Luke 9:28-32

“Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.” vs. 32

It’s hard to know what to do with the story of the Transfiguration as it appears in the gospels–it’s so different from anything that we’ve ever experienced. Some have said that it’s almost like a resurrection appearance that was later inserted into the narrative of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. It’s as though Peter, James, and John, who were already being told that suffering would mark the end of Jesus’ ministry, were being given a glimpse of the glory that would one day follow. Even before Good Friday, they were getting an Easter experience. Indeed, that’s what Transfiguration Sunday is for those believers who are getting ready to walk with Jesus through the season of Lent. It’s a reminder that beyond the brokenness and pain of this life there is a transfiguring glory awaiting us. And it’s not just a matter of the liturgical calendar! Right in the middle of this life we sometimes catch dazzling glimpses of how good life can be. We see love in its purity and humanity at its best, and Jesus whispers in our ears, “Friend, one day this vision will become a reality, and you’ll be enveloped in the Light forever.” Those are the transfiguring moments that keep us going when times get tough and Easter seems only a fanciful tale.

Thought for the Day: What is a transfiguring moment?