TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD ON MT. THABOR
“And after six days, Jesus taketh unto Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart. And He was transfigured before them. And His Face shone as the sun; and His garments became white as snow. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with Him. And Peter answering said to Jesus: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias’” (Matt. 17, 1-5).
First Prelude: Behold Jesus on Mount Thabor, in the splendor of His glory, attended by Moses and Elias.
Second Prelude: O my beloved Saviour, grant that the contemplation of Thy exalted and mysterious Transfiguration may strengthen my faith, increase my hope and inflame anew my love for Thee.
First Point
CONSIDER THE PERSONS
Picture our Divine Saviour in His glory on Mt. Thabor; His countenance, radiant as the sun; His garments, white as snow. With what joy and admiration this sight should fill us! Let us fall on our knees to adore Him, the King of Eternal Glory, the Sun of Justice, the Splendor of Everlasting Light. Oh, the abysmal love of His Divine Heart that urged Him to renounce this transcendent glory during His earthly career, in order to embrace for our sake humiliation, suffering and death. Let us try to realize what His love has done for us and to make some return for His divine unselfishness. Perhaps we envy the Apostles, so fortunate as to behold the Saviour in His glory. And yet, we, too, shall see the Saviour in heavenly splendor, if we are faithful to His love. His glory shall be ours, indeed; but our virtue must be the purchase price. The memory of the Transfiguration was to be, for the Apostles, a light in the darkness of Gethsemane and a solace in the desolation of Calvary.
Let us, next, contemplate Moses and Elias, who give testimony of Jesus. They, also, appear in glory, flooded with the divine effulgence. From this we may draw the lesson that we shall share in the Saviour’s glory the more, the closer we come to Him by the practice of virtue. Moreover, Moses and Elias talk with Christ about His approaching passion and death at Jerusalem. Even in the midst of His Transfiguration, Jesus is occupied with the mystery of mercy, the redemption, and speaks of it to His friends.
Alas, why do we, the objects of this absorbing love and the partakers of all its glorious fruits, think so rarely of it and speak of it so seldom! In accordance with the wish of Holy Mother Church, let this glance at Thabor encourage us to follow with sympathy our Divine Bridegroom treading the bitter path to Calvary, to the consummation of the Sacrifice on the Cross. Let us seek through this meditation to fortify ourselves for the daily sacrifices that the faithful imitation of Christ demands.
Second Point
CONSIDER THE WORDS
How great, indeed, must have been the wonder, the fear, the joy of the Apostles, who saw with corporeal eyes the Divinity glorifying the sacred Humanity, and beheld the prophets of old, Moses and Elias. Peter at once gave vent to his feelings, saying: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles: one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” Utterly forgetting that earth is not a place of enjoyment, the Apostle would build tabernacles on Thabor and always remain there. Many souls resemble him in this that while striving for perfection, they would continually enjoy spiritual delights. If things go on according to their taste, then they say: “Lord, it is good to be here,” this is true life. Does not self-love frequently conceal itself beneath the garb of piety? Like Peter, we know not what we say, when we seek sensible gratifications, while refusing to carry the cross of Christ. Should we not rather strive for the strong love that seeks not the consolations of God, but the God of consolations? Scarcely had Peter voiced his desire, than a bright cloud overshadowed Christ and a voice from heaven was heard saying: “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.” With these words, the heavenly Father manifested His will that we should obey Jesus, believe His teaching, observe His command, and follow His holy example.
What a source of consolation to know that we are disciples of so great a Teacher and Master, Whose mission was thus solemnly announced! Let us, then, heed Him willingly when He tells us that we must deny ourselves, conquer our passions, use violence and crucify ourselves. Let us, further, heed Him when He teaches us yet more effectively still, by His example, to be meek and humble of heart. Finally, let us heed Him when in most intimate communion He admonishes us to lead better lives. Blessed are they that hear Jesus and generously follow His admonitions!
Am I intent upon making my heart receptive for His holy inspirations by means of silence and recollection?
Affections: O my glorified, transfigured Saviour! In profoundest humility prostrate before Thy Divine Majesty, I adore Thee with the disciples who were so fortunate as to behold the splendor of Thy glory. Thou didst will to show us the splendor of Thy Transfiguration in this earthly exile to animate our courage, to enliven our hope, because the glory of the Head shall one day pass over upon the faithful members. Thou dost conceal Thy glory in the Sacrament of Thy Love, to be our food and to implant the germ of immortality into our corruptible bodies. In Thy kingdom Thou wilt reveal Thyself to us entirely to be our salvation and bliss. Oh, give us all the grace to love Thee with our whole heart, to desire and listen to Thee alone, to remain united with Thee in the most faithful imitation of Thy example.
Resolution: I will frequently ponder the glory of my transfigured Saviour that it may incite me to love and imitation of Him.
Spiritual Bouquet: “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.”
Prayer: Soul of Christ. . .
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