Transfiguration
A couple of years ago, I helped lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Naturally, one of our stops was the Mount of the Transfiguration. A church was built on this holy site that is meant to reflect the beauty and splendor of that moment. It is uniquely built facing north-south, rather than east-west. This is so that the sunlight can enter the church fully and illuminate the mosaics and other artwork throughout the interior. Centermost of these is a mosaic depicting the Transfiguration as well, which is positioned perfectly to catch the sun at certain times of day. At those times of day, Jesus’ body in the picture shines just as brilliantly as it did in that moment!
This event of the Transfiguration is one of Jesus’ greatest miracles and strongest proofs of His true identity. For a brief moment, the veil is lifted and His divine nature shines brightly through His human nature. For a brief moment, the apostles are able to see Jesus as He truly is.
We too can catch similar glimpses of God through the veil as well. Churches, like the church on the Mount of the Transfiguration, are built to reflect the beauty and grandeur of God. God is the source of beauty, and so those things that truly are beautiful reflect His beauty. The Liturgy itself too is a glimpse behind that veil. The Liturgy, the Mass, is the prayer of Christ the Son of God to the Father, and so when we come to Mass, we are taken up into that prayer. The more we pray the Liturgy with reverence and respect for its beauty, the more clearly we are able to see through that veil.
The Transfiguration was a special moment shared only with a few: Peter, James and John. This was so that they could be fortified in their faith in preparation for the scandal of the Cross. Jesus did not want them to lose all faith due to seeing their Lord, the Messiah, dying on the Cross. We commemorate this moment on the second Sunday of every Lent for the same reason, to better prepare us for the coming Paschal Mystery. May we glimpse through the veil of Jesus’ humanity here in order to raise our hearts more completely to Him this day!