Doing The Reverse...

The Transfiguration of the Lord

(Mt 17: 1-8)

We must have heard of people who were once rich and famous but being broke and almost forgotten now. Then we ask the same question: what have gone wrong when they were at the height of their career? The answers could be a bad and complicated relationship, health related problem, economic recession, mismanagement and more. Such realities make us want to come back to those old good advises whose wisdom lie at the realization of each: keep your feet on the ground, spend wisely, save for tomorrow, opportunity knocks only once, don’t forget your roots,  get an education (degree), be grateful and appreciative and the list goes on. Some people soar high because they memorize these advises by heart but for some it is going back to the basics. Again for others it remains a dream. 

Whether in business, entertainment, religion, science and the academe, success and failures are inevitable. This is one of the certain truths about life and we should know it by now. Therefore we should not be afraid of failures and overjoyed by success rather we do the reverse: be afraid of success and overjoyed by failures. Sounds absurd, right?

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Today in the feast of our Lord’s transfiguration we have a narrative from Matthew. We have Jesus and the ‘magnificent’ trio on ‘top’ of the mountain and above all we have the experience of Jesus’ transfiguration. All interpretations on the event point out to Jesus’ apparent ‘glory’, his lordship, the authentication of his identity revealed at Caesarea Philippi.  Being on ‘top’ of the mountain with his three chosen ‘agents’, this must be the highest point in Jesus’ “career” and makes us claim like Peter: “Lord it is a fine thing for us to be here.” But the message of Jesus’ transfiguration goes on to say: “guys, there is more than meets the eyes.”

And so by saying be ‘afraid of success and ‘overjoyed by failures’ I am pointing out to the attitude we should possess in dealing with life’s reality: by being cautious on the wondrous things we receive and experience, and by looking on the positive side of the not so good things in our life. We often perceive like Peter does that we often conclude we need to ‘build three tents’ and yet Jesus has eyes to see the real deal: while the Cross seems to be a huge failure yet it is the epitome of the saving power of God; while our Lord’s Messianic title may make our ears clap, but it causes distress for many.

The narrative has a lot of things going on, the characters, the succession of events, and mixed emotions. But one message remains true: life must go on.