Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
The Transfiguration of the Lord clearly refers to the revelation at Sinai. It takes place at the top. Both Old Testament figures, Moses and Elijah, were in Sinai and God appeared to both of them. This time, the three Apostles: Peter, James and John also became partakers of God's revelation. To both Moses and Elijah in Sinai, God gave very important commands regarding their further action in relation to the chosen people. Traditionally in the Bible, Moses and Elijah represented the two pillars of the Old Testaments: the Law and the Prophets. Moses, at Sinai, received the Law that Israel had to keep. God once said through Moses: A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kindred; that is the one to whom you shall listen ( Dt. 18:15). On Tabor, the disciples heard the order: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him. Presently, the Law is no longer written on tablets of stone, but it is written by the life of a Person, He has become for us the Law of God, the norm of His disciples' behavior. The Lord Jesus will say later during the Last Supper: This is my commandment: love one another as I love you (cf. Jn. 15:12).
At this point, the Book of the Law becomes the living Person of Jesus Christ. In the written form, we find the Law in the Gospel, which contains the works and teachings of Jesus.
The presence of Moses and Elijah also means that in Jesus the expectations of both the Law and the prophets are fulfilled. Saint Paul will later write about Jesus: For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory (2 Cor 1:20).
However, it is important that Tabor is not the final of God's revelation, just as there was the final revelation of Sinai. Rather, the story of God's covenant with His people began there. In the Gospel, Tabor prepares the disciples for a full revelation that will take place in Jerusalem on the cross, on Golgotha, but connected with the resurrection. Tabor points to the eternal glory of the Son who, having humbled himself, descended to earth. It is the descending sense of the gospel to which it can be compared the description of the mystery of salvation contained in the hymn of the kenosis of Jesus:
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance (cf. Phil 2:6-11)
Christ showed the disciples who He is and thus revealed what was His incarnation. The bottom of the gospel will be the Cross and the Resurrection and Ascension until He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Likewise, the disciples: after seeing the shining face of Christ, they follow him "down", to life, to follow him to Jerusalem and to experience his Passover. This experience will give them the power to bear witness in faith. Likewise, having entrusted to the truth of the Gospel, which sheds light on life and immortality (cf. 2 Tim 1:10), we must go further in the direction of our Paschal Mystery, which will be shared in His Paschal Mystery. Usually in our youth we are healthy, full of life. We are sick and suffering in our older ages. We then have a chance to share in His sufferings, if we accept them patiently and consciously as a share in His Cross. This descent from the mountain is the time of a lifetime retreat for us, a retreat that is illuminated by the light of the Gospel from mount Tabor. The words: You are my beloved, also are addressed to each of us.
It is essential that we go out and follow His voice. This is the way of trust (Jesus, I trust in You). The first to be called to take this path was Abraham: Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you (cf. Gen 12:1). We have to come out of our self-sealing, caring for ourselves in the earthly concerns. To go out to follow Christ as our Guide, follow His promise to live fully. On this path, God blessed Abraham, that is, gave him the joy of life, and, moreover, He assured: I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you (cf. Gen 12: 2-3). If we really follow Christ, the same thing happens in our lives: we become a blessing to others primarily because we are able to truly proclaim the Gospels to them, shedding light on life and immortality.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george