Fr. Michael Williams

As Jesus makes His journey toward Jerusalem to suffer and to die, He reveals to three of His disciples, the glory which He had “with the Father before ever the world existed” (Jn 17:5). ‘The divinity of our Lord has usually been hidden behind His humanity’ (Navarre), but in the event of the Transfiguration, Christ’s divine glory is manifested to the disciples. “There in their presence He was transfigured: His clothes became dazzlingly white…and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him’”. In this mystical experience Peter, James and John witness to the Divine Nature of Jesus.

This glimpse of glory that these disciples witness, is given to them to strengthen them, as the crucifixion of the Lord of Glory approaches. When Jesus is hanging desolate upon the cross His divinity will be far from view, and He will refuse to reveal it to those who seek a magician, rather then a Saviour. As Jesus suffers on the cross the passers by jeer at Him: “He saved others, He cannot save Himself. Let the Christ come down from the cross now, for us to see it and believe”. On the cross Jesus shows us that He has truly entered into humanity’s pain, suffering, and feelings of abandonment. Our Lord emptied Himself of His divinity and became human: “even to accepting death, death on a cross”. But following the crucifixion Christ’s divine splendour is made known by His Resurrection. The transfiguration gives a glimpse of the Resurrection to the disciples to help them understand: “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).

As we make our journey through life, it is important that we too experience the occasional glimpse of glory, to sustain us on our pilgrim way; we like those first disciples need to be strengthened on a journey that will involve suffering.

The Divine Presence can break into our lives in many ways. A work of music such as Handel’s ‘Messiah’ can help raise our spirits into the divine realm; A beautiful religious work of art can point to God’s glory. And acts of kindness and generosity inspired by a spirit of love can also witness to the Glory of God present in our midst.

Certainly whenever we attend Mass we enter the Divine Presence. The author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that in the Liturgy, “you have come to Mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a first born son and a citizen of heaven…You have come to God Himself…and to Jesus the mediator”. At Mass the Lord once again takes His disciples to the heart of God’s life. Jesus takes His followers into the Presence of the Father, who in turn witnesses to His Divine Son, whom we must to “listen” to. It is through the eyes of faith that we enter into these glorious mysteries. What we receive at Mass strengthens us for the journey to the New Jerusalem.

So let us pray that we will always be attentive to the glimpses of glory that the Lord offers to us, so that we will be strengthened on our pilgrim way, which does involve the cross and death, but will ultimately lead to the glorious presence of God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.