Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary time –Year ATRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS - IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HEREDaniel 7: 9-10, 13-14
2 Peter 1:16-19
Mathew 17:1-9
Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus! How are you all?
Today our mother church celebrates the Transfiguration of the Lord.
What is the meaning of Transfiguration?
Transfiguration implies a revelation of the true nature. That means the true nature of the person or things will be revealed in the process of transfiguration. Dear friends could you answer me Jesus is human person or Divine person? He is both. Hence this transfiguration shows to the world that Jesus possesses the two natures. Born as human Jesus shows His Divine nature through the transfiguration, to the disciples, in the mount of Tabor. If there is no transfiguration and resurrection then Jesus would remain like you and me. Thus Jesus strengthened the faith of the apostles through the transfiguration.
Dear friends how many of you have the image and likeness of God? (raise your hands) Me dear brothers and sisters we are born as human beings but still we possesses the image and likeness of God. If all of us have the image and likeness of God then through the readings of today, our Lord Jesus invites each one of us to transfigure ourselves in order to show to others that we too possess the divine nature within ourselves. Then transfiguration is not only the feast of Jesus but it the feast of every one of us who has the image and likeness of God. Happy feast to you all!
During the Transfiguration St. Peter proclaims to Jesus “Lord it is good for us to be here”. Why did peter say it is good to be here?
The incident of transfiguration took place in the seventeenth chapter of St. Mathew. In the sixteenth chapter we find that the Pharisees and Sadducees to test the divine nature of Jesus they ask sign from heaven. But to them Jesus tells that no sign will be given expect the sign of Jonah; during this situation Jesus asks his disciples who do people say that son of man is? Each disciple report to Jesus, according to the experience they had with the people.
Again Jesus particularly asks with each disciple who do you say that I am. For this question many were silent because unless you have personal experience it is difficult to answer. Among the disciples peter had good experience with Jesus thus he boldly proclaims to Jesus that “you are the messiah the son of living God” being satisfied with the answer Jesus too promptly appreciates Peter saying “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah” hence only peter was able experience Jesus as Son of God but rest of the disciples did not have much experience so to strengthen the faith of Peter and to the His divine-ship to other apostles Jesus transfigures before them. Hence firstly peter proclaimed with words. Now in transfiguration Peter experiences the true divine nature of Jesus in the mount Tabor. today Jesus invites each one us to have the same experience.
Today how many of us could say Lord it is good for us to be here? (Respond to me) once there was a good and pious catholic man living in the parish. He was a prayerful person, comes to church regularly, very generous, very kind to all the people, he used to do so many charitable helps. But he has one bad habit that he used to come to church every day but he never entered inside the church. He will sit outside attend mass and leave the church. Like some of you who are sitting outside the church. One day he met with an accident and died. The bishops, priests and many people attended his funeral. Everyone thought that surely he will go to heaven. The angels took him to the heaven for the final judgment. St. Peter gave a verdict that you are good man on this earth, you did so many charitable works but you do not have place in heaven you can stay outside the heaven.
Then this man got angry said how come I do not have place in heaven though I did so many good works on the earth? Then Mother Mary came to him and said my dear son we have plenty of places in heaven but for you alone we do not have a place inside the heaven but because of your good works on the earth you can stay outside of heaven. Then this man with sadness asked for the reason; then Jesus replied to him “my dear son in your life time you were so good but you never entered the church, you came for the mass everyday but sit outside attend mass and leave the church. Inside the church I was waiting for you every day in the Holy Eucharist but you never entered the church to see my real presence. So therefore inside the heaven no places for you but outside you have a place to stay.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus today so many people come to church. But how many of you entered the church and spend some time to experience the real presence of God in the Eucharist. Unless you experience you cannot say like St. Peter Lord it is good for us to be here! Today which is a good place for you? Sitting outside the church, or entering inside the church to spend some time in the presence of God. If you sit outside without entering the church surely Jesus too will say you have place in the outside the heaven not inside the heaven. Let the feast of transfiguration inspire each one of us to change our lives from falsehood. Now Choice is yours let us choose what do we want?
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