Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
The Transfiguration is a decisive turning point in the life of Jesus. From the mountaintop, he would begin his journey toward Jerusalem — toward suffering, toward rejection, and ultimately toward death on the cross for the sins of the world. He was walking directly into the hardest days of his earthly life.
Jesus knew his closest disciples would struggle to understand what was coming. So, he took Peter, James, and John up the mountain — that sacred place in scripture where God so often reveals himself. There, before their very eyes, Jesus allowed them to see who he truly was.
He was not only the Son of Man. He was the Son of God.
For a brief moment, the glory that was always his, shone through his humanity. The divine light within him radiated outward. In that moment, Jesus was strengthening his disciples — and perhaps even reminding himself — with the truth that suffering and death would not have the final word. Resurrection would. Only God can conquer death. And Jesus is God.
On that mountain, Jesus was joined by two towering figures of the Old Testament: Moses, the giver of the Law, and Elijah, the great prophet. We are not told exactly what they discussed in Matthew’s Gospel. Perhaps they reflected on their own struggles in serving God. Moses faced rebellion. Elijah faced rejection and threats to his life. Both knew what it meant to suffer in fidelity to God’s mission. Yet both were sustained and vindicated by God.
Then the cloud overshadowed them — the sign of God’s presence — and the voice of the Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Peter, James, and John saw this. They heard this. And they never forgot it. That mountaintop experience would help them make sense of the empty tomb. Years later, John would write: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
So, what does this Transfiguration mean for us?
First, it reminds us that we are more than what appears on the surface. We have bodies that can be seen, but we also have souls known fully only to God. Through baptism, our souls have received the gift of Christ’s divine life. There is an inner dignity and glory within each of us, the baptized, that suffering cannot erase.
But we can also say that when difficulty comes to us — as it does from time to time — we have a savior who is more than human. And if we follow him, we follow him from suffering to glory. That is always the path of a believer. That is why Jesus says it again in this Gospel: “Rise, and do not be afraid!”
A final thought. What should we do when life begins to take us down the path of suffering. Here is what those apostles on the Transfiguration mountain heard and reported: God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Good advice for all of us.
Have a blessed week everyone.