Genesis 12: 1-4 tells us that it all began with the event of God’s intervening in history to form a special relationship with one man—Abraham—and his descendants. This relationship was a covenant that committed God to take an active, guiding role in human history.  “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great.” 

This is the act of mercy—of God’s entering into a special relationship with Abraham’s race—that is the first foundation of our trust. God’s promise to Abraham was realized in Jesus, in whom all those who become members of his body, the Church, are “sons and daughters in the Son,” children of God and children of Abraham. In Christ, the promise is fulfilled: “All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” 

Revealed in Jesus:  

2Timothy 1: 8-10 tells us that the full favor (grace) of the plan God began to implement through Abraham was “made manifest through the appearance of our Savior,” Jesus Christ. Through the Good News of his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus “has brought life and immortality into clear light.” And he “has called us to a holy life.” 

We know through the Gospel that this “holy life” is actually divine life. Through Baptism, we were incorporated into the body of Jesus on the cross, into the event of his dying and rising. We died to our merely natural, human lives and rose to live as sharers in the divine life of Jesus. Our glory is to “be Christ.” And his glory is to be visibly, manifestly alive and risen in us. St. Irenaeus wrote: “Life in humans is the glory of God.” The proof of Christ’s resurrection and triumph is his divine life present and shining out unmistakably in those he has redeemed. 

To live authentically as Christians, we need to have some idea of the glory Jesus has in himself, and of how that glory should appear in us who are his body on earth. To understand what that glory is and should be, the Liturgy of the Word invites us to reflect deeply on the Scriptures.  

A vision of his glory:  

In Matthew 17: 1-9 Jesus took three of his disciples—the same three he would take with him later in his agony in the garden—and led them up to the top of a mountain, where he was “transfigured before their eyes.” Something of the glory he had as God appeared visibly in his body—but only a very little bit, because they were still able to speak. 

When Peter suggested, however, that they should put Jesus on a par with Moses and Elijah, who embodied the Law and the Prophets, by building shrines to the three of them, the Father made it clear that Jesus was not on a par with anyone: he was infinitely superior to every human prophet or saint, no matter how great. “This,” the Father declared, “is my beloved Son.” And he spoke from within the shekinah, a cloud both opaque and luminous, which in Scripture is a sign of God’s presence. The Father added: “Listen to him!” 

We keep getting the same message. If we really want confidence that God “will not let our enemies triumph over us,” we need to listen to his Son. If we want a motivating goal for our life, we need to take Christ’s glory and ours seriously and keep striving to enter into it through deeper understanding and love. 

We do this by reflecting on the words of God that show us his glory revealed in the Word made flesh. Jesus is not just an exemplary human being: he is God himself, showing us how God would and did live in human flesh.  

Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways through the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son… through whom he also created the worlds. 

He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being…. 

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 

The glory revealed in Jesus is the glory God wants to reveal in us as his divine-human body on earth. 

In the Transfiguration, God gave us a glimpse of Jesus in his divine glory so that we would be encouraged to interact with him in his humanity: learning from his words and example how to live as humans who are divine; how to live on the level of God. 

We learn this by interacting with Jesus as disciples: reading his words, asking questions, talking to him. But it has to be “hands-on” learning. We don’t know what Jesus is talking about until we try to actually do what he says. We don’t know we are hearing his voice until we respond to his inspirations. We don’t experience ourselves as his body until we begin working with him for the establishment of God’s reign on earth, asking him to act with us, in us, and through us in everything we do.  

The starting point, however, and key to doing this well, is listening to him. We first have to become disciples, students dedicated to learning from him. For this we pray: “Lord, help us to hear your Son.” 

Today’s Psalm Response (Psalm 3): “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” 

Prayer Prompt: Have I created a schedule in my life so that a particular time to reflect on the word of God is part of my daily life? If not, why not? Is it time to make a change in this regard? If I am already praying over the Word of God daily, am I engaging deeply and making changes based on what I read and reflect upon?   

— Fr. David M. Knight

View today’s Mass readings, Lectionary #25, on the USCCB website here

Fr. David M. Knight (1931-2021) was a priest of the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, a prolific writer, and a highly sought after confessor, spiritual director, and retreat master. He authored more than 40 books and hundreds of articles that focus primarily on lay spirituality and life-long spiritual growth.