Readings: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36
Grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to you.
We have very beautiful readings today. The Gospel is the transfiguration account by St. Luke. The account is so rich, vast and full that if I were to pay attention to all the amazing details, this homily would become a book.
Context
According to Luke 9:28, this event took place eight days after Jesus announced His death to His disciples. It was eight days of sadness for them and then Jesus took three of them to the mountain to break through their depression.
On that mountain, in the course of prayers, He revealed the glory of His divinity, veiled by His humanity. There they saw that there was more to Jesus than they had ever known. Luke tried to describe what they saw but obviously, he lacked words because it was beyond description. He says, “The appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.”
Today, let us just take some parts to reflect on.
I. The disciples had become used to Jesus in His humanity.
Today, He showed them that there was more to Him than they could see. There was a veiled glory. Dear friends, with God, there are always more than the eye can see. When we come to Mass, there is always more than just a ritual. When we read the Bible, it is more than just reading a good book. When we receive Communion or behold the Eucharistic species on the altar, there is more – there is glory, power, light and beauty hidden. It is more than the human senses can see or fathom, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can see, experience and discover that more. Let us pray that the Lord will lead us to discover His glory, beauty and power in what seems ordinary and regular. Let us pray that the Lord will reveal to us more than the physical eye can see and that the eyes of our minds may be opened to see more.
II. The disciples were asleep while glory was unfolding before them.
This tells us not just of the danger of physical sleep, especially during worship, but of spiritual sleep. Spiritual sleep keeps us from fully experiencing the glory of God – to sleep spiritually is to become lazy in prayers and our spiritual exercises, to become tolerant of sin, lukewarm, dying in zeal, and distracted from focusing on Jesus.
There was more at the Transfiguration but the disciples could only give account from when they woke. The Lord is calling us to wake so that we may behold His glory more fully.
III. They recognised Moses and Elijah.
Their immediate recognition of these men who appeared in glory without prior introduction gives some evidence that we will also be able to immediately recognize others in heaven. There won’t be a need for nametags.
Not only shall we recognise persons but we shall know perfectly and love perfectly (1 Corinthians 13:12). There will be no need to ask questions because our knowledge will be perfect. We shall understand why A and B had to happen, why God permitted what He permitted and there we shall praise God’s wisdom and love, which we often question here on earth.
People often ask why Moses and Elijah and not Abraham and David or Isaiah and Ezekiel or other Old Testament heroes or heroines, etc.
It can be said that these two men represent the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). The sum of Old Testament revelation came to meet with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. This shows the continuity and perfection of God’s plan in Jesus. He is not a heretic, imposter, deceiver or charlatan as the Jewish leaders wanted the people to believe.
We can also say God chose Moses and Elijah because Moses and Elijah represent those who are brought up to God (Jude 1:9 and 2 Kings 2:11). Moses represents those who die and go to glory, and Elijah represents those who are brought up to heaven without death (as in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
IV. Let us build three tents here.
Peter said what he said when Moses and Elijah began to leave. Peter didn’t want the scene of glory to stop.
Perhaps his thinking went something like this: This is how it should be! Forget this idea of suffering, being rejected, and crucified; let’s build some tabernacles so we can live this way with the glorified Jesus all the time.
Many times, God reveals His glory to us in life, but then, we should never forget that in this world, we live in a valley of tears; there is no permanent experience of glory and joy, at least not in this world. It is a blend of glory and the cross.
God shows us His glory to trust Him in our agony, just as the Transfiguration was not meant to be a permanent experience but to prepare the disciples for the coming passion. However, they learnt, as we are also to learn, that the end of everything is not the cross; the end is the glory of God.
So whenever we experience God’s glory, let us be grateful to God and allow such moments to build our faith. When we experience what seems like divine abandonment, let us look back to the moments of glory and look forward to the future glory that awaits all of us when our earthly sojourn comes to an end.
V. The Transfiguration is a foretaste, a clue of God’s ultimate plan for each of us.
In the First Reading when Abram thought he had seen it all and things could never get any better, God took him out and gave him a clue to what He had in mind for him.
St. Paul tells us in today’s Second Reading that God has a plan for us and our mortal bodies as well. God has us in mind. Just as the disciples saw, when our journey of life comes to an end, God will transfigure our wretched, weak, sick bodies into copies of His glorious body. We shall all be healed and transformed.
We shall experience the joy of heaven, where we shall see Elijah and Moses, all the Patriarchs, Prophets and Saints, the Apostles, all Holy men and women, the elders, the angels and archangels and all our departed ones who are happy with the Lord. Joy will overshadow us like a cloud and like Peter, we shall exclaim, “It is wonderful for us to be here.”
This is when we shall know that what we call happiness in this world is nothing. Then we will understand that our departed ones, for whom many of us are still grieving, are happy and saying, “It is wonderful to be here.”
I may not be able to answer all the questions about the problem of evil in the world, especially right now, but I know that God has us in mind. I know that one day, evil will be conquered and there will be glory. I know that the darkness today has no future and the future has no darkness. This is God’s ultimate plan for you and me.
Conclusion.
Often people ask me, “Father, is every religion the same? Don’t you think they are all different ways to the same God? Isn’t it prejudicial to say Christianity or one religion is better than the other? Why do we tell people to believe in Jesus? Will those who do not believe in Jesus not be saved?”
My answer is this: I don’t know if they will be saved or not. If they will be, then I don’t know how. But what I know is enough. I know that on the mountain of the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were there, representing not just the Law and the Prophets but the religions of the world, and the Father said about Jesus, “This is my Son, the Chosen One” (mou Huios eklelegmenos). The Greek word for Chosen One is eklelegmenos (from ek and legos- means to pick, select, choose, single out) my Son, the One whom I picked out for myself.
Peter might have slept before, but He was awake and heard what He reported; he might not know what he was saying about building a tent, but he knew what he heard.
God is saying this is whom I have chosen to die for your sins, to reconcile you to me and to set you free from eternal punishment He is the Chosen One to lead you from darkness to light, from this vale of tears, from this exile to the promised land. He is the One chosen to break every chain and yoke of slavery, to bring you healing, peace and grace. He is the Chosen One to teach you the truth. He is the One I have chosen as the Way that leads to life. He is the One chosen to be the Saviour of the world.
The Father says it, and I believe it, and I rejoice because my faith and my hope are built on the Chosen One.
Let us pray.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving us your Son. Help us to accept and follow Him as the Chosen One. Help us to live the hope that just as the disciples saw Him transfigured, you shall also transfigure our wretched bodies into glorious bodies, and we shall spend our eternity in a place of glory, joy and light, a place where we shall say, “It is so wonderful to be here.”
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on March 16, 2025