As preached by Brother Christopher
Holy Wisdom Church
“But Jesus
came and touched them saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid’. (Mt 17:7)
I’ve
always felt that this feast of the Transfiguration takes place on two levels: bad
news, good news. On the one hand, it occurs immediately in the gospel after
Peter’s confession of faith that Jesus is the Messiah, then Peter’s subsequent
misunderstanding of that which earns Jesus’ stern rebuke, and then Jesus
patiently explaining his coming destiny of suffering, to be put to death by the
elders and chief priests. Only then, ultimately, will he be raised to life. But
even more, he explains that true discipleship means that we, too, share in the
cross. Remember his words: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Only then is there the
proper and broader context to understand the real mystery of the
Transfiguration. Because Jesus knows that he is traveling to his death. On this
level, the Transfiguration ratifies both his destiny and identity. The broader picture is good news, the
ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God, a world bathed in divine light. But the
immediate path is through suffering and death. Do we truly appreciate that
tension?
Moses
and Elijah, flanking Jesus, have often been seen as a sign of the Law and the
Prophets confirming that Jesus indeed is the one who they have been waiting
for. But I believe there is an additional meaning which, while not
contradicting the first, adds a fuller dimension to their presence. For both
Moses and Elijah were considered to be prophets who were initially rejected by
the people but ultimately vindicated by God. Their presence foreshadows what
Jesus will soon face in Jerusalem: rejection, suffering and death. At the same
time, the heavenly vision, the radiance that is the transfiguration of Jesus
points to an aftermath of glory and triumph. The heavenly voice confirms this:
“this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” And while Peter, James
and John are thrown face down in fear at this revelation, Jesus simply touches
them and tells them to get up and not to fear. It is with the lightness of that
touch that the 14th century mystic Julian of Norwich perceived so
tellingly: “All shall be well, all manner of things shall be well.”
But there is another level of this
feast that has been picked up by tradition and which has helped make the
Transfiguration one of the most popular feasts of the year: the deeper
perception of a world bathed in divine light. The icon of the feast depicts
this, the divine light radiating from Jesus not only on the disciples, but on
the rocks... plants... in effect on all creation; Creation is illuminated in
its pristine beauty and shares in this deifying vision. That is part of the
grace we experience here on this property. From the time of our beginning in
1966, to the building of our monastery on this property from scratch, we have
been immersed in a natural beauty that reminds us constantly of the divine
light that fills all creation. It has helped us break open the mystery of the
Transfiguration, so much so that it is the patronal feast of New Skete. May our
prayer only serve to increase our ability to see the reality of this
manifestation in ever deeper ways.
