8/06/2023 - Transfiguration Sunday

Daring to Lay Your Burdens Down
For the past three Sundays, the Gospels have focused on the image of the Kingdom of God through parables. The Lord's Transfiguration Feast appears to be the series' final celebration, but its description of ‘the kingdom’ goes into greater depth and complexity than those that came before it. Considering the foregoing, it follows that God's kingdom is a space of great aesthetic and spiritual comfort. We have to climb the mountain first, though. Climbing a mountain is not a simple task, requiring perseverance, dedication, and self-control.

To reach the peak, one must first leave their belongings at the base. In order to move on to the next level, we must first let go of the things holding us back in the lower levels. There will be change, and perhaps even significant change. It calls for a break from sinful behavior. A divine lesson for our lives, the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is also our own transfiguration. Transfiguration encourages us to stop focusing on trivial matters and start reaching for the high places. The experience of transfiguration inspires us to work our way up from the bottom.

Adaptation is the key to success in life. Those who refuse to adapt to new circumstances will remain stagnant. Those, on the other hand, who welcome and adapt to constructive change, flourish as a result. Christians' minds have been boggled by the Transfiguration story for centuries. This passage provides the clearest New Testament picture of mysticism—the perception of the transcendental within the mundane, as well as the conviction that the spiritual reality is superior to and more beautiful than any material one. This is the greatest mystery about Christ.

As we remember Jesus' transfiguration, may we be inspired to rise above our current circumstances and follow Christ up the mountain to a more glorious existence. God the Father instructs us to listen to His Beloved Son.

The Greek word metamorphosis, meaning "to change," is where the English word "transfiguration" gets its meaning. A galaxy of words that are connected across disciplines share a common meaning and symbolism. In the natural sciences, this term could refer to processes like nuclear regeneration or microbial transmutation. In medicine, it could refer to a therapeutic procedure or pulmonary resuscitation. In theology, it could refer to the Paschal threshold or sacramental transubstantiation. Transfiguration is the perfect word to describe the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. As kids, we might have been fascinated by the metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to adult Monarch butterfly.

The three Apostles were there when Jesus performed miracles, taught, and suffered on the cross. To help them remember having contemplated the nature of Jesus as the uncreated Light, even for a moment, helped them to overcome the scandal of the cross. Transfiguration, then, is a gradual help in facing the mystery of Christ up until Easter, a support for the faith to sustain the weakness of the Apostles.

Christ's glorious return, in which he "will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body," is hinted at in the Transfiguration. And yet, it also reminds us that "through many persecutions, we must enter the kingdom of God." (CCC #556) Many of us have a "special place" where we go to be alone with God, whether it be a lake, the ocean, or a wooded area. But for some people, the peak of the mountain is the ideal location. In the Bible, God frequently chooses to reveal himself and his plans on a mountain. Are you prepared to release your worries and concerns in order to receive the Divine's transforming love? Find a place for God's encounter during the coming days. Be blessed. Fr Tom Kunnel C.O.