The scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord | USCCB
On this feast of the Transfiguration, we hear of the
beautiful account of our Lord taking Peter, James, and John up a high mountain.
Then they experience something they never expected: Jesus in His glorified
appearance. His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller could bleach
them. This was the divinity of Jesus becoming evident to the apostles. Then out
of nowhere appearing with Jesus was Moses and Elijah. No wonder Peter, James
and John were so terrified.
I often wonder what Moses, Elijah and Jesus had to say
to each other during their exchange on the mountain. Since Jesus was the
complete fulfillment of the Old Testament Laws and prophecies, with Moses as
the one who received the law from God, and Elijah the prophet who was called to
bring people back to the true worship of God, I think they were probably
talking about the eventual suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross in
fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies. And Peter, James and John were
witnesses of this conversation in order to help them in their ministry once
Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead on Easter Sunday and then ascended into
heaven.
In the 2nd letter of Peter, we hear Peter
talk about that time on the Holy Mountain, indicating that they had been
eyewitnesses of His Majesty. And Peter recalls the words that God the Father
said to them of Jesus, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well
pleased.” Further, in the gospel, we hear the Father say of Jesus, “Listen to
him.”
The apostles would go into the whole world proclaiming
Jesus Christ as savior, and we are Christians as a result of their sharing the
good news of Jesus Christ. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are, like the
apostles, reminded by God to listen to God’s beloved Son. We are to be open to
all that Jesus teaches us through Holy Scripture and through His Holy Church.
By being open to the teachings of Jesus as taught through the Catholic Church,
we are then being obedient to God and His command to listen to Him.
Then, once we embrace fully the teachings of God as
understood in the Catholic Church, we too are called to bring this Good News to
a world that is in so much need of the love and peace of God. We do this by how
we live our lives: by loving God and loving our neighbor as our selves.
YES, if my recollection of the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration is correct, Moses & Elijah spoke with Our LORD JESUS about His forthcoming trials, which would mean His Passion, crucifixion & death. They might have also included His Resurrection. Whether Peter, James & John actually heard or were in any way privy to the conversation is not mentioned & I am inclined to believe that although Peter, James & John really saw Moses & Elijah conversing with the transfigured JESUS they did not hear the conversation which remained private. After Peter enthusiastically proposed setting up e tents: one for JESUS, one for Moses & one for Elijah the 3 apostles there is some indication that they "rested in the Spirit" & then when they "woke up" Moses & Elijah had disappeared,they saw only JESUS, & then they heard the voice of GOD the Father saying "This is My beloved Son (in Whom I am well pleased.) Listen to HIM." Another reason I suspect that Peter, James & John did not hear the conversation is that even though Our LORD kept telling the apostles that He would be handed over to the chief priests, suffer, die on the Cross & rise from the dead, they still never understood, accepted or believed this. Maybe if they had actually heard & understood Moses & Elijah the apostles might have been less clueless when the actual events happened & been better prepared
ReplyDeleteTES, we as followers of JESUS CHRIST are called to listen to His Word in Scripture & in the teaching of the Church & when we are fully listening we are also called to obey & part of our call is to share our faith with others by the way we live & the words we proclaim. And we are also called to listen to His unique call to us individually in our everyday lives, especially when He us calling us to service. And the Church must always also be open to the Holy Spirit & the call of ongoing conversion & reform, confirmed by Sacred Scripture, because GOD never contradicts His Word. And the windows of the Church must always be open to the "fresh air" of the Holy Spirit as St. Pope John XIII did almost 60 years ago.