The Transfiguration
Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness
At the Transfiguration, Jesus gave three of his closest friends a glimpse of His true glory. The group had gone up a mountain to pray. “While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory” (Luke 9: 28-31).
We live on this earth, which is a great gift, but it is only our temporary home. We inhabit human bodies, which are wonderful creations, but in their current form, they will pass away. We were made for more. St. Paul tells us, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We cannot even imagine the wonders of heaven and the glorified bodies that await us in the next world.
All who are in heaven are saints whether or not they have been officially canonized. We are all called to be saints. We are all called to holiness. As the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium stated, “all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity.”[i]
We are made for holiness, but how often do we truly desire it? It is easy to take our eyes off the ultimate prize. We get sidetracked by the things of this world. We get caught up in our temporal desires such as more money, a bigger house, more land, a better car, or the latest technology. We seek happiness in things and even people who cannot ultimately provide it. While loving and serving others is important, we must remember why we are doing it. Loving and serving others is part of loving and serving God. Only holiness will lead us to eternal joy.
Jesus gave the three chosen apostles the opportunity to glimpse heavenly glory. Through their testimony, we also get a glimpse. May we always remember that our ultimate destiny is to experience the glory of God in the next world.
In meditating on this mystery of The Transfiguration, let us pray for an increase in our desire for holiness.
[i] Lumen Gentium 40, paragraph 2, https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
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