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On the mount of transfiguration there was a voice from heaven: "Here is my beloved Son,
Listen to Him". If we are to listen to Him on the mount of transfiguration first we need
to follow him to walk through the valley of death.
'While here on earth Jesus offered prayers and supplications with deep cry and tears
to the one who could save him from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission."
Meaning of walking through the valley of death for Jesus was not much of avoiding some pleasures
but in humble submission accepting and embracing those rejected, especially those rejected
in the very name of God. His 'Son of God' image had to be slaughtered before he could
do this - Listening to the humble children and the poor, accepting the tax collectors,embrace
a ***, touch the dead, love the women of ill repute - of course, death was so essential.
something that we need to reflect perhaps now in our life is whether I am ready to die.
It is not in a pessimistic sense that I say, like some one would share with us: "I do not
want to live any more, I am completely disappointed, I am in distress, no hope at all." But this
readiness to die, this is a kind of acceptance or a preparedness to die. We know for sure
that everybody has to die, it is quiet natural. But the event of death is also very much personal.
For a natural death, we do not have to be prepared. We all die because of age, some
sickness or may be by an accident. But to go through death in a personal and intimate
way we must be really prepared, to die in a graceful and in a fruitful way. The whole
communication and the conversation on the mount of transfiguration was about the death
he had to undergo. The text on the letter to the Hebrews pictures the offering of Jesus.
"Sacrifice and offering you would not desire, you have prepared a body for me. here I am
I have come to do your will O God! Now offering is ready but sacrifice is to be made. What
transfiguration is preparing Jesus is for that. A living sacrifice is a total disfiguration...
the nobility of the sacrifice comes in the measure of love flowing within that sacrifice,
that offering. Now a question remains: " what do we have to offer?" a handful of some perfections
and virtuous history of our past, where we laboured and we were victorious; where we
succeeded, we overcame so much of difficulties and we became virtuous people. What then of
our failings and struggles? Are we ashamed of them or afraid that they may not be accepted?
We must remember Jesus was crawling in the dust in his weakness on his way to Calvary.
he was living his death on the path of the cross. and that was really acceptable to God!
Once this sacrifice is accepted, it becomes an instrument of life, instrument of blessing
and grace. Are we really happy to be proud of an image of God who is weak, God who falls,
God who is humiliated, spat upon, God who fails, God who cries and dies. This image,
though we may keep in our devotion, it is a challenge to live. First we must focus our
reflection on our image of God. We may keep an image of God one who is all knowing, all
mighty and eternal God, King of kings and Lord of lords. Are we really happy about it?
All our attempt is to be perfect like this heavenly God. If we really believed God is
love and if we knew love makes us vulnerable, we also know that God is perfectly vulnerable
and weak. He loves us and so he dies. Though not perfect can we be loving as our Saviour?
If we are to live the love of Calvary we need to prepare also to die for the everlasting
kindness. because love is a very radical choice which cuts us through and through.