Homily on the Transfiguration (St. Matthew 17:1-9)
Today we celebrate the way the glory of God was revealed on Mount Tabor. Although His body was no different than theirs (in its humanity), the chosen apostles, Peter, James, and John, saw Christ’s face
“shine with such splendor that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.” (St. Leo the Great)
While this revelation accomplished many things, St. Leo the Great says that “the great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.”
God was preparing his people for his coming passion, reminding them that the power that was in him was greater than the world; that his power and truth were beyond their understanding; and that they could rest assured that all things were being accomplished according to God’s plan of perfection. He was demonstrating that he was worthy of their trust and that everything he had taught them was true.
In our fallenness, we seem to be in need of this reassurance as well. Not in the same way the disciples did: as Christians, we already know Jesus Christ to be the God-man. We believe in him and his salvation. But there is still something that draws us away from him. Yes, despite our faith in Christ, it is as though the Transfiguration was of no effect – for our Lord is being crucified and we were not ready. We cannot handle it. He is in the midst of his passion and we have forsaken him. How can this be true? We have forsaken him to the extent we have forsaken his church.
Listen to the words of St. Leo the Great:
[At his Transfiguration, not only was Christ preparing his disciples for his crucifixion…] With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
There is an intimate connection between Christ and his Church. We cannot confess our faith in him and reject his Body. We cannot be partakers in his Salvation and reject the very thing he established to make it happen. We know that there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ – and because the Church is his body and the means for our union with him – there is no salvation outside the church. God did not become man just to save his disciples (or us, or the Jews, or the Greeks, or the Ukrainians or the Americans) – he did it to restore all mankind to perfection through himself.
We need to open our eyes not only to the reality of Christ, but to the beauty and glory of his Church. As his body was slandered and tortured Christ at his passion, so to is his body – the Church – being slandered and attacked now. And like the disciples, we are tempted away from Christ by the lies that the world levies against him and the Church. Because of the world’s lies, we are tempted to be ashamed to be called Christian.
We cannot let this continue. We must open the eyes of our hearts not just to the glory of the Christ, but also to the glory of his Church. He revealed this glory to Peter, James, and John before his passion through his Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. He revealed his glory to his disciples after his resurrection through Holy Communion. This is the same Eucharist (and revelation) that he offers us today. Jesus Christ is perfect power and perfect love; this power and love energize his Church. We cannot let the lies of the world and all the “what if’s” our brains create distract us from the Truth. The Church is the arc of our salvation. We must let its mysteries perfect us, let its teachings guide us, let its love comfort us.
“God is the Lord and has revealed himself to us!”
Let us open the eyes of our hearts and see the Church – and this parish (in which its fullness dwells)– for what it truly is.
