Homily, August 6, 2023
From the Pastor
Jesus is never alone. God is the fulness of constancy and fidelity. Remaining fully Divine and becoming fully human, Jesus is not on his own to save the world. The Father and the Spirit are not merely a supporting cast from the safety of heaven while Jesus does the heavy lifting of our redemption. The Trinity is inseparable. They are the essence of undivided unity in a perfect communion of love.
As we read the account of the Transfiguration, is this revelation of the glory of Jesus his own doing or is it the doing of the Father. Is it the Holy Spirit? The answer is yes. Jesus does nothing on his own as he is never separated from the Father or the Spirit. Whose idea was the revelation of this glory? Did Jesus do it for his own sake? Did the Father do it as a support and affirmation for Jesus as the Divine Son? Did the Holy Spirit do it just to ‘get in the game’? The answer again is yes.
In a mutual movement to reveal the nature and mission of the Son, the Father and the Spirit share in this epiphany of glory. Why? The mission of Jesus was to reveal the nature and identity of the Divine Father. The fullness of Divine Love is revealed in the redemptive work of the Son. Divine fullness is seen in the reality of the Cross. It is a two-fold reality. On the one hand, it is a wretched, ugly image of the disfigurement of evil and the disorder of human sin. On the other hand, it is the revelation of Divine beauty and truth. In the human suffering of Jesus through his death on the Cross, the truth of Divine love is on full view. Unlike the dumb suffering humans inflict on each other, the suffering of the Cross reveals and fulfills a Divine purpose. Love, unlimited, freely given and unmerited, makes visible the nature and intention of God. God will unite all creation in the Divine nature through the glory of the Cross accomplished in the person of Jesus.
The Transfiguration is both a human and Divine action. Peter, James, and John experience the Divine glory through the human Jesus. What effect did this impact have on Jesus and these disciples? For Jesus, it is an affirmation and a confirmation. At his Baptism, the Father reveals the nature and identity of the Son. In the Transfiguration, Jesus takes another step forward toward the fulfillment of the Cross. Jesus is neither shocked nor frightened. He becomes more fully aware of the Father’s glory he will reveal to the world through the Cross.
For Peter, James, and John it’s a mixed bag. They are immediately awed with the reverence of this spiritual grace. However, typical to human experience, they are quickly overwhelmed. They are ‘very much afraid’ falling face down before the vision. This reveals the intention of the experience. As they approach the trauma of the Cross, both Jesus and the disciples must be prepared. Jesus is prepared by his surety in the Father’s fidelity of goodness and love. The disciples are alerted to the glory of Jesus to secure them against all that will take place. The Divine plan unfolds in wisdom and compassion.
Much of the misery humans suffer comes from feeling unloved. This has many faces and countless causes. It comes to the fore in times of fearful experience that cause feelings of being alone, anxious, and vulnerable. This is what the three disciples feel. What felt like a wonderful moment becomes overwhelming. Fear and vulnerability kick in as these men feel completely out of control. Quickly Jesus assures them, ‘Rise and do not be afraid.’
Glory is not all power and light. In the gospel of John, Jesus is in the fullness of his glory while on the Cross. Why? Because the fullness of God is revealed in a love beyond measure or understanding. It can only be trusted through maturing faith.
Golf is a hard game. It can be good for the soul if it doesn’t kill you first. It can be fun, even enjoyable. We feel glory with a birdie, and even more with an eagle. I can assure you; I do not know the joy of that glory. Golf is often not fun. As hard as you try to make it go one way, it goes another way seemingly beyond your power to control.
The glory of God in Jesus is like that. Glory has a cost. True glory comes with hard work and often with some kind of suffering. This is true because glory is known and realized only through the hard work of goodness and truth. Goodness and truth are seen in the surrender of self-giving love for the sake of others. We see glory in those who struggle with courage and persistence for the sake of goodness driven by love.
In whom do you see glory? In whom do you see the light of goodness put into action through the surrender of self-giving love? Do you know people who seem to naturally get out of their own way for the sake of others? They are revealing the glory of God. Where might you see that in yourself? Maybe in a time of grace and favor of God’s love. Maybe in a sweet moment of prayer. Maybe in a movement of willing surrender in service out of love. These are moments when we feel secure in God’s love that motivate us to acts of love. We exist to reveal God’s glory. Be secure in the constancy of Divine love and put that love into action.
Father John Esper
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