Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Today, we celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord. The story begins with Jesus taking three of his disciples— Peter, James and his brother, John to a high mountain, and right before them, he was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling and brilliant as light. But before the disciples realized what was going on, two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and began to discuss with Jesus. Moses was the supreme law-giver of Israel; the one who received the Ten Commandments. Elijah was regarded by many as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He was seen as the prophet who brought the very voice of God to his people. In Jesus, Moses and Elijah saw the consummation, the fulfillment of all that they hoped, longed for and looked forward to.  

What do you think would be the reaction of the three disciples? Look at it this way! Their master who took them to the mountain has suddenly changed in appearance. More to it, two strange figures who were originally not part of the team unexpectedly appeared and took over their time out with Jesus. What would be their reaction? My guess is that they would be terrified and dumbfounded. But just like in other situations, Peter, the impetuous one, ended their speechless bewilderment with these words: “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” In St. Luke’s account of the Transfiguration we hear, “He (Peter) did not know what he was saying.” Well, as Peter was saying something he did not know, someone said something he knew perfectly well, something that is true and indisputable: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Those are the words of the Father. They are words of testimony and confirmation. The Father knows what he is saying. He is telling Peter, James, John, me, you, the human race that Jesus is the hope of humanity. It is through him, and with him and in him that salvation can be attained. It is “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts. 17:28). The appearance of Moses and Elijah, to a great extent, did confirm that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews and that of the world, but their confirmation wouldn’t have been powerful enough without that of the Father. So, from the cloud, the Father revealed and confirmed loud and clear the true identity and mission of Jesus. Simply put, the Father is declaring that salvation is possible only by listening to Jesus. 

Jesus grew up in obscurity. We know almost nothing of his first 30 years. But in 30 AD, he emerged on the public scene in a most extraordinary way. On the hills of Galilee, he preached with unnerving boldness. The Gospel of Mark tells us that the first message out of his mouth is “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In our culture, when we hear the word “repent,” we frown at it. Some of us consider it “too judgmental.” Others quickly conclude, “Well, I have nothing to repent from. I am a good person.” But even a saint repents everyday. The word “repent” in Greek is metanoia, which literally means “Go beyond the mind you have.” That is, change your way of thinking; change your way of seeing. How do you assess the world? What is your priority? If your priority is not God, change your mind; change your mentality; change your perspective. Why is the changing of our minds so important? Jesus says it is because “the reign of God is at hand.” God is now here, not in a distant land far away, not in the mountain or in a desert. He is here with us, among us and in us. 

In the course of his public ministry, Jesus taught about love too. To his followers, he says, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). How did Jesus love us? Take a look at the cross! To love is to will the good of the other as other. Love is not a feeling, although it might include feeling, but it goes beyond it. Love is a selfless and sacrificial project. We are to love until it hurts, without counting the cost and even when it is very difficult to do so. Of course, none of us will be able to do this without him who called us to live this way. As branches of the true Vine, we can only bear fruits of sacrificial love if we remain in him because “Cut off from me, you can do nothing” Jesus says (John 15:5b). What about prayer? Jesus says we should pray always and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). What about the poor among us? Jesus says, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40). What about the greatest gift of himself? Jesus says, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6:53). What about forgiveness? Jesus says, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25).

Brothers and sisters, it is impossible to be a faithful and fruitful disciple without listening and obeying Jesus. As we listen to him, our human nature is transformed into the likeness of his divine nature. As we listen to him, we become more and more like the One we are listening to. We become more transformed and transfigured, and our lives definitely will radiate and reflect the glory of the Lord. I leave you with this question: Whose voice are you listening to?