May the Lord give you peace and health in the Holy Spirit. It is 06th August 2023. We celebrate the 17th Sunday in Ordinary time. We reflect on Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1:16-19 and Matthew 17:1-9.
How do we reiterate life today?
The stress and the importance we offer for the historical Jesus is as significant as we gaze at His divinity. The feast offers us the opportunity to visualize and believe that Jesus is God who revealed himself to those chosen ones who are so close to Him.
We all deserve such a vision of the glory of Christ Jesus in our faith development. We all need to have the peak moment and the mountain experience with the Lord where we not only have the vision of being in the company of the saints and the prophets. We are those chosen and the elect to have the vision of Christ whenever we truly listen to Him.
The prophet Daniel describes the glory of God in the courtyard of Heaven. The passage clearly mentions the presence of the Son of God clothed in white robes.
It is also a reminder for us that we shall be transfigured one day when we begin living with God and when God is pleased with the life we have lived.
Even though a privileged three namely Peter, James and John had the opportunity to see the divine identity of Jesus revealed in glory accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Amidst millions of questions in their minds and frozen to fear and frightened to the core, they did not debate and dissipated but they kept silent reflecting on all they witnessed.
The divinity of Jesus was on display with Moses and Elijah representing the Law and the Prophets. The Transfiguration is a moment of the Father as He introduced Jesus, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to those who were close to Jesus.
The Catechism reaffirms in CCC 664, “The mystery of the Transfiguration, then, is a manifestation, an unveiling, of the glory that the Son receives from the Father.”
In the second reading, St. Peter reiterates the vision of God at the mountain in which he was one of the witnesses along with James and John. St. Peter shares their personal experience during the Transfiguration and invites the entire believing community to keep this event in front of their life as the light for their spiritual lives.
“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.” (2 Pet.1:19).
The Gospel offers the intimate moment with Jesus at the Mount where he transfigured and showed his glory to the fullest. Jesus revealed His divinity to those who were so intimate with Him. Yes, the intimate friends of Jesus received the most special vision of Him at the mountain of prayer and solitude.
It is not just a display of the glory of Jesus alone but also to show solidarity with the Prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus transfigures at the Altar every day to those who participate and present fully to Him.
“Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Mt.17:6).
Do we have time to be with Jesus to listen to Him? We too can be the participants and beneficiaries of the heavenly glory when we are willing to allow His Words to have a place in our lives. The visions of God are given to us to face the realities of the world and to suffer for Christ.
Unless we have this personal, intimate, and deep encounter with Jesus, our faith remains unaffected and our lives remain unproductive. Let us make attempts to come to the mountain of love where we can surely experience the one who loves us anyway. May you have a good day.