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Feast of the Transfiguration

August 6, 2022 by Fr Joseph

Visions and other mystical phenomena are sometimes construed as proofs of holiness and being specially favored by God. Today’s feast gives us pause, however, when we consider Peter, James, and John at the time of their privileged witnessing of Christ’s transfiguration. Although much would change after the resurrection and the Pentecost event, these were still far from perfect or holy disciples. James and John were ambitiously seeking places of honor in Christ’s kingdom or threatening to call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan town; whereas Peter would later deny the very Lord he saw transfigured in heavenly glory. That these still very imperfect men were granted the privilege of seeing their transfigured Lord, is yet another reminder of the complete gratuitousness of all God’s gifts. This is especially true of his mercy and forgiveness, which open us to God’s supreme gift of divinization, whereby     we too are transfigured and share Christ’s glory. Accordingly, in evaluating our own (or another’s) progress in virtue, let us not equate God’s mystical gifts with being holy—or as being our due in payment for spiritual effort. Conversely, in the absence of mystical graces, let us not presume that this is purely a result of sinfulness and, thus, not being favored by God. Instead, while constantly striving to grow in holiness, let us trust God’s loving wisdom to bestow on us whatever most favors our growth in holiness and our ultimate divinization.

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