Occasion: Feast of the Transfiguration
Readings: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9

Have you ever experienced one of those moments that was so perfect you never wanted it to end? When you just wanted to pause time so you could live in the moment for just a little longer? Maybe it was holding hands after an amazing date with the one you love, a late night conversation with your closest friend, cheering on your child as they pedaled their bike without training wheels for the first time, or something as simple as watching a perfect sunset. 

These moments often bring a sense of peace and clarity, a feeling that all is right with the world that trumps the daily routines and obligations we often allow to hijack our lives and warp our perspective of what really matters. They are, in a sense, a glimpse of how our lives in this world are supposed to be.

What Peter experienced in today’s gospel was one of those moments. He and James and John had just hiked up a high mountain; there Jesus was transfigured, meaning his appearance changed before their eyes: He became radiant: the weariness of his public ministry fading from his face, the sweat from a hard hike up the mountain leaving his brow, the dust and dirt on his clothes exchanged for the whitest of whites—a glimpse perhaps of what our own bodies will look like after the Resurrection. Moses and Elijah then appeared and began talking with Jesus. For a moment, the gap between time and eternity was bridged, heaven was on earth and things were as they should be.

The moment was not lost on Peter. “Lord, it is good that we are here,” he said to Jesus. “If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He understood that something amazing was happening, had a sense of clarity, and didn’t want that moment to end. Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of eternity on that mountain. They wanted to stay, set up camp, and live in that heaven-come-down-to-earth as long as they could.

For a moment, the gap between time and eternity was bridged, heaven was on earth and things were as they should be.

But that was not to be. Just days before their trek up the mountain, Jesus told the Apostles that he had to go to Jerusalem, that he would suffer, die, and on the third day be raised from the dead. Peter told Jesus that he would not let this happen, and Jesus rebuked him: His suffering and death had to happen and Peter was not listening. It was more a lesson in obedience than anything else, and Jesus went on to explain that the path to heaven is not easy or free of suffering for anyone who chooses to follow him.

So, six days later when Peter wanted to build tents on the mountain and hang onto the moment as long as he could, Matthew tells us that “while [Peter] was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ ” God the Father was once again reminding Peter that Jesus had to suffer and die, just as Jesus had foretold only days before.

What a gift that moment was, though; whether they knew it or not, Peter, James, and John would also eventually suffer for their faith in Christ. But Jesus had allowed them to experience the Transfiguration to give them a preview of eternity, of the joy and the radiance that awaited them in heaven if they stood fast during their times of trials.

While you and I won’t experience the Transfiguration in the same way Peter, James, and John did, don’t doubt that Christ gives each of us our own moments of peace, clarity, and direction to guide us on our way to heaven. It is a matter of our being open to those moments, setting aside the distractions of our daily lives, and focusing on the opportunities to experience joy that Jesus places right in front of us.

Whether they be amazing moments with our family or friends, seeing Christ’s face in that of a stranger, experiencing his boundless love in the beauty of nature, or receiving Christ come down to earth in the Eucharist, most certainly glimpses of heaven, glimpses of the Transfiguration, are all around us.