Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 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. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (Lk. 9: 26-38).
The event of the Transfiguration
is also recorded in Matthew (17:1-8) and in Mark (9:2-8); however, not in
John. One might wonder why it is not
recorded in John’s Gospel since Matthew, Mark and Luke all say that John was
present? It might be because much of
John’s Gospel is about the Transfiguration.
The Transfiguration is the
manifestation of the glory of God in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. John’s Gospel begins with the Word being God,
and that the very Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus’ divine glory constantly manifests
itself in John’s Gospel while in the other Gospel accounts, the disciples are
slow to recognize who is really is that they are following.
In today’s Gospel account, we
read that Moses and Elijah are on either side of Jesus. Moses, the great law giver, represents the
Law (the Commandments), the first five books of the Old Testament. Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, represents all of the prophets which we find
in the second part of the Old Testament. In his public ministry, Jesus often
referred to the Law and the Prophets, that is, the Old Testament. The Word became flesh to dwell among us; God
himself comes to us as we are, human, and he comes to fulfill all of the Law
and the Prophets. Now you and I are to
give witness about the glory of the Incarnation, God with us as one of us.
Let us pray: O God, who on the holy mount revealed to
chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment
white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the
disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with
you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Art Class with
Lee Runion, Friday evening, 10 August and then continuing on Saturday, 11
August. The class will be making “yard
bugs!”
Seaside Seniors, Thursday, 16 August in Sutton
Hall.
The Feast Day of St.
Augustine will be celebrated on Sunday, 26 August starting with Eucharist Rite
II at 9 a.m. and a luncheon after the service.
Please remember everyone on our prayer list,
especially, Lee Runion’s mother, Steve, Gladys, in thanksgiving for a generous
gift to the Discretionary Fund, and for all of those who are travelling.
The Son of God did not want to be seen and found in
heaven. Therefore he descended from heaven into this humility and came to us in
our flesh, laid himself into the womb of his mother and into the manger and
went on to the cross. This was the ladder that he placed on earth so that we
might ascend to God on it. This is the way you must take. —Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo
Episcopal ChurchGalveston, Texas 77550
No comments:
Post a Comment