Deacon Tom Anthony

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Lectionary: 614

Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
his throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were opened.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw:

One like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Reading 2 2 Pt 1:16-19

Beloved:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but 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.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.
You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Alleluia Mt 17:5c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him."
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
"Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

 The Transfiguration of the Lord was a major event in Jesus’ Ministry and served as a focal point for Peter, James, and John to look back on whenever they were faced with trials and tribulations which tested their faith. Jesus knew that, at the proper time, this event would enforce their faith and the revelation itself would put everything else into perspective. It was no coincidence that these three were chosen as witnesses. They were the “Inner circle” of the Apostles. It is from Peter which would come the foundation of Christ’s Church. James would be the first Apostle to be martyred by Herod Agrippa for speaking so forcefully against those who did not follow Jesus and the acts of pagan customs of the time. He was responsible for evangelizing the faith in Jerusalem and onward to Spain. John would remain long after all the other Apostles were martyred. He would be a guiding hand in the establishment of the early Church and the institution of the traditions and forms of worship we have today. It is from him that we receive the mass, many of the Feast Days on the Liturgical Calendar, and the Gospel of John.

The Transfiguration to us as Christians serves as a message of revelation. It demonstrates exactly who Jesus Christ is and how we should approach all of Sacred Scripture. Moses represents the Law while Elijah represents all of the prophets that came before Jesus up to Saint John the Baptist. Their conversation with Jesus demonstrates how all of us should approach Sacred Scripture: as a revelation of Jesus Christ. God Himself confirms this with the words: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." All that was before Jesus was a culmination of the event of The Incarnation: the Word becoming flesh. It is through The Transfiguration that God reveals everything that was hidden including His intent and His Divine Plan.

All four Gospels mentioned The Transfiguration. In John, it is revealed through the entire Gospel as he relates all that had occurred through the Crucifixion and immediately afterwards. From the beginning, John makes no doubt who Jesus is and how we should embrace Him. This underlines the importance of this event. In it we have a statement from God that emphasizes who Jesus is. We as Christians must approach Jesus Christ this way. We must also approach our quest for knowledge and understanding in Sacred Scripture the same way. We have been handed that which is to serve as the very foundation of our faith: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we are commanded to listen to Him. What He has said and continues to say is central to our lives and the lives of everyone in the universe. It encompasses God’s Creation in all of its glory and splendor.

For us, through all of the witnesses who came before and offered their lives in either martyrdom or sacrifice, we now have a model in which to live by. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ, then we need to act accordingly. There is no middle ground here. Regardless what this world offers, there is so much more as long as we approach it through Jesus Christ. Just as the Transfiguration served as a vehicle for Peter, James, and John to do the impossible, we now have the same opportunity to accomplish what they accomplish by embracing Jesus Christ. Why would there ever be any half-hearted approach to our faith-life knowing and believing these events have occurred? These events we as Christian view as facts, enforced by the testimony of those who were present. Why would there be any ulterior motive? None can be seen and none can be proven for Peter and James gave their lives in exchange for what they believed while John lived a long, painful, challenging existence to the very end.

All of us are as important as those who gave testimony and witness before. We are inheritors of everything that occurred beforehand. That, in itself, is a great responsibility. We are Keepers of the Faith and Children of God. It is time to act accordingly and enter into our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are Disciples of Christ who carry the message forward from the Apostles. Whatever we are facing in this physical life is nothing in comparison to what the Apostles faced. Just as the Apostles overcame whatever confronted them, even death, so too we are encouraged that we will do the same. We should look on society with contempt, possessing the knowledge that we are part of something bigger and better. When we let that bigger and better influence even the smallest of our actions, then we will be able to become a completely new Creature in Christ.

We are keepers of Divine Revelation. Let us act accordingly and live by the testimony of the witnesses that went before.

Deacon Tom