A reading from the gospel according to Mark 9:2-10
2 Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,
3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Reflection: Transfiguration of Jesus
Good News: It is good to be with Jesus and we can see Him in all His glory.
The story of The Transfiguration is one of the highlights of Jesus’ revelation as the Son of God. Previously, Jesus mentioned His death and resurrection which the apostles, especially Peter, could hardly comprehend. They were getting confused because their expectation of Jesus as the Messiah was starting to fail. Then they witnessed the dazzling light in Jesus’ Transfiguration and their spirit was once again lifted up.
This is one of the perks of a believer, the opportunity to see the glory of God even in glimpses. Anyone who has received the Holy Spirit will attest to feelings that one is on “top of a mountain” or on cloud 9 no matter how fleeting that feeling may be. When you have that experience, you can say like Peter that “it is good to be here.”
Yet we have to admit that the life of a believer is not “a magic carpet ride”. In fact, to live as a true witness means to carry our cross all the way to Calvary. Our badge as believers is the cross. That is why, even as we go up the “high mountain” once in a while and experience real joy and peace, we go down and live in the valley of tears and darkness most of the time. It is in this valley where we are transfigured, where the Lord transformed us painfully and joyfully at the same time.
This process of transformation will only be successful and a lot easier if we constantly listen to God’s beloved Son. Like the apostles, we may not totally comprehend what Jesus is telling us. We may not fully understand what is going on in the valley but thanks to the story of the Transfiguration above. It gives us hope that as we journey through the ups and downs of life, we will one day see the full display of God’s glory. On that day, we regain our very own image – the image of our creator.
