THE TRANSFIGURATION OF HUMANITY.

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT. YEAR C.
March 4, 2007.
(First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18)
(Second Reading: Phillipians 3:17-4:1)
(Gospel Reading: Luke 9:28b-36)

THE TRANSFIGURATION
OF HUMANITY.

The transfiguration of Jesus is the model for humanity to follow. The radiant Jesus the gospel shows us is an invitation for all human beings to redefine themselves and transform themselves into the same radiant image. The transfiguration is the effort of Jesus to reveal to us that we, human beings, will share in the fullness of his glory once we become liberated from the oppression of a pagan and sinful world, a liberation which He, Jesus, "was going to accomplish in Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31) through his cross.

The gospel's language (Luke 9:29) that "His face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white" is a way to describe the magnificence of Jesus, the perfect man, the excellence that belongs to all human beings, the image of how human beings were originally created. The transfiguration is the reaffirmation by Jesus that there is no higher being in all of creation than a human being.

Now, are we ready to partake with Jesus in his transfiguration?
Our world of injustice and oppression does not seem to be ready to partake in the transfiguration of Jesus. Our world is reluctant to acknowledge the highest, radiant dignity innate in all human beings.

When it comes to accepting human dignity, our world seems to have "been overcome by sleep" - just like "Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep" (Luke 9:32) or like Abram who undergoes the same experience when "a trance fell upon [him] and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him" (Genesis 15:12). In deed, modern man refuses to open his eyes to the mistreatment against human dignity even though the suffering inflicted upon men by men is ever so evident.

The human race sinks into a "deep terrifying darkness" every time man tolerates the degradation of human dignity, every time man refuses to recognize that human beings are called to live in mutual respect, peace and justice. By doing so man is refusing to partake in the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus.

In His transfiguration Jesus shows us that He will restores our fallen human dignity. The gospel tells us that Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus "of His exodus that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem". This means that just like Moses liberates God's people from slavery in Egypt through the exodus, Jesus will liberate our fallen human nature from the injustice and oppressions of a sinful world through His cross.

Therefore, the image of the radiant Jesus in the transfiguration is the image of humanity liberated, the image of human beings living in peace, justice, equality, mutual respect.

The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is the model for the human race to follow.
In his Letter to the Phillipians Saint Paul reaffirms that we, all human beings, can partake in the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus who "will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body" (Phillipians 3:19). Paul also points out that in our world there are people who refuse to partake in the transfiguration of Jesus, and others who are willing to partake in it. Let us see each approach:
1. Those who are opposed to partake in the transfiguration of the Lord. Saint Paul describes them as those who "conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ... Their god is their stomach; their glory is their shame". (Phil. 3:19).

"Their god is their stomach", that is, their god is their greed, their god is the accumulation of wealth by dispossessing other human beings and in the process bringing about misery and deprivation. They can be individuals, interest groups or nations that will resort to all kinds of atrocities in order to satisfy their "stomachs".

"Their glory is their shame" , that is, their actions of dispossession and oppression upon other human beings become their glory. They consider their glory what in the eyes of God is their shame.

The "enemies of the cross of Christ" are therefore those who opposed the liberation of the human race from the sinful world of injustice and oppression.

2. Those who are willing to partake in the transfiguration of the Lord. Saint Paul describes them as those who "conduct themselves according to the model [Christ] has in us" (Phil. 3:15), That is to say, according to the model of those who already participate in the transfiguration of Christ.

The Father commands us to imitate His chosen Son.
The gospel today reaffirms the will of the Father that we retake the fullness of our human dignity, the dignity His Son has restored for us: "This is my chosen Son, listen to Him" (Luke 9:35). Whenever we listen to Him we become one with Him, that is, in Him we become liberated human beings, we take on the splendor of the transfiguration.

May the splendor of the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus lead us to the transfiguration of humanity.