The Feast of the Transfiguration

Peter, James, and John had an amazing, awesome experience as they witnessed the Transfiguration.  They had a glimpse of the glory of heaven.  They heard the voice of God the Father and received a very direct instruction from Him.  And it was meant to prepare them, although they didn’t realize it, for the way of the cross that would eventually lead to the glory of Jesus that they witnessed.

As disciples of Jesus today, the story of the Transfiguration offers us three important reminders of what we need to do, namely: hope for heaven, listen to Jesus, and embrace the cross.

As Christians, we have a hope for heaven.  We know that we are only passing through this life, which will come to an end.  Our goal is to make it to heaven, to be with Christ in glory forever.  That is our hope and it is the hope of God for us as well.  It is good for us to keep this in mind, for although the Lord gives us grace to help us to make it to heaven, we still have to strive to live good and holy lives. 

When we remember that death can come for us at any moment, and with it, judgment, we will want to do everything we can to make sure that we are living in God’s grace each and every day. That happens when we keep heaven in mind, even as we go about our busy lives here in this world.

God the Father tells us to listen to Jesus, His Beloved Son.  That’s our Father’s one desire and He expressed it powerfully and clearly at the Transfiguration.  We listen to Jesus when we pray and when we read the Scriptures, and we should do both of those things every day.  Listening to Jesus is essential for eternal life.  It also helps us to know how to go about our days and how to relate to others.  When we get to heaven, it will be because we listened to Jesus and were obedient to what we heard.

Finally, we need to embrace suffering in our lives.  We need to take up our cross each day.  We need to remember that the way to glory for Jesus was through suffering, and so it is for us as well.  Suffering does not mean we are being punished or that we are not loved.  Rather, suffering is a path that leads to wisdom and holiness and, ultimately, to heaven. 

The Transfiguration was undoubtedly transforming for the disciples who were there with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, listening to the voice of God.  May it be for us as well.