Responsorial Psalm: Ps 97:1-2,5-6,9
2nd Reading: 2 Pt 1:16-19
Homily: Mk 9:2-10
In order to come to a fuller understanding of things we sometimes need to see what we are talking about. I personally have never been to Jerusalem, but have heard that going here is a very powerful experience because it brings the mind to better picture and understand the stories of sacred scripture. I have been to Rome which was a wonderful experience in picturing the life of the early Church. I also had the opportunity on this same trip to travel to Assisi where I was able to experience the city where Saint Francis dwelt and it definitely gave me new understanding and appreciation for this great Catholic saint.
When Christ went up the mountain with Peter, James, and John He was wanting these men to come, see, and understand a deeper reality of the faith. There are two other occasions in the Gospel of Mark where Christ takes these three aside. The first came in Mark 5 where He takes these three along to witness a dead girl being restored to life. The final time that He takes these three with Him was in Mark 14 where He brought them to the garden before His Passion. Each of these events were brought about so that they could give sight to their understanding of Christ's upcoming death and resurrection.
In order to bring understanding to the Transfiguration we must hear what came before this passage in sacred scripture. Prior to this passage Jesus told His apostles that He would die and would then rise again on the third day. It was here that we get the story of Saint Peter being so filled with fear that He protests against Him only to be put in his place by being told "get behind me Satan." When Christ went up the mountain He desired to give new life to the faith of the apostles. He wanted to open their eyes so that they could see the reality of what was quickly approaching. Before their eyes appeared Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, representing the prophets. They came to understand that Christ was the fulfillment of the Law and that Christ was the person that all of the prophets where pointing towards. They realized at that moment that Christ was the object that connected the Old and the New together. They came to realize through the Transfiguration that Christ was truly going to die upon the cross and then rise in glory. That is why Peter wanted to stay on this mountain to pray because he knew when they walked back down that Christ's death would quickly approach.
We have all been invited to share in this event of the Transfiguration. Each time that we attend Mass, pray the Rosary, enter into silence before the Blessed Sacrament, or at home we enter into this invitation to open our hearts and souls more and more to the reality that is taking place before our eyes. We are being invited to join Christ upon this mountain top, so that our faith may forever grow to all ends of the earth.
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