In this morning’s Second Reading from Saint Paul's Letter to the
Philippians, he exhorts his brothers and sisters to conduct themselves
according to the model they have in him. Elsewhere Paul exhorts the
Corinthians, “Be followers of me as I am of Christ.” The glory that
anyone of us manifests is the glory we share in Christ, individually and
especially corporately. And the surest way to achieve glory is to act as did Jesus Christ "who did not count equality with God something to be grasped at but emptied
himself taking the form of a slave obedient unto death, death on a cross.
Because of this God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above
every other name so that every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father." Paul reminds his faithful flock that
by living in Christ, God will change our lowly body to conform
to his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things
into subjection to himself. May we not resist that subjection. The
embrace of the glorious cross is the ultimate freedom to live in the one who
sets us free by the glory of his saving power.
Today’s Gospel is Saint Luke's version of the Transfiguration of
Jesus. We see in Luke's account the same dazzling white brightness of the glory
of God shining forth from the face and clothing of Jesus as in the other
synoptic gospels. Luke alone, however, of the evangelists says
explicitly that “they saw his glory.” Luke alone
mentions the content of the conversation of Jesus with Moses and Elijah. They
spoke of the exodus that Jesus was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. It
will be an exodus across the Red Sea of Blood on the cross of Calvary, the
glorious cross, a cross that moves the Father to exalt Jesus and his name, but
also to exalt all those who glory in the name of Jesus by sharing in his cross,
as well as his crown: sharing in his self-emptying for others, in his suffering
for others and in his laying down his life for them.
In his Third Sermon on the Song of Songs, Saint Bernard of
Clairvaux makes a passing allusion to the ecstatic words of Saint Peter, “It is
good that we are here!” As Bernard speaks to the monks, guests
arrive at the gate of Clairvaux and Bernard is obliged to break off the Chapter
talk to go to greet them and oversee their hospitable reception. Before doing
so he looks out at the community gathered in Chapter saying, “Brothers, it is
wonderful that we are here.” In the context of this Liturgy on this
little mountain of transfiguration here in Spencer, brothers and
sisters, it is wonderful that were are here - here to behold the Lamb of God,
the Son, in whom the Father is well pleased, to listen to his Word and be
ourselves transfigured spiritually by his glorified Body and Blood in the
Eucharist, and so like Saint Bernard to become ever more hospitable to others. As
Saint Paul told us this morning, “Our citizenship is in heaven and from heaven
we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to
conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all
things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and
sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in
the Lord.”
Excerpts from this morning’s homily by Father
Luke.
