Church teaches us that Jesus was the fulfillment of that hope. In today’s Gospel we and the three disciples get a glimpse of him in a glory which mirrors the glory and the power of the Father and the Son described in Daniel’s vision.
II Peter 1:16-19
In the sequence of Sunday readings in Cycle A, we do not naturally see the relationship between Peter’s profession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16) and the Transfiguration. We jump from the parables of the last three weeks to the Transfiguration, then, on August 27th, we return to Matthew 16 to hear Peter’s profession. Matthew wrote a lot about this period of Jesus ministry—and it just doesn’t fit with the historical choice of the Church to celebrate the Transfiguration on August 6. Nonetheless, Peter’s profession is considered a necessary prerequisite for Jesus to let his disciples see his glory. They had to see Jesus as the Christ before they saw him in his glory on the mountain. Belief had to precede experience.
This reading from II Peter recounts Peter’s experience of the Transfiguration. Biblical scholars believe Peter or a follower of Peter wrote this account of the Transfiguration from Rome during a time of persecution. If Peter wrote it, it would have been shortly before his martyrdom. If a follower, it would have been a reminder of Peter’s experience and understanding of the Transfiguration during one of the other times of persecution of Christians in Rome.
There is a real “eyewitness” energy to Peter’s description:
we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,
“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Matthew 17:1-9
I carry that sense of vibrant memory and wonder in Peter’s voice as I pray from the Gospel. The other disciples remain somewhere below the mountain. Traditionally, the mountain is Mount Tabor, though the tradition of that did not start until the 3rd century. Mount Tabor is 1886 feet high and sits alone among some foothills. It is about 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee toward its north end. Interestingly, there is a cave there dedicated to Melchizedek because legend has it that it was there that Abram made an offering to Melchizedek when he first reached the land of Canaan. Today a Catholic and an Orthodox monastery are located at the top of Mount Tabor. The base of the mountain is surrounded by Arab villages.
The journey to the top would not have been too rough of a hike, yet it was enough to “get away from it all.” Once there, Jesus’ face and clothing shined with a great light. He spoke with Elijah and Moses. Peter didn’t quite know what to do, so he offered to create some tents (booths). This is generally interpreted that he thought maybe they should just stay up on the mountain. No, to stay on the mountain was not the intention. Instead, a cloud covered them. The disciples heard the voice say, “This is my Beloved Son, listen to him.” When they did, they fell down in fear. It was God, the Father, speaking. The next thing they knew, Moses and Elijah were gone. Jesus touched them and said, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” They all went down the mountain. Jesus told them to not tell anyone about their experience until after he rose from the dead.
The Mountain Made a Difference
Jesus’ Transfiguration made a great difference. Epitome of a “mountain-top experience,” it changed Jesus’ focus. While he continued to teach and heal, he also began to predict his Passion. It was as if it gave him the full understanding of who he was and why he was and what he was to do. Or perhaps he had always known, but the Transfiguration in the presence of some of his disciples was the event that enabled him to begin to talk about the fuller plan of salvation. There was a bigger story to heal and transform individuals, cultures, history. The pivotal event in that bigger story, his death and resurrection, would happen within a few months.
The Difference for Us
My yearning this week is to take time to deeply worship. Worship can get careless in parishes. Our reception of the Eucharist (which is, in a very real way, the Transfiguration before us) can get mundane. We can go to mass on automatic pilot. Or, we can be like Peter, and want to “do something” instead of letting ourselves bow our hearts before the True Presence of God.
This is a weekend when it may be a good idea to retire to some form of Mt. Tabor: mass in a parish which takes “right worship” seriously…or even just another parish to break routines…or spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament in quiet…or put on some praise music and sing to God for an hour…or…let God lead you to where you need to go to become deeply aware of and in great gratitude for “This is my Beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Prayer:
(The Anima Christi from the 14th century)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
