Mk. 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Oftentimes in life we are walking the earthly road of hardship faced with many difficulties. The blindfold of life does not always allow us to see the Transfigured Jesus in our midst. What we can gain from this gospel from Mark recalling the Transfiguration in which Jesus leads Peter, James & John up a high mountain is that Jesus leads them.
Jesus wishes to lead us as well during this earthly pilgrimage. Perhaps we have already had our moment where the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to us in prayer or from some miraculous encounter? If we haven’t had that moment, are you open to casting aside all your doubts, fears and weaknesses and putting them before the Lord God in prayer? Do you want Jesus to lead you up to that high mountain of this thing called life?
We are reminded of another time in scripture where Matthew makes the same proclamation at Jesus’s divinity being revealed by his baptism. “After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him.” (And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17).
The common feature we share with Jesus’s humanity is our baptismal call and fact that we too will die an earthly death. As a reminder, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says the following about baptism: 1265 Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte “a new creature,” an adopted son of God, who has become a “partaker of the divine nature,” member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. 1266 The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification…” Furthermore, 1271 states “Baptism, therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.” (CCC 2nd Edition, USCCB, 3211 Fourth St, NE, Washington DC, 2019, 2020).
As we reflect on this gospel from Mark, we see a couple of themes. The first is being led. Many don’t like to be led anywhere and don’t wish to be dependent on anyone or anything. On the other end of the spectrum, once we are led somewhere we don’t spend enough time to “smell the roses” and are rushed for time. Peter acknowledges that it is “good we are here” before the Lord Jesus. Do we make the same remarks from our Sunday obligation or during prayer? Perhaps we are just checking the boxes of our prayer life, always petitioning, but never being thankful for being “here.”
The last theme of Jesus asking his disciples not to say anything about His divinity is due to the fact that He must undergo the test or the trial of dying to our sin before being risen. We too can never truly understand or grasp His full divinity until that time we die to our sins and are raised up in new life just as occurred with us in baptism where we become new creatures. Our participation in the sacramental life gives us a glimpse of His divinity. The definition of a sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace instituted by Jesus for our sanctification. Just as Jesus’s apostles fell prostrate out of fear – a sign of worship, we too should acknowledge the same at the feast of the Eucharistic banquet during the mass. We must be led and we must be thankful for being here in those moments with our participation of the sacraments as well as ministry to others. In time Jesus will be transfigured before us. Are we in a place to be led and revel in the moment before Jesus? Spend some time this week reflecting on this gospel. Picture yourself with Peter, James & John being led up the high mountain. What will your response be?
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