The process of Transfiguration

February 18, Saturday, 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 11: 1-7; Mark 9:2-13

Jesus' transfiguration story is one of the highlights of his revelation as God's Son. Previously, He mentioned His death and resurrection, but the apostles, especially Peter, failed to comprehend it. They were getting confused because their expectation of Jesus as the Messiah was starting to fail. As they witnessed Jesus' Transfiguration, their spirits were once again lifted.

This is one of the benefits of being a believer, the opportunity to see the glory of God even in glimpses. No matter how fleeting the feeling may be, anyone with the Holy Spirit will tell you that they feel like they're on top of the world. When you have that experience, you can say like Peter that “it is pleasant to be here.”

The life of a believer is not a "magic carpet ride", and living as a true witness means carrying our cross to Calvary. Our badge as believers is the cross. As a result, even if we climb up the "high mountain" from time to time and experience joy and peace, we tend to live in the valley of tears and darkness most of the time. It is in this valley where we are transfigured, where the Lord transforms us painfully and joyfully at the same time.

As the apostles, we may not fully comprehend what Jesus is telling us, but listening to God's beloved Son is necessary for this process of transformation to be successful. We may not fully understand what is unfolding in the valley, but the story of the Transfiguration above helps us make sense of it. It gives us hope that as we journey through the ups and downs of life, we will one day see the full display of God’s glory. On that day, we will regain our very own image – the image of our creator.