A Few Words On "The Word"

August 6, 2006
The Transfiguration of the Lord

Mark 9: 2-10

The Transfiguration of the Lord

Last week we interrupted our regularly scheduled gospel-Mark-to bring what would have been five weeks of reading from the Gospel of John. But, because August 6 falls on a Sunday, we interrupt our interruption and go back-just for today-to Mark. August 6 is the feast of the Lord called "the transfiguration," after what happens to Jesus in the gospel we hear and tell this day.

Ever finally see someone for who he or she really is? Usually, this is a painful experience. That person who seemed so perfect, with whom we were sure we were in love with forever, turns out to be boring or mean or immature. The one we were sure was our best friend turns out really to be untrustworthy. But sometimes this can be a great experience, finding the prince in the toad, the diamond in the lump of coal.

This is what transfiguration is about. It's about looking not only with our eyes, but with our hearts. It's about seeing Jesus, and ultimately seeing each other, for who we really, truly are: Beloved of God, brothers and sisters all, adopted by the same parents (God and the church).

Decoding the transfiguration is easy on the surface: The two pillars of Jesus' faith (the Jewish religion) are the Law and the Prophets. The Law gives guidance on how to grow holy. The prophets break all human rules and remind us that God is always more than we can figure out. To Jesus and his first followers, the Law and the Prophets represented the complete Word of God and the divine presence among and within them.

Now all of sudden, Jesus is standing between Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets). He's in conversation with them both and dazzles like the sun. Peter, James and John have a peek into who Jesus really, truly is: the fulfillment of all our living and striving, hoping and working, loving and being loved. And what's more, who Jesus is, what he means as the fulfillment of all our dreams, is who we are all called and destined to become. We are baptized into Christ, and on the day of our baptism, we too were dressed in this same dazzling white robe-it's called an alb. And ever since the day of your baptism, God has been saying to you and to us what he says here of Jesus: "This is my beloved, my child. Listen to her! Listen to him!"

Reflection Question

Why do you think that most of the time we do not hear and sometimes even forget that God is saying to us, "You are my beloved!"?

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