Mountaintop experience

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Lectionary: 614

Festa tat-Trasfigurazzjoni tal-Mulej

 

Reading 1                                                                                                                               DaNiel 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

QARI 1

IL-KTIEB TA' DANJEL  7 : 9-10,  13-14

"Kont għadni qiegħed inħares, meta tqiegħdu xi tronijiet, u wieħed Xiħ fl-għomor qagħad bilqiegħda; lbiesu abjad silġ, u xuxtu bajda suf; ilsna tan-nar it-tron tiegħu, nar iħeġġeġ ir-roti tiegħu; xmara ta' nar kienet għaddejja, ħierġa minn quddiemu; eluf ta' eluf kienu jaqduh, u għaxart elef ta' għaxriet ta' eluf wieqfa quddiemu. Il-Qorti qagħdet bilqiegħda, u l-kotba nfetħu. "U billejl deherli qiegħed nara bħal iben ta' bniedem, ġej mis-sħab tas-sema, li baqa' sejjer sax-Xiħ fl-għomor u ressquh quddiemu. U tawh ħakma, ġieħ, u saltna, biex lilu jaqdi kull ġens, u poplu, u lsien. Ħakmietu ħakma għal dejjem li ma tgħaddix, u saltnatu li ma tinqeridx. 

Responsorial Psalm                                                                                                               PSalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods. 
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

SALM RESPONSORJALI

SALM 97: 1-2, 5-6, 9

Il-Mulej isaltan! Ħa taqbeż l-art bil-ferħ,                                                                                                 u jifirħu l-ħafna gżejjer!

Sħab u dlam hemm madwaru;

is-sewwa u l-ħaqq is-sisien tat-tron tiegħu

.R/ il-Mulej hu s-Sid ta' l-art kollha.

Bħax-xama' jdubu l-muntanji quddiem il-Mulej,

quddiem is-Sid ta' l-art kollha.

 Ixandru s-smewwiet il-ġustizzja tiegħu;

jaraw il-popli kollha s-sebħ tiegħu.

R/ il-Mulej hu s-Sid ta' l-art kollha.

Għax int, Mulej, inti l-Għoli,

'il fuq mill-art kollha, ogħla ħafna mill-allat.

R/ il-Mulej hu s-Sid ta' l-art kollha.

Reading 2                                                                                                                                              2 PeTer 1:16-19

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 hearts. 

QARI 2

2 PIETRU 1: 16-19

Aħna ma konniex qegħdin nibnu fuq ħrejjef maħluqa minn moħħna meta għarrafniekom dwar il-qawwa ta' Sidna Ġesù Kristu u dwar il-miġja tiegħu. Rajna b'għajnejna aħna stess il-kobor tiegħu meta hu ħa mingħand Alla l-Missier ġieħ u sebħ, u leħen mit-Tron Glorjuż instama' jgħid għalih: "Dan hu Ibni, l-għażiż tiegħi, li bih jiena nitgħaxxaq." Aħna smajnieh dan il-leħen ġej mis-sema meta konna miegħu fuq il-muntanja mqaddsa. U hekk għandna mwettqa aħjar il-kelma tal-profeti. Tagħmlu sewwa jekk toqogħdu attenti għaliha; hi bħal fanal li jagħti d-dawl f'post mudlam, sa ma jibda jbexbex il-jum u f'qalbkom titla' l-kewkba ta' filgħodu.[

Gospel                                                                                                                               MatThew 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high  mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them;  his face shone like the sun  and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "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." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,  then from the cloud came a voice that said,  "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes,  they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone  until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

VANGELJU

MATTEW  17: 1-9

Sitt ijiem wara, Ġesù ħa miegħu lil Pietru u 'l Ġakbu u 'l ħuh Ġwanni, tellagħhom fuq muntanja għolja weħidhom,u tbiddel quddiemhom. Wiċċu sar jiddi bħax-xemx, u lbiesu sar abjad bħad-dawl.U dehrulhom Mosè u Elija jitħaddtu miegħu. Qabeż Pietru u qal lil Ġesù: "Mulej, kemm hu sew li aħna hawn! Jekk trid intella' hawn tliet tined, waħda għalik, waħda għal Mosè u waħda għal Elija."  Kif kien għadu jitkellem, sħaba kollha dawl għattiethom u minn ġos-sħaba nstema' leħen jgħid: "Dan hu Ibni l-għażiż, li fih sibt l-għaxqa tiegħi; isimgħu lilu." Id-dixxipli, kif semgħu dan, waqgħu wiċċhom fl-art, mimlijin biża'. Ġesù resaq lejhom, messhom u qalilhom: "Qumu. La tibżgħux." Huma refgħu għajnejhom u ma raw lil ħadd ħlief lil Ġesù waħdu. Huma u neżlin minn fuq il-muntanja, Ġesù ordnalhom u qalilhom: "Tgħidu lil ħadd b'din id-dehra sa ma Bin il-bniedem ikun qam mill-imwiet."

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An awesome and terrifying mountaintop experience

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The theological meaning of the Transfiguration is central to our understanding of the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. It was not only Jesus who was “transfigured” on Mount Tabor but also Peter, James and John who were transformed with him. Their eyes were opened; their vision widened, enabling them to see without impediment the virtually blinding light of Jesus’ love that flowed from every fiber of his being. Every day of Jesus’ life something of that remarkable brilliance, that stunning passion, and that amazing glory was revealed to people of all ages, stages and states of life. The shepherds and magi saw it in Bethlehem; the elders in Jerusalem’s temple saw it; the guests at a wedding feast in Cana witnessed it; a woman caught in adultery experienced it; a boy possessed by demons felt it; a man born blind gazed upon it; a good thief heard it on Calvary.

For the three apostles, it is an experience of something beyond words: terrifying and yet wonderful that they would wish to prolong it by building three tents – for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Reflecting on the experience, years later, Peter would write so powerfully in his Second Letter (1:16-19)

“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 honour 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 hearts.”

The three apostles who would see Jesus prostrate in agony in Gethsemane were given this glimpse of who he really is, to strengthen them for what lay ahead, and also to help them to understand what is revealed in the Passion. Today we could say that Tabor and Calvary are deeply linked together. Mount Tabor is simply a foretaste of Calvary and gives us a deeper vision of the reality of the Crucifixion event.

Matthew’s details of the Transfiguration story

Let us look closely at several of Matthew’s emphases in today’s majestic Gospel story.  Matthew’s account (17:1-9) confirms that Jesus is the Son of God (17:5) and points to fulfillment of the prediction that he will come in his Father’s glory at the end of the age (16:27). It has been explained by some as a resurrection appearance retrojected (read back) into the time of Jesus’ ministry, but that is not probable since the account lacks many of the usual elements of the resurrection-appearance narratives.  Matthew’s account of Jesus atop Mount Tabor draws upon motifs from the Old Testament and non-canonical Jewish apocalyptic literature that express the presence of the heavenly and the divine, e.g., brilliant light, white garments, and the overshadowing cloud. The high mountain has been identified with Tabor or Hermon, but probably no specific mountain was intended by the evangelist or by his Marcan source (Matthew 9:2).  Its meaning is theological rather than geographical, possibly recalling the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:12-18) and to Elijah at the same place (1 Kings 19:8-18; Horeb = Sinai).

The face of Jesus

Matthew describes the face of Jesus that shone like the sun, reminiscent of Daniel 10:6.  Jesus’ clothes “white as light” recalls Daniel 7:9 where the clothing of God appears “snow bright.” (The bright white garments of other heavenly beings, are also mentioned in Rev 4:4; 7:9; 19:14). In verse 4 we hear of the three tents – the booths in which the Israelites lived during the feast of Tabernacles (cf. John 7:2).  The tents were meant to recall their ancestors’ dwelling in booths during the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:39-42).  When Matthew speaks of the cloud that cast a shadow over apostles on the mountain (17:5), it recalls the cloud that covered the meeting tent in the Old Testament, indicating the Lord’s presence in the midst of his people (Exodus 40:34-35).  The cloud also came to rest upon the temple in Jerusalem at the time of its dedication (1 Kings 8:10).

The voice from heaven

The voice of God heard atop the mountain repeats the baptismal proclamation about Jesus (3:17), with the addition of the command “listen to him.” The latter is a reference to Deuteronomy 18:15 in which the Israelites are commanded to listen to the prophet like Moses whom God will raise up for them. The command to listen to Jesus is general, but in this context it probably applies particularly to the preceding predictions of his passion and resurrection (16:21) and of his coming (16:27, 28). Most significant about the statement of the heavenly voice is that here as in the Old Testament generally, “Word” is given priority over “vision.” Matthew alone uses the word “vision” (17:9) to describe the transfiguration.  Seeing Jesus transfigured high atop Mount Tabor has meaning and value only if it leads the apostles and disciples to listen obediently to his divinely authorized teaching.

Witnessing glory and agony

Peter, James and John are with Jesus in this moment of glory on Tabor.  The resurface with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as their master struggles with his fate.  Those who witness his heavenly glory must also witness his earthly agony.  If the followers of Jesus wish to share his future glory, they must be prepared to participate in his suffering. The awesome event and memory of the Transfiguration would serve as a reservoir of grace, consolation and peace for the apostles and disciples of Jesus when in Jerusalem on another hilltop, they would witness that shining face bloodied and spat upon, those dazzling clothes torn into souvenir rags by soldiers who cast dice for them.  Jesus’ face did not shine radiantly on the cross.  Perhaps we may ask ourselves: Why did God hide all the glory on Mount Tabor, where no one could see?  Why didn’t God save it for the cross? And yet the Christian life teaches us that must experience both mountains – Golgotha and Tabor– in order to see the glory of God.  Today we look upon the Transfiguration as the celebration of the presence of Christ that takes charge of everything in us and transfigures even that which disturbs us about ourselves.  God penetrates those hardened, incredulous, even disquieting regions within us, about which we really do not know what to do.  God penetrates them with the life of the Spirit and acts upon those regions and gives them his own face, his consolation and his peace.

Our moments of transfiguration

In the past, every icon painter began his or her career by reproducing the scene of the Transfiguration. We could say that the destiny of every Christian is written between two mountains: from Mount Tabor to Calvary. The awesome Gospel story of the Transfiguration offers us wondrous moments of light as well as plunging us into sorrow and darkness. The wonder of eternity and the daily facts of life reveal the tensions of our life. The story of Jesus, the prophets and his friends atop Mount Tabor also reveals the temptation to want to stay put and the difficulty of moving on. How often we remain stuck in our stories. This mysterious story gives us an opportunity to look at some of our own mountain top experiences. If so many others could recognize Jesus’ glory in a flash, a glance, or a touch, why might Peter, James and John have required such extra effort in helping them to see it? Perhaps it was because they were so close to Jesus; perhaps it was because they were with him every day; perhaps it was because, on some level, they had somehow taken his glory for granted. What about us? Do we recognize that same divine glory present in us, visible in others, so obvious in creation, deep within the simplest and most ordinary, everyday experiences of justice, truth, healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and compassion? Or do we too take it for granted?

How have such experiences shed light on the shadows and darkness of life? What would our lives be without some of these peak experiences? How often do we turn to those few but significant experiences for strength, courage and perspective? When we're down in the valley we often can’t see Christ’s glory. We can only see it when we have climbed a mountain like Mount Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration. We can only see him when we go together with others up on the mountain. How have we shared those moments of grace and light with others? 

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