“His business is the business of transformation.”

“To renew your mind is to involve yourself in the process of allowing God to bring to the surface the lies you have mistakenly accepted and replace them with truth. To the degree that you do this, your life will then be transformed.”

(Gospel Text: LK 9:28B-36)

Jesus took Peter, John, and James

and went up the mountain to pray.

While he was praying his face changed in appearance

and his clothing became dazzling white.

And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,

who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus

that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,

but becoming fully awake,

they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,

“Master, it is good that we are here;

let us make three tents,

one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking,

a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,

and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.

Then from the cloud came a voice that said,

“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

They fell silent and did not at that time

tell anyone what they had seen.

There are three transfigurations or transformations that take place in our journey towards eternity.

The first change begins at Baptism.  The immersion into the baptismal waters symbolizes death and rebirth.  The Sacrament of Baptism washes away Original Sin and we are re-created.  We are transformed into new creatures.  The old self dies and the new person in Christ Jesus is born.

The second transformation takes place by our victory over the trials and tribulations of life.  Every challenge, every difficulty, every moment of suffering, is an opportunity to grow.  Transformation only takes place through suffering.

The third transformation takes place at death.  The suffering that the final moment brings upon us makes way for an amazing transformation.  Eternal life in heaven, perhaps after a period of further transformation in purgatory, is granted to those who have been found worthy.  The last transformation or transfiguration is completed at the Second Coming when our body is reunited with our soul.  What awaits us is beyond anything that we can imagine. 

But before we complete these three transformations on our path to heaven, each of us has a cross to carry. However, too many of our contemporaries are like those who stood at the foot of the Cross and cried out to Jesus that he should come down from the Cross.  
Many would like to have Christianity without self-denial, discipline and renunciation.  However, Christianity without the Cross is not Christianity at all. 

What is your cross?  Maybe you have many crosses to carry.  How do you carry your cross? 

As Thomas a' Kempis reminds us, If you carry the cross willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be. If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself and increase the load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one cross, you will find another and perhaps a heavier one" (The Imitation of Christ, Book II, chapter 12).

The transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor tells us that the glory of the resurrection will only take place through the sufferings of Good Friday. The transfiguration of Jesus teaches us that the experience of the cross is necessary in order for Easter to take place.