Jesus takes Peter, James and James’ brother John to a high mountain. There, before their eyes, Jesus is transfigured. They see his dazzling and radiant glory. They clearly see Jesus’ relationship with all that had come before in the divine history of salvation in the persons of Moses and Elijah. They hear a voice that confirms Jesus’ union with God, Abba…Father.
I sometimes find myself wondering: was it Jesus who changed, or was there something in the three followers of Jesus that changed?
Did Jesus show them something new and different about himself, or did his followers, for the first time, see without difficulty or obstacle the dazzling glory that was always a part of Jesus’ ministry to the poor, the disadvantaged, the needy, the neglected? Was the voice that spoke of Jesus as a beloved son a new revelation, or did these three men hear for the first time a voice that had always been present and active from the very beginning of Jesus’ conception?
What about us? Do we see our own God-given glory in ourselves as clearly as the three disciples saw in Jesus? Do we see how God’s divine plan of salvation has brought us to where we are in life? Do we recognize the role in that same plan of divine salvation that each of us is called to play? Do we hear the voice of a God who created us, redeemed us and inspires us to be his beloved children, his very dear daughters and sons?
The message could not be any clearer than the Word of God we hear from the book of Genesis. The same God who spoke to our ancestor Abram is the same God who speaks of us when he says: “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you…all the communities of the earth will find blessing in you.”
To the extent that we are a blessing in the lives of others (as distinct from a curse) then God’s dazzling glory shines in us; God’s will is revealed through us; God’s loving voice is embodied in us…for the entire world to see. Not just on the mountaintop of life, by the way, but in the valleys and plains of everyday life.
As we journey through this season of Lent, let us ask for the grace to see not only the brilliant glory of Jesus who is always with us but also the God-given glory that shines inside of us and inside all those whose lives we touch. Let us hear not only the voice of God that speaks of Jesus as a son, but also the voice of the same God who calls us his sons and daughters in the everyday circumstances, relationships and experiences in which we find ourselves.
