The Key of Heaven

Why the Transfiguration on the Way to the Passion?

The first question that arises is: Why do we read this passage in the middle of the Lenten season, when the Church, through penance, is preparing us for the Passion of Christ?

Let us try to discover the answer. Our Lord came to fulfill the Old Testament, not to abolish it. The things that happened in the Old Testament will be perfected and made better in the New Testament, because the Old was a shadow, but here is the reality.

The Law and the Prophets are accomplished through His Passion.

In this passage, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets. They speak about His exodus—His exit from this world, His death. The Passion and death of Jesus will fulfill the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets were given to prepare for His coming and our salvation through His sufferings.

He Reveals His Glory to Correct Our own Ideas of Glory

Jesus is transfigured and, for a moment, reveals His glory. He shows His glory to correct the false understanding of heaven.

We can also have false images about what happens after death. For example, when the French missionaries brought pictures to teach the locals in Africa, they began to teach about Hell and Purgatory. However, the pictures were made in France, and of course, all the characters in the pictures were French. The African people were very happy because they thought that only white people went to Hell, as there were only white people in those pictures.

First, There Will Be Different Degrees of Happiness, Although All Will Be Happy

We can also have distorted views about what happens after death. Our Lord, in His Transfiguration, tries to correct these false images. First, His clothes became white and shining. This shows us that in heaven, there will be different degrees of glory, according to one's love for God. All the bodies of the saints will be equally impassible, but the brightness of each will not be the same. As the Apostle says: “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So, it is with the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:41-42). (St. Pius V, Catechism).

St. Therese of Lisieux explained this like a glass of water: each will be full, but the size of the glass will depend on our charity and the work that we have done for God.

Second, to Show That His Passion Is Not the End but the Way to His Glory

This important correction is made in the way of thinking about our suffering. Jesus is preparing His disciples for His death, but He also shows them the glory that will come after His death. He wants them to realize that His Passion will not be the end, but rather the route He will take to reach His glorification. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, “For a person to go straight along the road, he must have some knowledge of the end—just as an archer will not shoot an arrow straight unless he first sees the target. This is particularly necessary if the road is hard and rough, the going heavy, and the end delightful” (Summa Theologiae, 3.45, 1).

That is why we also read this passage in preparation for the Passion. Suffering is not the end; it is a means for our salvation. But without looking at the end and the fruits of this suffering, the pain becomes unbearable. With out thinking in the spring we cannot pass trough the Canadian winter.

Those who are suffering from old age or illness must remember that, united with the Passion of Christ, their suffering will be transformed into joy. This suffering is not forever.

So, our Lord shows His glorious body to prepare us for His Passion, telling us that if we want to share in His glory, we must share in His sufferings.

There Is Heaven Without Penance or Repentance

But Peter, who was drowsy, came to tell our Lord, “Let us make three tents here…”

While Jesus tells us that He will suffer, be beaten, and then be glorified, Peter says, “No, Lord, we can stay here in heaven without pain.”

This is the other error: trying to reach heaven without the Passion.

People want to share in the glory of God without sharing in His sufferings. This is widespread in the Church today.

We may desire the sacraments without repentance, or Communion without Confession. Take, for example, Carlo Acutis, the young boy whom the Church has declared an example for us. He attended Confession every week.

Today, when the Church teaches us that we must repent for our sins, do penance, and change our lives to share in the glory of the sacraments, we, like Peter, may say, “No, Lord, it’s not necessary. Let’s stay here. We don’t need to go to Jerusalem to suffer. We don’t need to go to Confession and repent.”

People want the glory of God without sharing His sufferings. There is no need to suffer, no need to repent.

A Story About the Temptation to Avoid the Cross

A person was preparing a party before killing himself, with euthanasia. People were talking about how this person would be okay and go to heaven. Dying without repentance does not lead to heaven—it leads to the eternal suffering of hell.

This is the temptation of Peter: “Stay here, Lord; I want Your glory without suffering. I don’t want to carry the cross.”

There’s a story where evil appeared to St. Francis in the form of Jesus, asking for worship. St. Francis told him, “Show me your wounds. Show me if you suffered for me.” Of course, the figure disappeared. A Christ without suffering is not the true Christ.

Conclusion: The Glory of Christ Through the Cross

So, remember today: Christ shows His glory to teach us how to attain it—through His Passion. He prevents us from seeking His glory without repentance, without doing penance. And when we suffer, remember that suffering is not the end—it is a means that God uses to purify us while we are here.

Do not avoid the Cross of Christ. His Cross is the key to His glory. If we reject the Cross, we reject the glory of Christ that comes after the Cross. Repent, confess, and start again.