Transfiguration

We have heard the passage of the transfiguration of Jesus. The transfiguration was meant to help Peter, James en John, to know Jesus deeper and better. To know Jesus with God's eyes.

A lot of people say that they know Jesus... Peter, James and John thought that they knew Jesus, but their behaviour in the orchard of Gesetmani and during the passion of Jesus will show us that they had a wrong idea of who Jesus was.

This feast of the transfiguration is meant to help us to know Jesus better and is also a call to search for our identity, for our true image.

What does it mean transfiguration? Transfiguration means through or beyond our image or bodily shape. Well, who is the person that lays behind our white, black or tanned skin? Our dark or white hair? Our brown, black or blue eyes? Who is the person that lays behind our degrees, our money and skills? What person are we without these things?

Imagine for a moment that sister illness –in the words of Saint Francis–, takes our health? Or sister poverty takes our money? Or sister humility takes our pride? Who are we, then? Some people feel that they are nothing when they lack of these things. This is the reason why the true transfiguration of Jesus did not take place that day on mount Tabor but on another mount. What mount is this? Mount Calvary.

There is a huge difference between the three apostles looking at Jesus in Mount Tabor and Mary, John, and the Roman soldier looking at Jesus in Mount Calvary. In Mount Calvary, Mary, John and the Roman soldier have understood that Jesus doesn't belong here, that he is not of or for this world. In Mount Tabor, Peter, James and John are so dazzled by Jesus that Peter wanted to plant three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses, just there. It is not by chance that Jesus told them "not to relate what they had seen to anyone" Why? Because the had understood nothing yet!

Now, I have a question for you: Have you ever transfigured yourselves? If your answer is no, then, it is time! If your answer is yes: where? Before whom? Why?

There are some places where we can go to see people transfigured. For example, in a sport game. Look at the parents, look at the kids, sometimes is very hard to recognize them. They are other people. They fight to become what they want to be.

Other moments when we transfigure ourselves is when we eat a special meal, when we try to make business, when we need to be patient, when we love, when we are angry, when we are frustrated... In these moments, we transfigure ourselves in the true person that we are.

Well, who is this person? Do we transfigure peace? Do we transfigure wisdom? Do we transfigure hope, faith, love? or are we still under the power of our anger, our greed, our pride?

This coming Tuesday, the church reminds St. Dominic and looks for his intercession. I'm going to finish these thoughts with a teaching of St Dominic that should help us to know ourselves better: "The man who doesn't govern his passions is ruled by them. He must either rule them or be ruled by them."

To witness the glory and power of Jesus didn't help the apostles to know Jesus better, but to see the glorious Jesus with the marks of the nails in his hands, and his side open. Then they understood that our burdens and crosses are not meant to kill our soul but to show our true and immortal being.