Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

“It is good that we are here.”

When we examine the four Gospels closely, we notice that the disciples of Jesus often had earthly dreams filled with early power and early glory. For instance, when people wanted to make Jesus king, the apostles were secretly pleased. James and John even requested prominent positions beside Jesus.Up until the final days of Jesus on earth, the apostles debated who would be the greatest in His kingdom.

The apostles, much like us, found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the concept of suffering and death with the glory they witnessed. Moses and Elijah appeared to speak with Jesus about the suffering, but the apostles were more focused on the glory.

Isn’t this a reflection of our own struggles?

We too often fail to see how the cross, suffering, and resurrection are interconnected. Jesus has shown us glimpses of our future glory, but before we can share that glory with God in heaven, we must first bear our crosses. These crosses might include hardships like illness, pain, or challenging relationships.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once remarked, “As Jesus was crucified and rose again into glory for the redemption of the world, so every person is invited to offer their human nature to our Blessed Lord, to die to sin, and to live in Grace and glory with Him.” This is the essential meaning of the Transfiguration: just as Jesus had to die to His lower human nature to enter into divine glory, we, too, must undergo a transformation. Our lower nature must die for us to receive the divine nature.

As disciples of the Lord, we have no other path but the way of the cross. As Saint Paul said, “I know only Christ and Him crucified, but He rose again so that we might live. Even though we carry our crosses, our eyes remain fixed on heaven.”

I have heard many beautiful stories about suffering. There was one great story I recently heard. A woman whose son was only more than 30 years old committed suicide, and she could not understand why God let this happen to her. She even blamed and complained to God because he allowed that great cross. And she said I am willing to suffer the death instead of my son”. For many years, she kept asking only one question: “Why” “why” and “Why?” up to one Good Friday, she went to the Church, and then the Crucifix was lifted up, she looked at Jesus, and he heard something in her heart that “look at me, I have done nothing wrong, but I am hanging here for you” This is the good news for all of us, Christ has taken the heaviest cross for all of us, and he is always carries crosses with us because he knows that the cross is the path of salvation. And without the cross, there is no resurrection.

May God bless us all.