August 6, 2008

Transfiguration

I really love the feast of the Transfiguration, and I've often reflected on it in these posts. To me it's just one of those very mystical feast days. In the same spirit I really love the Epiphany and the Presentation/feast of Candlemas.

To me the Transfiguration reveals that the Resurrection is not a historical event but a transcendent force. If it were merely a historical event, how could this Resurrection appearance--and surely it is one--occur before the Lord's Passion?

God makes use of the humanity of Christ to break into time and space. Raising this humanity to new life by the Spirit, this inbreaking arrives as the Resurrection of the Lord. It is the transcendent joined to the time and space of creation, or, more scriptually speaking, the marriage of heaven and earth.

1 comment:

for narnia said...

hi Fr. C!
happy feast day of the Transfiguration!
i hope you are having a nice week. i really like your post today. the feast of the Transfiguration is one of my favorites for the same reason - it IS a very mystical feast day. i think that the "light of God," the very inner glory of Jesus revealed to Peter, James & John is a light that needs to shine through us, when we share the fruits of the Holy Spirit with others (love, peace, joy, etc..) i think the Transfiguration of the earthly Jesus, of his earthly clothes and in some manner of the world upon which he shines, is the promise of the first installment of the eschatological transformation of the world as a whole. the second reading of today's feast day from 2 Pt 1:16-19really speaks to me - "Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart." (2 Peter 1:16-19) this is such beautiful Scripture and really says so much! all of today's readings are really beautiful. but, this reading from 2 Peter, reminds me that is is so important to pray and to keep praying - that is how we will hear the voice of God, when we keep going to that "holy mountain," wherever that may be for us to hear His voice. if we are attentive to God in prayer and also attentive to God in how we live the Christian life, then His light will shine through us in every circumstance - in the dark times when we might feel He is not with us (but HE always is with us) and in the good times.
PEACE!
tara