Feast of the Transfiguration
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, NOLA
I'll be the first to confess: I can be a bit jaded, world-weary. That
is, when it comes to watching the world and the problems we humans
create for ourselves, I am more likely than not to think, “Well,
that's hardly surprising.” When the news broke about the Ebola
virus in Africa, I was concerned but not surprised. When that
Malaysian plane was shot down over the Ukraine on the same day that
Israel starting blowing up terrorist tunnels in Gaza – not
surprised. This morning I read that the federal database for tracking
terrorists in the US contains 1.1 million names and that almost 80%
of American parents think that their children's lives will be worse
than theirs – not surprised. One of the advantages of being a
Catholic in this day and age is that very little shocks us. Why? B/c
we have an excellent understanding of what it means to be part of the
fallen human race. We know sin. Evil is no stranger. If we stopped
there – at our fallen, sinful nature – we would be despairing as
well as jaded and world-weary.
Thankfully, right on time, Christ
shows us our gifted end; he shows us where we can end up if we trust
in God and surrender ourselves to His will. That's
the whole reason for the dramatic revelation on Mt. Tabor – to show
us our gifted end, to show us where we can end up if we trust in God
and surrender ourselves to His will. Jesus takes Peter, James, and
John to the mountain top to show them what they can become –
transfigured, changed in such a way that they become unflinching
beacons of God's living glory. As witnesses to this truth of the
faith, Jesus appears with Moses and Elijah – prophets of the Law.
The Father sends these two prophets to
bear up under the
truth that Christ is not only His beloved Son but the literal flesh
and blood of His promise of eternal life as well. His promise – to
keep us with Him always – is given a figure; it's illustrated,
changed into a shape, a form, a person. . .the person of Christ.
Radiating His Father's glory, Jesus sees the growing despair of his
disciples – our worry and dread – and he injects our flagging
hope with a simple tonic, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Rise. And
do not be afraid. Our end, our gifted goal is the glory of the
Father. And nothing He has planted will ever be uprooted.
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