We reflect on the Transfiguration of the Lord twice a year during a liturgical year: Second Sunday of Lent and on the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is the same day as the memorial anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, August 6.
As reflected in the Fourth Luminous Mystery of the
Holy Rosary and in the Second Week reflection in the Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius of Loyola (284), the Transfiguration is one of the major milestones in
Jesus’ public life, which spans from his Baptism to Ascension, within his
Paschal Mystery, which begins with Annunciation.
The Transfiguration is addressed and reflected on
Second Sunday of Lent because it symbolically and powerfully foretells the
glorious Resurrection.
Six days (Mark 9:1) prior to Transfiguration, Jesus
foretold the disciples about his passion, death, and resurrection to his
disciples (Mark 8:31-33), upon Peter’s proclamation that Jesus is the Christ,
in Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:2-30). During that time, Peter protested the
prospect of Jesus’ death, and Jesus rebuked him for thinking only in human
perspective of Jesus (Mark 8:32-33).
Because of this problem of Peter’s limited thinking
on Christ, unable to understand why Jesus would have to die in Jerusalem and
resurrect, Jesus had to teach him about the unfolding Paschal Mystery of him.
For this reason, Jesus took not only Peter but also James and John, to a high
mountain top to let them witness his transfiguration. Basically, it was Peter’s
protest to the prospect of Jesus’ death (Mark 8:32-33) that prompted Jesus to
let Peter, James, and John witness his transfiguration in the hope that they
would eventually understand why Jesus would need to die – how his death would lead
to the rest of the unfolding Paschal Mystery and eschatological enthronement:
Resurrection, Ascension, and Parousia.
It is fitting to view the Transfiguration of the
Lord as a prefiguration for the Resurrection on Second Sunday of Lent, because
these Lenten 40 days are intense spiritual preparation to celebrate the
Resurrection on Paschal Sunday, the third day from commemorating the death of
the Lord on the Cross.
In contrast to Second Sunday of Lent, however, on
the Feast of Transfiguration, we view and reflect Jesus in the Transfiguration
rather as the glorious King of the Universe in Parousia at the eschaton.
Then Daniel saw an eschatological vision of the divine court for eternal judgement
with the Word of God, in which thousands upon thousands attending and standing
in front of God, from whom a river of fire coming (Daniel 7:10). As the judgement went on, Daniel saw the fourth
(last) world power (beast) of arrogance against God was punished (Daniel
7:11-12; cf. Revelation 18:1-21; 19:17-21;20:1-15).
Upon the judgement, Daniel was treated to another eschatological vision, in which Christ, whom he describes as one like Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven and approaching the Father (the Ancient One) and being led to His presence (Daniel 7:13). And it is, indeed, a vision of the enthronement of Christ as the King of the Universe, receiving authority, glory and power, to show people of all nations worshiping him, in his everlasting dominion, the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:14).
There is a contrasting juxtaposition between the
Father and Christ the Son in this First Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14) to
understand the Transfiguration of the Lord as a prefiguration of the coming of
Christ the King.
As Christ the Son receives authority and power from the Father (7:14), you can see Christ the Son and the King also has what characterize the Father, such as white clothing (Daniel 7:9). And this was seen at the Transfiguration when the clothing of Jesus became dazzling white to a point that no one on earth can bleach as white as that (Mark 9:3). However, when he returns as the King, with his name as the Word of God (cf. John 1:1, 14; cf. 1 John 1:1), his robe is dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13), reminding of his blood shed to atone for our sin. Because of his blood, we can be made worthy to be with him at that eschatological time, wearing clothing of heavenly color, white (Revelation 7:14), as his companion (Revelation 19:14).
If Jesus’ dazzling white clothing at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:3) is to symbolize the heavenly purity to be in union with the Father, whose clothing is white (Daniel 7:9), then, being washed with the blood of Christ, we shall be transfigured, as well, to wear white clothing (Revelation 7:14), worthy to be companions of our Christ the King, as his Saints (Revelation 19:14). And this is what we can meditate and reflect on, as St. Ignatius of Loyola suggests in his Spiritual Exercises (284). Remember, we cannot just be bystander in awe, as Peter, James, and John were at the scene of the Transfiguration. But, seeing the Transfiguration in connection to the eschatological vision of Christ the King in his glory, as in Daniel 7:14, we must ask ourselves what it means to us as follower of Christ. Then, we want to see ourselves as saints in the army of Christ the King, wearing white clothing and riding white horses (Revelation 19:14). Perhaps, this is why the way Peter shares his experience of the Transfiguration encourages us to let Christ’s Transfiguration transfigure us so that we can be light of the world, as in the Second Reading (2 Peter 1:16-19).
Christ the King fulfills and completes both the Law,
represented by Moses, and prophecy, represented by Elijah (Mark 9:4), and it
was his mission on earth to complete both the Law and the prophecies through
his public ministry in his Paschal Mystery. In fact, his death on the Cross to
shed his blood (John 19:34) to wash our clothing white to become saints
(Revelation 7:14), as part of prophesy (i.e. Isaiah 53:3-10), in accordance
with the Law (Exodus 12:5-14, 22-23; cf. Leviticus 16:5-19; 17:11). In other
words, through his blood upon his death, we can be saved and purified, worthy
to be saints, enlisted in the army of Christ the King, in front of his throne
and accompanying him at the heavenly banquet (Revelation 19:5-21). And this is
our ultimate transfiguration.
As we can see from Peter’s recollection of
witnessing the Transfiguration in the Second Reading (2 Peter 1:16-19), it is
clear that Peter had gained rightful insight about what it is about and it
means to us, as disciples of Christ. But, at the moment of the Transfiguration,
Peter had no clue as to why his master, Jesus, whom he proclaimed as Christ (the
Messiah) (Mark 8:29), was transfigured in such a way of his clothing being so
dazzling white (Mark 9:3). So, he was stricken by fear and acted as if he did
not know what he was doing and did not know what he was speaking – by suggesting
Jesus to set up tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, on the mountain where the
Transfiguration took place (Mark 9:5-6). Or, perhaps, Peter could have thought
of intimate divine presence at the scene in thinking of setting up tents as Moses
set up the tent of meeting (tabernacle)(Exodus 33:7-23).
Moses set up the tent of meeting and entered, God
was present with him in the tent, as the column of cloud came down, and spoke
to Moses (Exodus 33:9). In contrast, Peter only thought of setting up tents as
Moses did but actually did not. However, as to evoke Moses’ case with the tent,
a cloud descended to overshadow and God the Father directly spoke these words:
This
is my beloved Son. Listen to him (Mark 9:7).
Though no tent of meeting at the scene of the
Transfiguration, the divine presence, indicated with the overshadowing cloud
(Mark 9:7) was more like when Moses could not even enter the tent of meeting
because the divine presence in the cloud filled the tent by day and fire in the
cloud at night, as a sign for the Israelites’ journey on exodus (Exodus 40:34-38).
The words of God the Father, at the Transfiguration
(Mark 9:7) echo what He spoke directly from heaven upon Jesus’ Baptism to begin
his public ministry:
You
are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased
(Mark 1:11).
The Baptism of the Lord and the Transfiguration of
the Lord are the two known and recorded events in Paschal Mystery of Jesus,
which spans from Annunciation to Ascension, when the Father directly spoke. And
on both occasions, He proclaimed Jesus as His beloved Son, which evokes how
Daniel described Christ as “one like a son of man” in his vision as the forever
King in the presence of the Father (the Ancient One) (Daniel 7:13). However, at
the Transfiguration, the Father directly commanded Peter, James, and John to
listen to the Son (Mark 9:7).
And Jesus commanded them to keep what they witnessed
to themselves until his resurrection (Mark 9:9), but they were unable to
understand the resurrection as they kept wondering what Jesus meant by “rising
from the dead” among themselves (Mark 9:10).
The description of how Peter, James, and John,
responded to the Transfiguration as in the Gospel Reading for the feast (Mark
9:2-10) reminds that they were far from attaining meaning of the
Transfiguration of the Lord, which is twofold: prefiguration of Resurrection
and eschatological prefiguration of Christ the King in his glorious parousia. It
is a humbling reminder to us that mysteries of Jesus, Christ the King, can be
appreciated beyond typical human thinking. Resurrection and eschatological
mystery, in particular, demands us to transcend out typical human thinking.
So, how can we truly attain a rightful insight to
truly appreciate the Transfiguration of the Lord? This is something we can be
more attentive as we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and go over
the Second Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Let the Holy Spirit empower and enable us to
transcend our human thinking with divine wisdom so that we can truly come to terms
with the Transfiguration of the Lord as the twofold mysteries: Resurrection as
reflected on Second Sunday of Lent and Christ the King forever in glory as reflected
on the Feast of the Transfiguration.
Foe those who want to explore more deeply on how a prefiguration of the Transfiguration in the Old Testament can be related to the actual Transfiguration described in the synoptic Gospels, you may compare Daniel's vision of the prefiguration of Christ in his Transfiguration (Daniel 7:9-14) to Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 1:22-28), in regard to the divine glory of the Transfiguration, as well as, Christ's relation to the Father, to enrich our appreciation of the Transfiguration.
Christ has died and is risen….and ascended. And he
is coming again as the King to consummate his mission for his Kingdom! And this
theme to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is sung in this
joyous Responsorial Psalm (97:1-2, 5-6, 9).
Remember, transfiguration is not to be confused with transformation. Transfiguration in Greek is metamorphosis. As the prefix "meta" indicates "beyond", a change that occurs in transfiguration goes beyond shape or form, because it is inner change deep within affects one's entire being. On the other hand, compared to transfiguration, transformation is rather superficial as it can be limited to a change in external looks. Transfiguration (metamorphosis) actually stems from a change of heart, as well as, mind, metanoia, which is understood as inner conversion. Though transformation per se does not necessarily comes with metanoia.
The Transfiguration of the Lord shall be joyous to
us, as this inspires us for our transfiguration to be his saints, dressed in
white, as the Lord in Transfiguration did, being washed by his precious saving
and atoning blood.
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