HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD. (6)

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD.

THEME: SIGNIFICANCE OF TRANSFIGURATION.

BY: Fr. Justin Nzekwe.

Today we celebrate a special and unforgettable moment in our lives as Christians. While Jesus was praying on the mountain with three of his disciples “Peter, James and John”. He was transfigured; his face was transformed and his garment was sparkling. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared. These men were the two most important figures of the Old Testament. Moses was the great lawgiver, whom God had entrusted the teaching of the Law, while Elijah represents the prophets. Their presence reminds us that Christ is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. However, during this encounter, the three disciples experienced the identity of Jesus and His affinity with the Father through the voice that says, “this is my Son, the Beloved; He enjoys my favour. Listen to him.”

It is a voice from the Father asking us to listen to Jesus, to follow his way and his path that leads to glory. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross. The cross symbolizes the sacrifices we must make for the good of others. It teaches us the importance of patience in the midst of suffering, faith in the face of disappointment, and the hope that victory and glory awaits us at the end, regardless of all the difficulties confronting us at the moment.

However, the transfiguration of Jesus also gave the three disciples the foretaste of heaven. They wanted to remain there on the mountain with Jesus, Elijah and Moses, after they have seen the glory of God. It has always been the desire of every human being to encounter the glory of God, so that our heart may find peace and total contentment, but sometimes we neglect the opportunity God has given to us. God gave us, especially the Catholics, a rare privilege of experiencing the transfiguration of Jesus each time we participate in the Eucharistic celebration. This transfiguration takes place, when the bread and wine brought to the altar are transformed through the instrumentality of the priest, and it becomes the body and blood of Jesus. But unlike the disciples who used their physical eyes to witness the transfiguration, we need the spiritual eyes and a pure heart in order to experience the transfiguration during the consecration of the holy Eucharist. We need faith to speak to Jesus during the holy Eucharist, and also we need patience and good disposition to be able to hear the voice of Jesus when he speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.

The Second Reading (II Pet 1:16-19) also reminds us of another perspective of the transfiguration. The transfiguration enabled the disciples to become more aware of the mission of Jesus here on earth. However, this knowledge is an invitation to join in the mission of Jesus. It is an invitation to spread the redemptive message of Jesus to others as a missionary. The apostles of Jesus after discovering the mission of Jesus, were able to preach about Jesus to others, and were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their faith in Jesus. Christians as followers Christ, are expected to know the identity and mission of Jesus, and to communicate it to others. We have to begin the missionary work with people around us: we have to preach to our family and our relatives, we have to preach to our friends, we have to preach to some weak Christians who have lost their faith, we have to also support and pray for missionaries around the world who are committed to spreading the identity and mission of Jesus to the world. We pray in this holy mass that just as Jesus manifested His glory and majesty before three of his disciples, He may also continue to manifest His glory in our lives, families and in his Church, Amen.

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