Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
I’m the type of person who would rather be correct than happy. For that reason, it catches my attention that there is a discrepancy between St. Peter’s eyewitness testimony and the St. Mark’s narrative of the Transfiguration. Both recount that the Father’s voice proclaimed Jesus is His “Beloved Son.” However, according to the apostle, God the Father follows this statement saying, “with whom I am well pleased,” whereas the evangelist gives the imperative, “Listen to Him.” You would think if Sts. Mark and Peter wanted to prove they were not recounting myths they should get their stories straight.
Well, with a closed canon we cannot solve this discrepancy, but we can ponder the mystery they set forth. What is the significance of a Beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased and The Father’s Beloved Son we must listen to?
To say that the Father is well-pleased with His Son denotes the Imminent Trinity: the uncreated, three-person God who had no need of any creature. From all eternity The Father spoke a Word into being through the love of the Spirit: “Beloved Son.” Thus on the mountain that the apostles may see, that Beloved Son is revealed as the one whose everlasting dominion will never be taken away, even through human death on a cross.
To say that we should listen to God’s Beloved Son denotes the Economic Trinity: the fact that the God who is love had no need of creation decided to make humankind, then sending His only Son as flesh to show us His perfect love and bring us back to life with Him. Christ’s anticipated glorification shows the Church that we hope to be beloved sons and daughters through adoption, and be configured to the transfigured.
“This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” The former statement points to our future, where we long to contemplate the glory of the Godhead for all eternity. No wonder Peter wanted to make tents to enshrine this vision! He was not making a bad suggestion. For who would not want to see what Moses only saw from behind and Elijah only heard in a gentle breeze while still on earth? The latter imperative to listen to Jesus points to our present, exposing that our fascination with the Transfiguration is rooted in its already-but-not-yet quality. There are still hard realities we must face before we can share the majesty of the Beloved Son. Let us, who have not seen such splendor, grow in faith, hope, and love to build up God’s kingdom pointed to communion with the Trinity.
Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections