“And He was transfigured before them, and His garments became glistening intensely white.”
The Transfiguration scene of Jesus is a representation of His coming of kingdom in its fullness.
Most of the narratives in the Bible are so compact that they overflow and are open to multiple levels of interpretations. This is certainly true to the story of transfiguration of Jesus. The episode about the transfiguration of Jesus is certainly a divine fact that took place on earth.
The transfiguration was the presentation of the glorification and the divinity of Jesus before humans. On this occasion His body underwent a change in form, so that it shone as bright as the sun. The episode of transfiguration comes at a time, when the public ministry of Jesus was coming to a close.
The biblical event appears in all the Gospels as it is an important event in the life of Jesus and as it presents His divinity. For Peter, James and John, transfiguration was an experience of a new way of seeing Jesus. This experience changed their perspective and gave them a much fuller understanding about Jesus.
Jesus is the son of God. The Transfiguration provides further evidence that Jesus was the divine son of God. It is not coincidental that this happened soon after Jesus had acknowledged Himself to be the Christ, the one who left heaven’s glory to come on earth.
The Transfiguration is significant because, it was the glorification of the body of Jesus. Those with Him saw Jesus in His Glory. The transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a powerful demonstration of His divine nature and manifestation of His glory, which Jesus possessed prior to coming to earth in the human body.
The priesthood is important and necessary in the lives of the people. No one person or thing can ever replace the priesthood. It is a cause of change in the lives of the people.
Much of the priestly life revolves around people. Just as it is important for a priest to make a self-offering gift of service to his people, it is equally important for him to receive from the Lord. Therefore it is important for the priest to have an active spiritual life that is able to sustain him throughout his ministry.
Celebrating the sacraments and sacramental life of the Church extends itself in the role of the priests. It is the priest as a sharer in Christ’s priesthood, who is not only able to offer the sacrifice of the Mass, but is also able to extend the healing mercy of God in the sacrament of Penance and anointing of the sick. It is the priest, as a sharer in Christ’s prophetic mission, who is able to speak in the name of Christ and His church by preaching and teaching.
“St.John Vianney emphasised the indispensable role of the priest when he said, ‘ A good pastor, a pastor according to the heart of God, is the greatest treasure that the good Lord can give to the parish, and is one of the most precious gifts of the divine mercy’.
We look at the glory of Jesus and God through His word, and our reflection of His glory should be growing every day. Jesus in all things remains dedicated to the will of His Father. Our lives should reflect the determination of Jesus every time when we reflect in our lives with the goal of attaining that final transfiguration that will happen on the last day.
-Sr. Justina Vaz H.C