“Rise, and do not be afraid”
Jesus brings Peter, James and John up a high mountain to teach them a lesson. The lesson is simple, “that it was impossible – for Him as well as for them – to reach the glory of the Transfiguration without passing through suffering.” [1] Jesus does not want the Apostles or us to be paralyzed by fear when we see suffering and the cross, but to instead see the full picture, and to rise and be not afraid. If we think there can be glory without suffering, gain without pain, we are mistaken. The cross does not make sense if it stands alone. When the Christian looks at the cross, we know that what appears to be a loss is a gain. We do not see the cross or resurrection alone, but rather look at one and see the other. We profess this mystery, the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection at each mass. “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” [2] We know that the passion, death, and resurrection are inherently connected. Just as this was true for Christ, it is true for us. Jesus “reveals that he will have to go by the way of the cross at Jerusalem in order to enter into his glory.” [3] The mysteries of the Transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension give hope in the midst of the mysteries of the passion and crucifixion of our Lord. The crucifixion is a victory and the cross a permanent sign of that victory. It brings hope, not scandal and despair. In what ways has the cross given you and others hope?
The Hill of Crosses is an example of the enduring faith and hope of the Lithuanian Catholics (80% of the population). Although the hill has been destroyed many times, the crosses always reappear. Even when the Communists blocked the road to the pilgrimage site, the people continued their devotion.
See and hear the story of the rescue worker that first discovered a perfect cross found at Ground Zero and the hope it brought New Yorkers and the nation following the 9/11 tragedy
There is not scandal in the suffering and cross of Christ but rather hope and victory. “The great reason for this Transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.” [4] Jesus gives Peter, James and John a foretaste of the glory of the resurrection so they can endure not only His passion and death, but also eventually their own martyrdom—excepting St. John, all of the Apostles would die as martyrs.
What did Jesus do to console and give hope to the Apostles and other disciples? Jesus did not want his beloved disciples to lose faith when they witnessed the horror of the Crucifixion. He wanted them to remember the glory of the Transfiguration. He also says to them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” [5] Although they do not know at this point what “raised from the dead” means, this event and these words will make sense after they witness His passion, death and resurrection. We have the advantage of seeing the whole picture, passion, death and resurrection, but the disciples did not have this advantage, and probably for this reason, only one of the Apostles, Saint John, remained faithful, following Christ all the way to the Cross and with courage standing at the side of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Mary Magdalene.What things disturb our faith? When things disturb our faith, what consolation and hope does Jesus give us?
Why is it helpful to keep the end in mind? Jesus reminds us to always keep the end in mind. The book of Sirach reminds us to remember our death, so that we will not sin. “In all you do, remember the end of your life, and then you will never sin.” [6] We are reminded of our end on Ash Wednesday, when we are told, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Blessed Junipero Serra, the apostle of California, said, “Always go forward, never turn back.”
What are the different kinds of ends? There are three ends: the end of a current event, the end of our life and our ultimate end, heaven. When we are going through tough times at the current moment, we remind our self that things will get better. The marathon runner is training, and he or she doesn’t just get up and run a marathon in a day. It takes months of preparation, with many sore muscles, blisters, calluses, and pains. This pain doesn’t deter the runner because he knows the end—crossing the finish line—will be worth it. During the marathon, the runner does not think of the mile they are currently running but rather the finish line. The golfer does not think about the middle of the hole he is on, which might include water or sand traps, but rather the green, where he is going.
Remembering that we are mortal and that one day we will die and will be judged, helps us to live a holy life. In the rule of Saint Benedict, we are reminded to “fear the day of judgment and to dread hell.” The Penny Catechism asks, “After your night prayers what should you do?” The answer is, “After my night prayers I should observe due modesty in going to bed; occupy myself with the thoughts of death; and endeavor to compose myself to rest at the foot of the Cross, and give my last thoughts to my crucified Savior.” [7] While this sounds a bit morbid, in actuality it is not. We must remind ourselves that, yes, one day we will die, that we have an end, and place ourselves at the foot of the Cross under the mercy of God. When we pray Night Prayer, the Church reminds us of our end and implores God’s mercy as we pray “May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.” [8]
We also know that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of the eternal life. Ultimately, we keep our eyes fixed on heaven, our final end. In the Transfiguration, Jesus gives his Apostles a glimpse of the glory of heaven. “The disciples experienced during the Transfiguration… ahead of time something that will constitute the happiness of paradise. In general, it is brief experiences that God grants on occasions, especially in anticipation of harsh trials.” [9]
What are some experiences God has given us to prepare us to endure harsh trials?
In the movie, Life is Beautiful, German Nazis arrest Guido and his son, Joshua, and transfer them to a concentration camp. Protecting his son from the vile truth, Guido tells Joshua that they are just on a big holiday. To keep up Joshua's spirits, he tells him it’s a big game for Joshua, claiming they must obtain 1000 points to win a real tank and leave.
The cross of Christ was such a scandal that only one of the twelve Apostles, Saint John, was present at the Cross. It was not something that any of the Apostles wanted to witness or see. In the midst of horror, we need hope. we need a promise—a way out. In the midst of the great horror of a concentration camp, a father gave hope to his son. He gave his son a goal, a game, a focus. In the end, his son does get the “tank” when the allied forces roll into the camp in a big tank. In the end, he does win. Even though “the game” the dad makes up is not true, the reality is that the Guido gave his son hope and it saved him from despair. How much more powerful is the promise and hope that God gives us?
The Transfiguration is not only the truth of Christ’s glory, but the promise of our future glory. The Transfiguration increases in us the virtue of hope, which “makes a person desire eternal life, which is the heavenly vision of God, and gives us the confidence of receiving the grace necessary to reach heaven.”[x]
What lessons do we learn from the Transfiguration?
1. Jesus wants to strengthen our faith and gives us opportunities to do so. What are some of the many ways Christ strengthens our Faith?
2. We should never be ashamed of the Cross. What are ways people show they are ashamed of the Cross?
3. We should not fear suffering for the sake of justice. What does this mean? When we are rightly punished for something, we should suffer the punishment.
4. We should never lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. Christ promised us the reward of Heaven. He also promised that He will be with us until the end of time [11] and that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. [12] We can completely trust in Jesus’ words and be confident that he will be faithful.
These four lessons are the heart of the Gospel. “In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed. No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death.” [13]
[1] Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D; Divine Intimacy; page 310
[2] The Order of the Mass I
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church; 555
[4] Spiritual Reading in this Link to Liturgy Packet
[5] Matthew 17:9
[6] Sirach 7:36
[7] The Penny Catechism; page 370
[8] Liturgy of the Hours; Ordinary; Concluding Prayer of Night Prayer
[9] Pope Benedict XVI
[10] Fr. John Hardon, S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary; page 257
[11] Matthew 28:20
[12] Matthew 16:18
[13] From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope