Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Year A)
Theme: Transfiguration: Mountaintop Experience.
By: Fr. Anthony O. Ezeaputa, MA.
Every year, we hear about the Transfiguration on the second Sunday of Lent, although its official liturgical feast day is August 6. The feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord is such an important liturgical feast in the Catholic Church that if August 6 falls on a Sunday, as it does this year, it replaces the Sunday liturgy.
It is a day that the Catholic Church celebrates the revelation of the glory of its founder and the confirmation of the mysteries of our faith by the testimony of the ancient prophets Moses and Elijah. Additionally, today’s feast gives us a glimpse of the glory that awaits us at the end if we listen and obey the Beloved Son of God.
The evangelist Matthew tells us that Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain alone. He was transfigured before them, and his glory as the Son of God was revealed. Moses and Elijah were seen conversing with him. And God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).
The apostles experienced a glimpse of the glory of their master; they heard the voice of the Father, and they even saw the two heroes of their faith, Moses and Elijah. One can only imagine their awe and happiness.
The three apostles were so fascinated with the Transfiguration of the Lord that they wanted to remain on the mountain forever. “Lord, it is good that we are here,” Peter declared. “If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4). But they must leave the mountain to face their human realities.
The transfiguration experience of Peter, James, and John is a type of what spiritual masters would call “spiritual consolation.” It’s also an example of what’s become known as the “mountaintop experience.”
“Spiritual consolation” and “mountaintop experience” describe those moments of significant encounter and revelation from God. It is a time of spiritual high when we feel God’s presence, closeness, and special love; when we feel like praying forever; when going to church feels so good; when a Bible passage or reading a spiritual book moves us. It is a time when, like the three disciples, we want a spiritual experience to continue forever.
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However, it’s likely that none of us have ever witnessed anything like the Transfiguration—the revealing of the fullness of the Lord’s divinity and glory. And it makes today’s feast difficult to relate to our mountaintop experiences or spiritual consolations. But there are lessons to be learned from today’s feast.
We can learn that God has glory waiting for us if we believe and obey what he said on the holy mountain about his Beloved Son. “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). And believing in and listening to the Beloved Son means putting our faith as revealed in the Scriptures and taught in the doctrines of the Catholic Church into action.
We can learn that we cannot expect mountaintop experiences and spiritual consolations every day. Of course, there will be occasions when God grants us experiences that serve as “spiritual milk” to assist us in beginning our spiritual journey. And there will be times when God will take away our “spiritual highs” or “spiritual milk.”
When the mountaintop experiences cease or the “spiritual milk” is replaced with “solid spiritual food,” the spiritual life will become a desert experience. The things of God may then no longer fascinate us in the same way that they once did. This is the stage at which our faith matures into “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
The apostles spent three years with Jesus and only had one encounter like the Transfiguration, which only three of them witnessed. Besides, our Christian faith is founded on faith in God and love for God and one another, not on emotions. Sometimes we feel it, and sometimes we don’t. It’s not how we feel about it that counts, but how we live it.
Finally, the Transfiguration teaches us that we cannot always rely on appearances. In appearance, Jesus resembled the rest of us. But, for a little moment on Mount Tabor, the apostles saw and heard things that showed Jesus was far more than they ever imagined.
Today, as we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, let us thank God for revealing to us the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, confirming our faith by the testimony of the ancient prophets Moses and Elijah, and giving us the opportunity to experience a glimpse of what awaits us at the end if we obey and listen to the Beloved Son of God. Let us pray that nothing may hinder us from listening to and obeying the voice of God through Christ our Lord, amen!
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