Feast of the Transfiguration

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John,                      
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them, 
and his clothes became dazzling white, 
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, 
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, 
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents: 
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; 
from the cloud came a voice, 
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

Ahh, to be Peter, James, or John and to see what they had seen, what more proof could they want that Jesus was Lord?  Well, the voice of God might help.  And so they heard a voice from heaven declare that Jesus was His beloved Son and the voice told them to listen to Him.  Then it was all over, and only Jesus and the three apostles were there.  Did they see what they thought that they had seen?  Had there really been a voice from heaven?  Did the really see Elijah and Moses speaking to Jesus?  They trembled at this very supernatural display.

This was to be a learning experience for the three favored apostles.  We know this because Jesus led them up a high mountain and God met man on high mountains.  The three trembled at what they saw.  We humans always tremble when God reveals Himself because we know we are a creature and He is our Creator.  Peter, James, and John saw prophesy fulfilled this day.  Elijah had returned.  They also observed Moses deferring to Jesus to prove that Jesus outranked the number one religious icon of the age.  They then heard the very voice of God adding His endorsement and approval to Jesus and telling the three to "listen to Him."

Moses and Elijah were The big two when it came to the Jewish religion.  In spite of all the signs and wonders that Jesus showed the Pharisees and Sadducees, the two major groups of leaders of the Jewish faith, they still rejected Jesus out of hand. In today's revelation, the Divinity of Christ shines through His mortal body and the true leaders of Judaism are shown as conversing with Jesus and accepting Him as Savior, Lord, and Messiah.   This act of Jesus was an important one.  He did not do it to "show off" or to prove that He was important.  The Transfiguration was to strengthen the three chosen apostles for the passion and death of Jesus which was right around the corner. The next time the favored three would be separated from the others would be in the Garden of Gethsemane where they would witness Jesus sweating blood as His saving actions began as He began His final journey to Calvary.  Jesus allowed these three Apostles to witness His glory because they would also witness His all too human passion and death. 

Believe in Jesus, the real Jesus.  Jesus was both man and God.  He was a man so that he could experience our joys, sorrows, tears and laughter and our end which we call death.  As God, He would conquer death and rise again from the dead.  This is God's Beloved Son, listen to Him! 

Remember our brothers and sisters in Purgatory.  Pray for them today.