Transfiguration is when Jesus shines bright in radiant light. The celebration began in the fifth century in the East and the eighth century in the West. Nevertheless, what significance does it have to us all in the current time? The event revealed to us that Jesus is the ‘Son of God.’ And this is reiterated everytime we celebrate this feast of the transfiguration.
If He who is God became incarnate for our sake. If He who is God died on the cross for our sins and then rose from the dead, giving us hope of life eternal. Then this feast should invite us for a special calling. A calling for a ‘liturgical asceticism’ as David Fagerberg would call it. Liturgical means participating in the mystery of Christ. The act wherein we remember the systematic trials and tribulations that Jesus went through on the path of Calvary and then died on the cross. The commemoration of it all, in the Eucharistic celebration. Thus, we share in the life of Christ in the liturgy. Asceticism, on the other hand, is the discipline one ought to train oneself in, to become the icon of Christ, and translate His image through our exemplary lives.
Similar to Transfiguration: Carlo Acutis’ Love For The Lord
And the time that we are in, is a time where we see around us the image of Christ being tarnished in our poor brethren. The bourgeoisie exploiting the proletariat on a grand scale and given the pandemic this is on the rise. We saw it when the proletariat left the migrant workers to fend for their needs to themselves. We saw migrant labourers dying on the streets left with no choice and the image of Christ crying to us for help. The kind-hearted reached the poor. And yet there were people who criticised their good deed. But despite this criticism filled with the love for Christ, there were minds coming together to reach out to this crying image of Christ. May their efforts be blessed! Aren’t we all called to do the same? Jesus too had to face criticism for eating with the sinners, but He did it because His goal and intention were clear. He knew His call; the call that he received from His Heavenly Father.
If He was passionate about His call, how much more should we be? Like Christ, our goal and intention to glorify Him in what we do must be clear in our minds. Only then our every effort at liturgical asceticism will turn out fruitful.
You may now ask me, how should we commemorate the mysteries of Christ? We are hardly able to participate in the Eucharist due to the restrictions. Although from far, we are quite fortunate that we are blessed with social media that makes it possible for us to attend the Eucharistic celebrations from the comfort of our homes. But, what about the reception of the Holy Species; the body and blood Christ? Now that is where the problem should lie. But that is where the transfiguration of Jesus should give us hope. He will shine in His glory sooner. That though we are in difficult times, His light will shine upon us and illumine us and keep us faithful to Him.
This leads us to the faithfulness aspect of this feast. Just like Jesus was faithful to the call of his Father, we are called irrespective of who we are and what we do, we are called to be faithful. In the homes, though locked and left helpless, our faithfulness should prompt us to pray to Him for mercy. It should inspire and motivate us as a family to unite and start mending our ways as to living a concerned and sacrificial life. It should enhance our spirits to be more considerate towards our family members and our closest neighbours.
Also Read: To be a generous witness to the world
Thus, when I am faithful to the invitation that the Lord has given me, I am in turn making an effort to be His image. Although the Lord created you and me in His image and likeness. Somewhere down-the-line, we failed to keep up to that expectation of the Lord. To be perfect as the Father should have been our aim.
Let us, therefore, make efforts to come out triumphant like our Lord. Faithfully walking in the light of the Lord as He is the light, and He is in the light (1 Jn. 1:7). Let liturgical asceticism be our deepest calling so that we are not sad by the upsetting history and the present we live in. But be beacons of hope and light to the poor and the marginalised around us. Let us take the message of Christ to the people around us present in virtual reality. Let this celebration of the transfiguration of the Lord help us to be faithful images of Christ.
Copyright © Renovacao August 1-15, 2020
