Seeing the Transfiguration of Jesus Today

“And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered and his raiment became dazzling white.”(Luke9:29)

When we entered middle school, our mother, your great grandmother took a job. She was in charge of the money room of the first Belk Dept. Store. She could have been as haughty as Judas Iscariot, but she was as humble as Jesus in her faith.

We had been in the habit of going to daily Mass; now we had to rise 1 1/2 hours earlier, go into town, attend Mass, ride a bus to school, while munching on banana peanut butter sandwiches. You can imagine how this went over with us; we complained about the injustice, the three new priests, the “boring” Mass.

One priest we called, Dr. Denture; his homilies consisted mostly of “uhs” and “you know”; another was so good looking, once we painted Just Married on the back window of his car. The third priest, the pastor, seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders and never acknowledged us.

Mother knew she had to change our attitude. She must have been inspired by the Holy Spirit as she began “her mission.”

“You know, all persons can change; it is clear in all the gospels. See if you can see how the priest changes during the Mass.” We were so focused on the foibles of the priest we could not see clearly- it was as if a cloud was on the altar. It covered our eyes to reality and truth; we were spectators, much like Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor before Christ was transfigured before their eyes.

Mother began again. “When we enter the church grounds we go up twelve steps to a landing and then another twelve steps to the door of the church. This is the equivalent of going up a mountain, like the mountain where Jesus and three Apostles have an encounter with God. You three children are the Apostles, fishermen, maybe grumbling about leaving their nets to slug up a mountainside.”

“No one, Peter, James or John, went on their own initiative; they went because someone they admired was going there to pray. It is the place where Jesus went to pray to his Father; church is the place we too go to seek God. Each one comes with their human traits, which are sometimes messy like sheep. Sometimes one does not even know who it is they seek, yet continue up the mountain to encounter God.”

“Look carefully at the priest, the man who offers himself, his prayers on our behalf to God. His homilies may appear to be off the cuff; his attitude may be sloppy, his manner brusque, but at a certain point in the celebration of the Mass he is changed. He is changed in appearance as certainly as Jesus was illuminated,” becoming like paradise on earth.” One has to look carefully; it always happens at a certain point; the congregation, witnesses to this new creation; like the Apostles, they see the priest in a new way. When do you think this takes place?” she continued.

My brother, who was serving Mass, saw it first. “It is when the priest holds up the host of bread, saying it is the body of Christ that he offered for the world. Then he calls the wine His blood.” The priest’s body became tall, reverent, still, joyful, delightful, serene, calm; peace came over his body. It was as if he was seeing a miracle, something life changing, the intensity of hope illuminated him.” And so it is.

Since then I have seen it at every Mass. Once, many years later, I saw the sun’s rays pass through the church window and light up the host to a dazzling white light. I have been with the Apostles on the mountain. You can too be with the Apostles.

Mother was not content to let such fervor pass. “Do you want to feel, to touch, to receive the host and become as bright as light too? From the hands of the priest, who touched heaven itself, he passes to our hands the sacred host which has changed into the Body of Christ.” Servant of God, Elizabeth Leseur explains it thus: “Just as food acts upon the body, so does God act upon us, without our perceiving it when we receive Him in communion, we grow strong inwardly and we too become changed,” continuing the work of Christ for all people.

“Why?” I remember asking. “Love,” my mother answered. “Love is hidden beneath the appearance of bread. He wants to remain with us, a burning love that will never be extinguished; a complete communion between the Creator and the creature, between two beings who look for each other, find each other and place in common all that they have and all that they are.”(Ven. Concepepcion Cabrera de Armida)

Mother too knew we could not remain on the mountaintop. She assured us Jesus would be with us always- in the midst of great suffering, in the joy of children; always wherever were, we would be able to see Him- in a hospital bed or on the beaches of the Gulf, because there we are living in His presence. “Vultum tuum, Domine, requiram.”