The Feast of Transfiguration. August 6, 2017 [Matthew 17:1-9]
“He was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light (Mat 17:2).”
This Sunday, the Church is celebrating the feast of Transfiguration. The word ‘transfiguration’ comes from Matthew who writes Jesus transfigures before the three disciples, Peter, James and John, his face shines like the sun and his clothes become white as light (17:2). The word “transfigure” is the direct transliteration of the Latin Vulgate Bible “transfigurare”. It is a combination of two words “trans” meaning to across, and “figura” meaning figure. Thus, transfiguration literally means the change of figure. It is a fitting word to describe what happens to Jesus.
However, if we look at the original Greek, Matthew used the word “metamorphos” which is actually the root of the English word metamorphosis. Many of us understand metamorphosis as a biological term. It is a marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal. The classical examples are the transformation from a leaf-eating caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, or an aquatic tadpole into a land-dwelling frog. Metamorphosis is surely a radical change, but we do not use this term to describe what happens to Jesus in Mount Tabor perhaps because we do not want to limit Jesus’ transformation to the biological sphere only. It is something more fundamental, spiritual and even divine.
In our time, the medical technologies have advanced considerably, and this enables us also to undergo a metamorphosis. We can look young despite our age. We can reduce our excess fat in no time. We can make even our face bright and vibrant, even ‘shining like the sun’. I have to admit that often I do not pay much attention to my physical and facial improvement, but I believe that our efforts to care for our bodies and improve our beauty are part of appreciating God’s creations. The problem sets in when we become excessive and even obsessive. Spending huge amount of money just for beauty products and cosmetic surgery while our neighbors are dying of hunger is simply unchristian. Spending our fortune for the companies that cause environmental damages or sufferings to people is also our participation in this injustice.
However, we are called not simply to metamorphosize but to transfigure. While the change and improvement in our body can be good and beautiful, transfiguration is not only a matter of physical alteration. We need to change in a more fundamental, spiritual and even divine way. It is a change that pleases the Father because we become like Jesus, we become His sons and daughters. Through the sacrament of baptism, we have been made God’s children, and now it is our mission to act and behave like His worthy children. Like Jesus, we need to be more aware of the sufferings around us and be compassionate to our poor brothers and sisters. Like Jesus, we fight against the injustices and abuses that take place around us. Like Jesus, we instruct and educate our family, friends and neighbors in truth.
Finally, Matthew places the event of the Transfiguration just before Jesus goes to Jerusalem as He offers His life for our salvation. The true transfiguration enables us to become less and less self-centered and empowers us to do sacrifices for our loves ones. We are called to make the world a better place for us and all children of God. Like Jesus, we are called to be transfigured and be pleasing to the Father.
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP
From today’s parables, we learn that Jesus appreciates human labor, the use of technology, and economic activities. The parables speak of men buying and selling land, merchants making transactions, and fisher folk catching and selecting the fish. Yet, the appreciation comes with a particular condition: the activities have to be honest and just.
From the several parables that Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus is keen on how nature works. He observes how seeds of wheat and weed grow, and how the yeast would affect the dough in the process of baking. Jesus also is observant of human ingenuity in working with nature for the benefit of the human community. Men and women till the land, are observant to the cycle of nature, sow the well-prepared seeds, take care of the growth and then harvest the result for the good of community. The use of yeast for baking is a very ancient method of cooking. Women would place yeast in dough, and the microorganism would interact with the carbohydrate in the flour, creating carbon dioxide, and as an effect, the leaven dough would expand. Though unleavened bread will last longer, this yeast would make the bread softer and tastier, making it more enjoyable for human consumption.
Yoke is a device, usually of wood, placed on the shoulder of animals or persons to carry a burden. In agricultural settings, a yoke is used to pull a plow to make a furrow on the ground so that the soil will be ready for the seed planting. But, a yoke can be used also to drag a cart and transport various goods. Because its primary function is to carry a load or burden, a yoke turns to be a symbol of responsibility, hard work, and obligation. In our seminary in Manila, a leader among the brothers is called a decano. In the beginning of the formation year, we elect our decano, and as he assumes his responsibility, he ceremonially receives a wooden yoke from the outgoing decano. The yoke reminds him of responsibility and great task that he has to endure through the year.
When God calls us, God does not only call us privately and individually. In the Bible, God also calls us with our family, our community. God created the first man and woman not only to complete each other, but also to “multiply” or to build a human family. Noah entered the ark together with his wife and children. They were saved as a family from the flood. Abraham and Sarah were called from the land of Ur, and establish their own family and clan in the land of Canaan. When God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery, God also called Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ brother and sister, to assist him in his mission. Finally, the life of Jesus of Nazareth would not be complete without the family of Mary and Joseph of Nazareth.
St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel all time. When necessary, use words.” He correctly points out that preaching is not only the job of the priests in the pulpit, or lay preachers in the prayer meetings. Preaching the Gospel is the mission of all of us. The preaching can happen in the family, as we show our children the meaning of true love, fidelity and respect. Preaching can take place in our workplaces as we uphold honesty, hard work, and dedication. Preaching may manifest in our daily life as we do justice, service to the needy, and kindness to our neighbors.
Eating is essential to our life. Nobody would deny that eating is a matter of life and death, but there is always significant different between a beggar sitting by the gate of St. Domingo church and most of us who can enjoy a full meal three times a day. The beggar will ask himself, “How can I eat today?” While, we will inquire ourselves, “Where am I going to eat today? Is the ambience of the restaurant welcoming? Is the food as tasty as Filipino delicacy? Is the food safe from any cancer-causing substance?” For some, eating is about survival, but for some other, this phenomenon has evolved into something mechanically sophisticated. The society provides us with almost unlimited options of what we are going to eat, and seemingly we are masters of these foods as we possess the authority to choose what we like and shun what we don’t. But, we actually are slowly turning to be slaves of our appetite as we shift our focus not on the essential but on the trivial, like how we satisfy our fickle cravings.
Today, we are celebrating the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. This Mystery is rightly called the mystery of all the mysteries because the Holy Trinity is at the core of our Christian faith. Yet, the fundamental truth we believe is not only extremely difficult to understand, but in fact, it goes beyond our natural reasoning. How is it possible that we believe in three distinct Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and yet they remain One God? Many great minds have tried to explain, but at the face of such immense truth, the best explanations would seem like a drop of water in the infinite ocean. Yet, we believe it precisely because the mystery is not coming from the human mind, but is revealed to us by God Himself.
Pentecost is the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples in the upper room. The usual images we have in our mind are usually dramatic and vivid. The disciples gathered in the upper room, suddenly the strong wind filled the room, followed by the appearance of the tongues of fire. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the disciples began to speak various languages, and proclaimed the Gospel. This depiction of Pentecost comes from the Acts of Apostles (our first reading today). The same Acts tells us that Pentecost took place 50 days after Easter Sunday (Pentecost itself simply means ‘50’ in Greek).
