His song, called "The Transfiguration," tells the same gospel story that we just heard; but, at the end, he repeats a chorus over and over again:
Lost in the cloud, a voice
Have no fear, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, turn your ear
Lost in the cloud, a voice
Lamb of God, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, son of God
That phrase, "Lost in the cloud," always stands out to me. It helps me recognize that the story of the Transfiguration is not just about Jesus deciding to have a talk with Moses and Elijah or wanting to show off for three of His apostles; what we heard about in that reading was important for those disciples and is important for us today.
First, in the gospels, it's a sort of preview for those three men. Peter, James, and John are Jesus' inner circle, his closest followers - they were three of the first disciples to follow Him and all of them, especially Peter, were important leaders for the early Church.
When Jesus is revealed in His glory with Moses and Elijah, two men who represent the whole of the Old Testament, the Law and the prophets, these disciples get a glimpse of who He truly is. They've seen Him perform miracles and teach and preach, but now they are seeing His deepest identity - the Son of God - and that identity is confirmed by the voice of the Father: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
Why does Jesus reveal this to them and why at that time? Shortly before, he predicted His passion and death for the first time; and shortly after, he'll talk about it again. Jesus' whole trajectory from this point on is heading towards Jerusalem, where He will be rejected by the leaders of the people, He will suffer and He will die.
He knows this. He also know that His followers are human. Only John will stay with Jesus all the way to the cross. Peter will deny that he even knows Him.
Jesus shows them who He really is in His glory, so that when they reach those dark hours, they will have the strength to go on. Jesus' transfiguration is a sign pointing to His resurrection.
That is why it is still important for us.
Peter, James, and John had a mystical experience. It was something outside the normal routine of their lives that gave them a new understanding of who Jesus is; but it also tells them and us something about our future.
The voice of the Father that came out of the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” They heard the voice of the Father and they were surrounded by the glory of God - this wasn't just any cloud, but a "bright cloud."
And the Father tells them, "listen to my Son."
Then, when it's all over, Jesus touches them and says, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
He's saying to them: let's continue our journey, follow me, just as my Father said, and don't be afraid of whatever is to come.
We are still at the beginning of our Lenten journey. I had the chance to hear Bishop Monforton speak a few times last week and each time he talked about "climbing our Easter mountain."
Lent is a mountain climb - it's tiring, daunting, it wears us down, and can discourage us; unless we keep our eyes fixed on the revelation of Jesus Christ. His Transfiguration tells us that death and sorrow are not the end of the story - in the end there is glory. The disciples were given the privilege to see the glory of God and see the relationship of love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. St. Thomas Aquinas says that, "The whole Trinity appeared: the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud."
That is our destiny. We were made to live in that love in that glory.
Let us continue our journey towards Easter, always remembering that, at the end, we will be with the Lord.
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