He took Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28).
Peter, John, and James experienced Jesus’ profound teachings, his powerful signs, his wonders, and they also witnessed his healings, casting out demons, and forgiving of sins, which, alluded to the reality that he was the Son of God. Peter, James, and John, although acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, still pretty much looked at Jesus as a human being. In the encounter of Jesus transfigured, Jesus revealed to his inner circle of Apostles not only a foretaste of what was to come in heaven but a glimpse of his actual divinity, and the miracle of miracles, the Resurrection.
Jesus is not 50% God and 50% human. He is fully God and fully man. This is the Mystery of the Incarnation; the reality that the second Person of the Trinity took on flesh and became human. This is an important reality, because in this very act of Infinite Grace, the Son of God assuming humanity, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, as St. Irenaeus wrote, “opened up heaven for us in the humanity he assumed.” The Son of God became one with us in our fallen and sinful state so that we can become one with him.
Through participation in the life of Jesus Christ, we can be restored and deepen our relationship with his Father, and we too can be transformed. We can do more in this life than to survive and just get by. We can live beyond just recovery from healing from our wounds, beyond merely functioning and keeping our head above water. Jesus came to reveal to us that we are to live in the consolation and joy of being in relationship with his Father and so we can with St. Paul, “rejoice always!” With Jesus not only is recovery from wounds, addictions, sin, disordered affections possible; forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, wholeness, and a peace that surpasses all understanding possible.
“By revealing himself God wishes to make [us] capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond [our] own natural capacity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1997, 52). This reality of the invitation of communion with the Loving God and Father of all creation is for all. Authentic joy and fulfillment are achieved through developing a relationship with the God of Jesus Christ.
Many may say they are happy and living a good life without having a relationship with Jesus Christ, they do not need God or his Church, and I would not disagree with them. I would only add that if we are honest with ourselves, there is more to life than the mere material and finite reality we see and what we experience with our senses. When we slow down enough, when we are actually still enough, we can experience a deeper yearning for more, and begin to see what is keeping us from the deeper reality Jesus is offering.
Even with great achievement, mastery, honor, and accumulation, there is still a lingering question, “Is this all there is?” We experience consciously or unconsciously a restlessness, we continually search to fill this unease, feeling satisfied for the moment, but eventually in short order, we are left empty, time and time again. This unease is our soul’s yearning, our transcendent nature longing for more, and that longing is for the infinite that the finite cannot provide or satisfy. St Augustine of Hippo articulated this desire and yearning so well in the opening chapter of his autobiography, Confessions: “You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.”
The Feast of the Transfiguration is an invitation to embrace the fullness of what it means to be human, as the Son of God did through the Mystery of his becoming one with us, all of us, all of humanity, not just a select few. We are invited to embrace the fullness and rich diversity of our humanity; the reality that we are physical, emotional, intellectual, while at the same time, spiritual beings. Our fulfillment and joy come from a balance of nurturing the reality that each and every one of us have been created in the image and likeness of God and are to identify ourselves foundational as his beloved daughters and sons.
Peter, John, and James, as well as each of the saints, embraced the invitation of Jesus and were healed, experienced wholeness, and communion. The likeness to God that was lost in the fall of Adam and Eve was restored as they dedicated themselves to lives of prayer, repentance, service, allowing themselves to be loved by Jesus and to love in return. We can see the restoration of the likeness through such biblical imagery of Moses’ face that radiated after his intimate encounters with God and in the transfiguration of Jesus with not just his face but his whole being.
“The person who prays begins to see” (Pope Benedict). Setting time to be alone with God daily to speak with him, listen, simply rest and be still, as well as receive, hear, and follow the guidance of God will, and above all to receive his love, help us to see and experience reality, grow in holiness, and restore the glory he made us for. We embrace the gift of our common dignity when we love God, ourselves, and our neighbors as ourselves.
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Photo: Jesus transfigured reveals the fullness of our humanity as physical and spiritual.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 