Mk 9:2-13
2Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
9As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 11Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
He was transfigured before them: Of Jesus’ many shining moments, the transfiguration event is one of the most notable. On the mountain Jesus experiences his Father’s love and assurance: This is my beloved son! He finds support for his crusade (Elijah) and meaning in his teachings (Moses). Armed with these, Jesus can now face anything. He is ready for the cross.
We, too, experience moments when our eyes seem to sparkle, when we feel that even our skin seems to dazzle. These are usually moments when we are in love or appreciated and recognized. Call them Aha! experiences or spiritual highs: suddenly everything becomes clear, finally there is hope, all things appear to have meaning, and anything seems possible; suddenly God becomes real, faith becomes important, life looks bright, and finally everything seems to fall in place.
Do not just wait for these moments. Look for them. Find your destiny. Claim your faith. Live your life!
Mt. Tabor: The mountain of the transfiguration is not named, but tradition points to Mount Tabor which rises in the plain of Esdraelon in Galilee to a height of 1,850 feet. The mountain stands isolated in the plain and so is impressive in appearance. Mt. Tabor was the site of the camp of Barak who, with the help of the prophetess Deborah, defeated Sisera, the general of the Canaanite army (Jgs 4:6).