Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

READINGS

Gospel Mark 9:2-10

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.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

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REFLECTION

What is transfiguration?

The Greek word for transfiguration is "metemorphothe". Mete or meta means "beyond" and "morphoun" means "change."

Our human understanding of life on Earth is that there are living things that go through metamorphosis like insects. An example of metamorphosis is when a larva changes to a caterpillar and then changes to a butterfly which happens outside of a mother. A human changes shape and form within the mother. Humans develop from a zygote to an embryo to a fetus and then at birth a baby.

These types of changes is what we as humans observe about life on Earth. But Jesus' transfiguration is beyond what we experience on Earth. His is beautiful and bright! His glory is shown as brilliant light. That's why Peter was compelled to ask Jesus if they could pitch tents and stay with Him. He was too beautiful to leave. Peter was in heaven!

God the Father brings Peter back to Earth by covering Jesus, Moses, and Elijah with a fog and tells the apostles, Peter, James, and John to "Listen" to His Son. His Son is telling them that He will suffer and die even though He is God. Yet in the end He will be resurrected in His glorious body.

It doesn't sink-in to the apostles' minds because they still don't understand.

Do we understand? Do we know that we are eternal? Do we know that we will rise from the dead, too? Will all of us earn glorified bodies after death?

All of these questions can be answered by a theologian. Join PAPA FACE ZBS when it resumes Find out more about what Jesus teaches us in the Gospels. Here is a link to our FACE ZBS recordings. Come all are welcome!