Homily: Feast of the Transfiguration:

As preached by Sister Rebecca

August 06, 2017

Holy Wisdom Church 

     This morning’s Gospel describes Peter, James, and John witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration: “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light”… Peter’s immediate reaction was to make three tents:  for Jesus, Elijah and for Moses.  He no sooner said this that a bright cloud cast a shadow over the disciples and then from the cloud, a voice said:  This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him”.  Upon hearing this they were full of fear and all fell on their faces.

Instead of tents that Peter would like to make, a different kind of tent, not from human hands, covered the disciples, as in the hymn at this morning’s matins:  

     “You were transfigured on Mount Tabor, O Jesus, and a shining cloud spread out like a tent covered your friends with your glory.  The hymn continues: “At once they turned their gaze earthward, for they could not bear the sight of the unapproachable glory of your face, O Savior Christ.”   I would like to pause here to reflect on the shining cloud that covered the disciples and their inability to sustain the sight of the uncreated Light shining forth from Jesus’ person.

     First of all, the luminous cloud spread out like a tent covering the disciples:   This imagery is full of meaning.  One important aspect of it: it is a cloud blinding our normal, everyday consciousness-that is, our minds that reasons, plans, figures things out in our daily.  This luminous cloud trans-figures the ordinary mind.  It goes beyond trying to figuring things out, like Peter not knowing what to do about this awesome sight. It is not a question of doing something: it is a question of being.   This luminous cloud may be described as the Cloud of unknowing, or rather a deep heart knowing of awe and wonder, which cannot be contained by anything-even words.  It is beyond human control; it points to a divine visitation in what the Gospels call Kairos Time, Eternal Time, God’s time and the Kingdom of God. It is in this ‘space’ that the 3 disciples hear the Word of God piercing through their hearts:  “This is my Beloved Son,..listen to him.”  Just prior to this event they all heard Jesus words about his passion and imminent death.  However, they heard the words but missed the meaning; they were unable or unwilling to listen, that is, catch the meaning.  Even after the Transfiguration experience, they still did not get it. They fled during Jesus’ passion and death.           

Transfiguring experiences or enlightening ones are not immediately transformative.  It will take the coming Pentecost experience for this to happen in them.

    What about our lives?  Can we relate to transfiguring experiences?  Yes, even when we share in humanity’s broken condition.   There are cracks in the soul where Light and new life can break through.

This is alluded to by Gerard Manley Hopkins when he describes the world as ‘charged with the grandeur of God” or Elizabeth Barrett Browning who presents a similar image: 

“Earth’s crammed with heaven

And every common bush afire with God;

but only he who sees, takes off his shoes.

The rest of us sit round it and pluck blackberries.” (Eliz Barrett Browning: Aurora Leigh)

     Both Hopkins and Browning were able to experience the grandeur and sacredness the Divine Light because their inner eyes welcomed awe and wonder.   What smites us with an unquenchable amazement is not that which we can grasp or control.  The overemphasis on reasoning and doing ends up on the shore of the unknown.  The ineffable dwells in the immense expanse beyond our everyday mind.

     True transformation begins when we let go of control, grasping, and willful trying to figure out our life’s direction.  The mystery of transformation we are reflecting on more often happens when something old falls apart-a deep hope, an ideal.  The pain of something falling apart invites the soul to listen at a deeper level and this sometimes forces the soul to go to a new place-the liminal space of the cloud of unknowing.  Transformation needs to become a process of living in the confusing dark space for a while and allowing ourselves to be spit up, like the prophet Jonah onto a new and unexpected shore.

     Wonder transforms perception.  It gives us new eyes. Nothing we do can produce wonder.  We can, however, be open to it and welcome it.  We can make space for it.  The setting can be wherever we find ourselves. Now, I invite us to simply clear a space within ourselves and pray:

Jesus, as you made your light shine on that glorious day, now let it shine on our souls, O Gracious master.”