The Transfiguration: A Call to Transformation

03-16-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the Old Testament, many consider Abraham as the Father of Faith. The first reading narrates the story of God choosing Abram (Abraham) and the promise God made to provide him and his descendants, both progeny and land. Although childless and over seventy-five years old, Abraham responds with great faith—this is how he built his friendship with God. God established a covenant with Abraham, whose descendants would be as numerous as the number of stars in the sky. Despite being without a child at that time, Abraham believed. The faith of Abraham is the faith we received as his spiritual descendants.

In all the Synoptic Gospels, the Transfiguration of Jesus precedes the first passion prediction of our Lord. After revealing His inevitable passion and death, He knew the disciples were affected and moved to strengthen their faith by showing them the glory that follows His passion and resurrection. Jesus wants to demonstrate that His passion is not the end but would lead to His glorification. "For a person to go straight along the road, he must have some knowledge of the end—just as an archer will not shoot an arrow straight unless he sees the target." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, 3,45)

The Lord knows that the disciples would not understand His words, much less accept His coming passion and death on the cross. By the presence of Peter, James, and John in His glory, Jesus hopes to caution the impact and the scandal of His passion and death. When His hour comes, hopefully, they will be reminded that the way to the heavenly Father leads to the glory of the Son, that is, being hanged on the cross. In the same way, no disciple enters eternal life unless they carry their cross. For the glory of the resurrection awaits disciples carrying their cross with a merciful heart.

"In these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe." (Hebrews 1:2) The letter to the Hebrews confirms the revelation at Jesus' Baptism and Transfiguration when the Father affirms the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ: "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him." Everything the Father wishes to reveal to man He did through His Son in His lifetime and through more revelations in the glory to come. The disciples would experience all sorts of trials and persecutions, even struggles, but they would persevere as long as they listened to Jesus and remembered the Transfiguration moment.

Let the season of Lent lead us to experience a transfiguration moment—a quiet time to be with Jesus, a time to listen to our loving Father, who is gentle, compassionate, and forgiving. Remember to pray and sacrifice for our loved ones, especially those who need healing, transfiguration, and conversion. And let us allow our transfiguration moment to be the turning point in our life. Finally, I pray that our experience of the divinity of Jesus leads to conversion and transfiguration.