THE GOODNESS OF HUMAN NATURE.

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD. YEAR B.
August 6, 2006.
(Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)) (Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9)
(Second reading: 2 Peter 1:16-19) (Gospel reading: Mark 9:2-10)

THE GOODNESS OF
HUMAN NATURE.

The Gospel today provides a view at the goodness of human nature. The gospel tells us that Christ Jesus, the Son of Man, on the day he wanted human beings to see the goodness of his human nature, transfigured himself so that we could see how "dazzling white" (1) is a human being who comes from God.

Jesus will transfigure our human nature once he rescues us from the darkness of oppression and injustice and sin; he will restore the goodness of our human nature making it again "dazzling white".

However, the forces of oppression, injustice, death and sin in our world have degraded human nature so much that it seems almost impossible for us human beings to restore the goodness God instilled in it from the beginning.

The restoration of the goodness of our human nature.
In order to restore the goodness of our human nature, we must be able to do the following:

- We must be able to see it as it is: "dazzling white", just as Jesus showed it to us at the time of his transfiguration.

- We must be able to understand that "darkness", injustice, oppression, dispossession, wars and sin are but passing ailments afflicting human nature specific historic moments.

- We must believe that God is united to human nature, through Christ Jesus. The gospel tells us of this unity when God says: "This is my beloved Son". Jesus' human nature is, therefore, united with the Father; and through Jesus our own human nature is united to the Father. It is because of this unity that human nature shares in the brightness and light of God's goodness.

- We must strive at listening to what Christ Jesus says, that is, to what he says in his gospel, in his "Good News". By listening to Jesus, human beings become like Jesus, the one who restores the goodness of human nature. God tells us: "Listen to him", so that we may become like him.

The restoration of the goodness of our human nature is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus.
The resurrection of our Lord is the victory of life over death, is the victory of Justice over injustice, the victory of liberation over oppression. Therefore, it is evident that if there is a victory, there was a struggle. That struggle was the one Jesus fought against a world of death and injustice and sin; the struggle which must be fought by all human beings who listen to Jesus, by all who follow his example in restoring the goodness of their human nature.

Our conviction in the goodness of human nature (goodness which is made visible to us in the transfiguration) is the motivation which gives us the strength in our struggle for a share in the victorious resurrection of Jesus. That is the reason why Jesus, right after his transfiguration, charged Peter, James and John: "Not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead".

May the light that irradiates from Jesus in his transfiguration allow us to see the goodness of our own human nature.
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Footnote.
(1) Describing the Lord's transfiguration, this gospel passage reads: "His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them". By referring to the Lord's clothes, Mark is pointing out that once the Son of Man takes on human nature, all the goodness of God's nature is infused into human nature. Thus human nature becomes as "dazzling white" as divine nature always is.