Feast of the Transfiguration

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Remembrance of Hiroshima in Japan, where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

First Reading

Daniel 7,9-10.13-14

While I was watching, thrones were set in place and one most venerable took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence. A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was in session and the books lay open. I was gazing into the visions of the night, when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were a son of man. He came to the One most venerable and was led into his presence. On him was conferred rule, honour and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His rule is an everlasting rule which will never pass away, and his kingship will never come to an end.

Second Reading

2 Peter 1,16-19

When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had seen his majesty with our own eyes. He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when a voice came to him from the transcendent Glory, This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. We ourselves heard this voice from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain. So we have confirmation of the words of the prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.

Reading of the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark 9,2-10

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.' Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus. As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Homily

The mountain of the Transfiguration, which later tradition identifies with Tabor, stands as the image of every spiritual journey. We can imagine that Jesus also calls us to lead us with him on the mountain, as he did with his most close friends among the disciples, to live with him the experience of intimate communion with the Father, an experience so profound as to transform Jesus' face, body and even his clothes. Some commentators suggest that the story tells of a spiritual experience that involved above all Jesus: a heavenly vision that produced a transfiguration in him. It is a hypothesis that allows us to grasp more deeply the spiritual life of Jesus. At times we forget that he too experienced his spiritual itinerary as the Gospel itself notes: "Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour." No doubt there was no lack of joy in him for the fruits of his pastoral ministry, just as there was anxiety and anguish about what the Father's will was (Gethsemane and the cross being the most dramatic moments). In short, for Jesus, not everything was taken for granted and planned. He too experienced the grew fatigue and the joy of a journey. He too had to climb the mountain, as did Abraham and Moses, Elijah and as every believer must. It is to say that Jesus too felt the need to "go up" to the Father, to meet with him. It is true that the communion with the Father was his very being, his whole life, the bread of his days, the substance of its mission, the heart of all that he was and did; but perhaps he needed moments in which this intimate relationship emerged in its fullness. Certainly, the disciples needed it. The experience of Tabor was one of those singular moments of communion that the Gospel extends to all the historical events of the people of Israel, as evidenced by the presence of Moses and Elijah, who "were talking with Jesus." Jesus did not live this experience alone; he also involved his three closest friends. It was a moment among the most significant for the personal life of Jesus, and it also became such for the three disciples and for all those who allow themselves to be involved in the same ascent.