Feast of the Transfiguration
One
Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, when Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of Mt Tabor, and there he was transfigured – he allowed his divinity to shine through his humanity and be seen by the Apostles.
The transfiguration occurs in the context of Jesus telling the Apostles 5 times that He must suffer in Jerusalem die and after three days rise again.
In Matthew 16, Jesus tells the Apostles, “If you want to be my disciple, you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me.”
Immediately after the Transfiguration Jesus sets out for Jerusalem to do just that, to take up his cross. There is an unbreakable connection between the cross and the Resurrection. The cross is the way to Heaven, union with God and the Resurrection. There is no other way. We cannot get to union with God and Heaven unless we go by way of the Cross.
St Rose of Lima writes: Apart from the Cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.
Two
Moses and Elijah appear and speak to Jesus of his departure which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Their topic of conversation is the Cross. The cross is the way Jesus makes his departure from earth to Heaven. The cross is the transition to glory.
It really doesn’t matter what form the cross takes or from where it comes. What matters is the when the cross comes we accept it, take it up and follow Jesus.
But we miss the opportunity and focus on avoiding or removing the cross rather than accepting it.
There is no other way. Either allow the cross to empty you of disordered desires on earth or be emptied in purgatory but be emptied we must in order to be filled by God.
So do what you can to remove the cross; but accept what you can’t and thank God for it.
Three
The mountain is the place of Ascent, not only outward but also inward, spiritual ascent. It is liberation from the disordered desires and attachments that block us from God.
John of the Cross teaches that we ascend by Nada
Nada is to be unconditionally surrendered to God and His will so that He can empty us of anything that blocks us from Him, that our soul may be flooded by God
Nada is to want God above all things. To be attached to God above all else.
Nada is to want nothing but God and his will and to give thanks to God no matter what happens.
At every moment, God is trying to break in and flood our souls with the River of His Divine Life now. But we will not let Him in. We have Blockages
· Pride, envy, sloth, anger, greed, gluttony, lust
· Anxiety, Fear, Gossip, complaining, ingratitude, impatience…
· Disordered attachments to good things that we want or think we need more than God
Either way, the soul must be emptied to be filled by God. John of the Cross says: Contemplation (union with God) is nothing else than a secret and peaceful and loving inflow of God, which, if not obstructed, fires the soul in the spirit of love, (Dark Night of the Soul 1, 10)
The key phrase here is if not obstructed. What are our blockages?
There are two ways to emptied of our blockages:
1. The Active Purification that comes by way of Receiving Jesus in the sacraments, Prayer, and the Practice of Virtue
The Passive Purification Something occurs in your life that you did not choose, do not like and cannot change.
This is where God, by heavy trials, particularly interior ones, perfects and completes what the soul has begun on its own but cannot complete on its own. That is why it is Passive, but not In-Active because we cooperate by Faith, trust, acceptance and love – through a total surrender to God, rather that resisting Him.
Purgatory is for those who have not completely made room for God – are not completely empty when they die
Hell is for those who refuse to make room for God
Heaven is for those who have made room for God
Four
The Cross, in other words, suffering and loss help us let go, surrender everything except God and His will. This surrender takes place most powerfully when we thank God no matter what happens.
This is how accepting the Cross causes the Ascent to union with God and Glory.
But without the Cross, without being emptied of things beyond our control, we will not reach the point of wanting nothing but God and His will. On our own we cling to too much, we cling to our blockages.
This is where the Cross has the greatest meaning and purpose – to help us let go of all but God and His will and thank Him for all.
Five
Jesus went up on the Mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling white.
Pope Benedict the XVI writes: The Transfiguration is a prayer event; it displays visibly what happens when Jesus talks with His Father: the profound interpenetration of his being with God, which then becomes pure light.”
Prayer – talking to God, listening to Him and just being with Him leads us to want and accept God and His will above all. Nothing but God and His will. Nada – this is the way of the Ascent which only prayer makes possible.