20220806 A GOD-ENCOUNTER LEADS TO CONVICTED FAITH AND WITNESS
06 August, 2022, Saturday, The Transfiguration of the Lord
First reading |
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 © |
His robe was white as snow
As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 96(97):1-2,5-6,9 © |
The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
his throne, justice and right.
The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
The mountains melt like wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.
The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
For you indeed are the Lord
most high above all the earth,
exalted far above all spirits.
The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
When a Feast of the Lord falls on a weekday, there is no reading after the Psalm and before the Gospel.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt17:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
This is my Son, the Beloved:
he enjoys my favour.
Listen to him.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 9:28-36 © |
Jesus is transfigured before them
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
A GOD-ENCOUNTER LEADS TO CONVICTED FAITH AND WITNESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DN 7:9-10, 13-14; OR 2 PT 1:16-19; LK 9:28-36]
What is the basis for our faith in Christ? What is the basis for our vocation and passion for evangelization? Is it theology? Is it based on philosophical reasoning? Is it founded on doctrines? To some extent, knowledge does lead to a greater faith. As Pope St John Paul II says, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” However, a faith that is largely cerebral in nature would not move mountains. God is ineffable. There are certain things that cannot be conceived or grasped by the human mind. We need revelation from God to understand Him.
That is why the second reading speaks of the truth of prophecies – “So we have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.” Things of God are often spoken of in terms of visions and imagery (as in the First Reading taken from the Book of Daniel) but imagery must not be misconstrued as myth but as attempts to convey the mystery. Ultimately, it is not only through reason but a convicted heart that faith becomes alive and lived out in testimony. As St Thomas Aquinas says, “Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.”
The unravelling and challenge of faith is portrayed in the same chapter of Luke, in the preceding verses, when Jesus asked the disciples “Who do the crowds say I am, who do you say I am.” He then went on to speak about His suffering and death. This must have seemed incomprehensible to the disciples, who were expecting anything but the death of the Messiah. It was as if Jesus was talking gibberish. A leap of faith, a God-encounter was therefore required by the disciples, to believe that their Master was not just a preacher or some faith-healer but God Himself. In the last book of the Old Testament, in the last chapter, the prophet Malachi (written in 5th century B.C) talks about the day of the coming of the Lord and makes a specific reference to Moses and Elijah. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” To see Jesus (the New Testament) with Moses and Elijah (from the Old Testament) and to hear the voice of God saying, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour’, led the disciples to believe. It was thus through a God-encounter in the Transfiguration that Peter, James and John came to believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament.
We see the power of this God-encounter repeated in scripture in the conversion of Saul and echoed in the lives of many saints and missionaries who gave up wealth and comfort, venturing courageously to the far-flung ends of the earth to proclaim Christ. We see this reality also at home in the Conversion Experience Retreat where lives are transformed after a God-encounter. It is no wonder therefore that the key to a convicted faith and witness lies in an initial God-encounter. Hence, the thrust of the New Evangelization is encapsulated in this as Pope St John Paul II aptly crystallises, “The New Evangelization is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Saviour.”
Yet, a God-encounter does not end in private faith. It must move us to testimony and witness. “‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah’ – He did not know what he was saying.'” Peter was not allowed to dwell on the mountain but he had to follow Jesus to Jerusalem and thereafter, to testify with his life. Testimonies of our God-encounters are therefore important to keep our faith alive. In the second reading, Peter testified to the Transfiguration, “It was not any cleverly invented myths that we were repeating when we brought you the knowledge of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; we had seen his majesty for ourselves.” We know that it is not a myth because his testimony is verified in history through the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. The transformation of the disciples’ lives and their capacity to vouch for their testimony even in the face of death, demonstrates their credibility.
To be zealous like the apostles in proclaiming Christ, the spark of faith therefore must be kept alive through our God-encounters – through contemplative prayer, reading the Word, celebrating the Liturgy, Eucharistic adoration, in community and testimonies. In the Old Testament, the mountain was a place where one could come close to God. Hence, whenever God was to be encountered we see Moses and Elijah ascending the mountains. Likewise, Jesus took with Him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. In those days, it was believed as well that their faces had to be covered lest they are struck dead when they encountered God face to face. How fortunate we are today. Jesus has broken the barrier between God and man. We no longer have the God of the Old Testament who is veiled behind a cloud but comes to us directly in the Eucharist. We do not have to scale mountains, nor veil our eyes; yet, how often do we make time to meet God.
Hence, if our faith needs renewal, let us remember our God-encounters and make time once again to meet Him. As the psalmist says, “Remember the marvels the Lord worked for us, indeed we were glad.” Remembering our own God-encounters and through the testimonies of others, we can once again surrender all our troubles to the Lord in faith, with the conviction that Jesus is Lord! “For you indeed are the Lord most high above all the earth, exalted far above all spirits.” So let us not be afraid to testify to the wonders that the Lord has worked for us. A faith lived out in conviction and testimony keeps the faith alive not only for ourselves but for others too. Only then can people say, “Jesus is alive, alive forever more!”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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