The whole Christian world rejoices, East and West, in the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ we anticipate today.
We mark the ascent of Jesus with Peter, James and John up a high mountain. While praying there the Lord’s face glowed with the brightness of the sun and his garments became white as snow.
The splendour of Christ’s divinity penetrated through his human body as the Son of God appeared in his splendour and glory.
This Feast is especially dear to the eastern Church. Whereas holiness in the west in saints like Francis links to the passion marks called stigmata in the east holiness is more linked to luminosity.
St Symeon who lived in 10th century Constantinople describes a day at work in the emperor’s court in Constantinople and going to his lodgings for prayers at home when he poured out tears and prostrated. He was saying the Jesus Prayer but with mind more than heart, and then had a bright light shining at him on every side and was wholly united with non material light and felt greatly exalted. In another light close at hand there appeared a holy old man equal to the angels teaching him. When he came to himself he was filled with joy and wept with all his heart and his tears were filled with joy. The Constantinople bells rang for morning office so he turns to say psalms which means he has ended up praying through the night.
One of St Symeon's hymns expressing devotion to the divine light of God in Christ runs: ‘O light in three persons non can name, with many names at work in all things, light one in will and thought, strange energy dissolving rocks and hills by your very sight - how do you mingle yourself with grass (humanity) in a union without confusion transfigured yet unchanged?
In the Feast we’re keeping, the disciples were shown as much glory as they could bear. Saints like Symeon build the expectancy of experiencing God as light yet in a way that builds our faith.
Just as in a transit of Venus across the sun years back people were warned to view the event indirectly so it is when God shone in Jesus on the earth and as he sometimes shines in holy lives. Disciples fall to the ground and hide their faces.
At the heart of Christianity is a yearning to see God as he is. This has sprung up from the days Jesus walked and shone on earth with the promise we could see God.
Not with mortal eyes but in the resurrection.
The Transfiguration of Our Lord anticipates both his Resurrection and our own. As children of God we are heading for the full, glorious sight of God and we gain glimpses of that radiance on earth..
Beloved we are God’s children now; what we will be has not been revealed Saint John writes. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2)
Lord may we see you glory, become like you and praise you for ever. Amen.
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