By Father Joseph Chan Wing-chiu
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to Israel, and I was fortunate enough to go to the hill where the transfiguration of Jesus took place. There was a large sanctuary built on the hill and on either side of the altar of the sanctuary, there were four murals with four different images.
The first picture is of a baby lying in a manger; In the second, there is a lamb whose neck has just been cut; in the third, there is a cup and a piece of bread; and in the fourth, there is an angel standing on a tomb. Brothers and sisters, what messages do you think these four pictures are trying to bring out? It seems that these four pictures have nothing to do with the transfiguration of Jesus, but they do illustrate the true meaning of it.
What is the true face of Jesus? The face of Jesus is not what we see, and he wanted to show his divine nature, his true identity. Because in ordinary life, he was hidden and appeared just like us. At the time of transfiguration, it seems that Jesus revealed his hidden divinity.
The four images on the Mount of Transfiguration that I mentioned just now are the moments when Jesus reveals his identity. He was originally the Son of God, but he chose to obey his Father’s will and was born as a baby, so that the world could not recognise him. He then became the ransom for all, the Lamb slaughtered and hung on the cross, pouring out his blood for us. Before that he established the Sacrament of the Eucharist for us.
Until the end of this world, at every Mass, the bread and the chalice we see become the Eucharist after the consecration. Indeed, Jesus revealed this glorious identity when he conquered death and rose again from the tomb.
Brothers and sisters, what has Jesus’ transfiguration got to do with you? Have you ever seen him in his holy appearance? No, we think to ourselves, “No.” But after meditating on the above description, do you still not get it? Every time you go to Mass, you see the consecrated bread, the wine. What is that? It’s Jesus himself!
The reason why we receive baptism and participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus is that we all become the resurrected Jesus, so we can be called children of God and share in the life of Christ. This Jesus in his transfiguration is not on the outside, but inside us. It turns out that each one of us, like Jesus, has a hidden Holy Face—our true identity.
Brothers and sisters, on the way down from the mountain, Jesus told the disciples not to tell anyone until after he was resurrected from the dead. Today, Jesus has risen. As a witness of this faith, because you believe and accept it, have you told anyone about it? Or, do you remain on the mountain, not wanting to leave, but clinging to that moment, forgetting that we have a mission?
We have to go down the mountain, that is to say, we have to introduce this Jesus in his transfiguration to people in our daily life, so that they may know that he is the Saviour, and that he is with us always, because we have already shared in his divine life.
