Seeing from a Different Perspective

Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration

Each of us possesses various personality traits that contribute to who we are as a person. One trait that some consider rather important is the ability to see things from another’s point of view. We all have our own point of view, and it is through that point of view that we evaluate and relate to the world around us. Being able to see things from a different point of view makes it possible for us to relate to other people more closely. If my way of looking at something is the only way, it will often be difficult to get along with others.

The Gospel begins with the word “repent.” If we are not able to look at ourselves from a different point of view, there is no possibility of repentance, of change. When we examine our consciences, we will not be able to identify areas that need change.

The Feast of the Transfiguration commemorates an event in the life of Jesus that asks three of the apostles to look at Jesus from a different point of view. Like every Jew, they all had expectations of who and what the Messiah, the Promised One, would be like. This event makes them look at Jesus as more than the teacher from Nazareth. They see him in glory, standing next to the two most important figures of the Hebrew Scriptures. As if this sight were not enough, they also hear a voice telling them that they must listen to him because he is the Beloved Son of God.

Peter, James and John often accompany Jesus at the pivotal moments of the Gospel. They are present when he raises the daughter of Jairus, at the event we call the Transfiguration, and at the agony in the garden. Each of these events gives them a different point of view. In the first he is seen as a compassionate healer, on Mt. Horeb they see him in glory, and in the Garden of Olives, they see him as a man who is about to be put to death.

These three men are often at odds in the Gospels. Peter frequently speaks out rashly and regrets it when Jesus tells him to “get behind him” and that he is not seeing him correctly. At one point James and John think that Jesus is going to be their way to gain notoriety, seated next to Jesus when he takes the throne. The three special moments that they share with Jesus force them to reconsider.

It isn’t easy to look at things from a different point of view. We are reminded today that if we wish to be one of Jesus’ disciples, we must be able to develop this ability.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator