Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 2006:

About 10 years ago now, while still in Seminary, I had an opportunity to do a summer of studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. For one summer, I got to be a member of the Fighting Irish! Notre Dame is an absolutely beautiful campus and at the very center of the campus is the beautiful Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Each day during the summer, I would take part in the liturgical life of the Basilica, which included morning and evening prayer and Mass each day. I would always sit in the same place, and usually sat next to the same gentleman who appeared to be in his late 40s to early 50s. For weeks, we didn’t speak to each other beyond a cordial hello and nod of the head. But, each time we were at prayer I noticed what a beautiful voice this man had. I could just listen and listen.

Finally after about a month, I thought to myself, “Maybe no one has ever affirmed this talent in him.” So, after Mass one day, I introduced myself and said, “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this before, but you really have a beautiful voice. You should consider using that gift that God has given you.” A small smile crossed his face, he shook my hand and introduced himself, “Hi Tom. My name is Michael Joncas,” he said. Now, you may not recognize the name right away, but Michael Joncas is one of the foremost Catholic musical composers today. He has written such beloved hymns as, “Take and Eat,” “Mary’s Song,” “When We Eat This Bread,” and most famously “On Eagle’s Wings.” I of course, turned 20 shades of red and finally said, “Okay, well, I guess you are making good use of that gift.” But, in that moment, I instantly saw him in a different light. It was a momentary revelation that changed forever the way I would look at this man. And, once I knew who he really was – once I had a fuller picture of his true identity – I wanted to stay there with him as long as I could to pick his brain about liturgy and music and Church. But, eventually we had to return to our regular business.

And this is what is happening in our Gospel today, on this Solemnity of the Transfiguration. Peter, James and John, went up the mountain with Jesus to pray. But, they went up with the Jesus they already knew – a spectacular Jesus to be sure, one who heals, forgives, preaches with authority – but they hadn’t seen anything yet. Before their very eyes, Jesus is transfigured into unbelievable glory, and he is joined by Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and the Prophets – or more clearly, they with Jesus, represent the fullness of God’s revelation to us. Their immediate reaction, summed up by Peter, “It is good that we are here!” They would never look at Jesus in the same way again, and wanted to hold on to that moment for as long as they could – forever if possible.

We are not unlike them. We need mountaintop experiences of transfiguration – moments in our lives when God reveals Himself to us in a spectacular way – to keep us going on the journey. We have mountaintop experiences all the time. I think of this time last summer when we had the Medjugorje visionary Viska here and what a revelation of God’s glory that night was. Or, the night we hosted the First Class relic of St. “Padre” Pio and the evening of powerful prayer we experienced – again, a mountaintop revelation of God’s glory to all who were here. I, of course, think of the Steubenville East youth retreat two weekends ago – another walk up the mountain of the Lord. As always, at this event, our young people experienced Jesus in a way that they never have before. Suddenly, Jesus is real, in their midst, with an impact on their lives. And their reaction? They too said, “It is good that we are here.” Can we stay forever?

But, Transfiguration is not only what we hear in the Gospel, or in the special events I just mentioned. It is hopefully what we experience regularly at different moments in our lives. It is what takes place in this and every Mass if we open our minds, our hearts, our lives to it. God’s Word starts out as mere words on a page, but it is transfigured through the Lector proclaiming it into a revelation of God that can and should take root in our hearts. The Eucharist starts out as simple bread and wine, but it too is transfigured through the hands of the priest and the work of the Holy Spirit into the very presence of Jesus in our midst, and once received, the presence of Jesus in our bodies. And, our reaction each and every Sunday should be: “It is good that we are here! Can we stay forever?” But, how often do we shield our eyes and our hearts from God’s transfiguration right here in front of us. God wants to reveal Himself to us. Jesus wants us to hear His words, see and receive His Body and Blood. Why? So, that we can be transfigured ourselves into what God wants us to be; so that we can go forth from this place and transfigure our homes, our workplace, our community into that glorious Heavenly reality that Jesus came here to inaugurate.

Transfiguration is an experience, a glimpse, of the full glory of God in Jesus. We need these experiences of Jesus’ glory displayed in our midst. We go, like Peter and James and John did, following Jesus. At the mountain height we see him as he really is. Why do we climb to see this? Why do we take valuable time away from our busy lives and devote ourselves to climbing the mountain where God's glory is revealed? Aren't there hungry to be fed? Jobs to be done? Bills to be paid? Children to be fed and clothed? Sick to be healed? Grievers to be consoled? Why does Jesus take this time away from his mission? Why do we? We climb the mountain of Transfiguration for the same reason Moses climbed Mount Nebo - to get a glimpse of the Promised Land - to see where we ourselves are headed.

John Denver wrote in a song, "Come dance with the West wind, and touch on the mountaintops. Sail o'er the canyons, and up to the stars. And reach for the heavens, and hope for the future, and all that we can be, not what we are." That is Transfiguration – seeing all that we can be - not what we are.

When Jesus arrived at the mountain top his figure changed and the outside of him, which had been ordinary and like us, shone as if he was not like one of us. Jesus shone with the glory that caused Moses to shine that day on the mountain when the 10 Commandments were given to him from Heaven. He shone with the glory that carried Elijah up to Heaven's height - gone from this world, but alive in the next. He shone with the glory of his own baptismal day, when his Father's voice from above was heard to say: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" - and indeed those words first uttered at the River are repeated on the Mountaintop.

What can mere mortals say when faced with such glory? Well, for Peter, when in doubt, shout it out. First say the obvious, "It is good for us to be here." Then make a plan: how about we prolong this camp-out on the mountain Lord? We can rig up a tent for you and Elijah and one for Moses. But that, of course was not the point.

The point is that we are destined for glory; a glory like His glory; a glory that will make us shine as He did. But first - as with Jesus - there is cross to bear. And so, we climb the mountain of Transfiguration with Him. We climb because there is a rough road ahead of us. We climb to share the vision that Peter and James and John beheld, and to be strengthened by it for our return to the everyday.

And God wills to give us the vision and the strength we need. The vision and the strength to face the fears and challenges of our lives. The vision and the strength we need to respond to the call of God to live beyond ourselves, to live lives of sacrifice and courage, until the glory we see in Christ settles on us, not just for a day, but forever.

The road ahead is the way of the cross. But, the glimpse that we are granted of Christ's glory on the holy mountain is the foretaste of heaven; the image of humanity as God intended us to be. We remember that we too will be bright shining as the sun.

“It is good that we are here.” Let us behold the glory of our God in our midst and be strengthened to bring that glory to everyone we meet.

May God give you peace.