HOLDING FAST ^_[1]

SEARCH FOR THE DIVINE

1.  God descends from heaven. Man ascends the mountain. From the beginning of spiritual history, man and God have encountered each other on high promontories. God accomplishes two things by glorifying his Son upon the Mount of Transfiguration. In the presence of disciples and prophets, God bestows a divine blessing upon the true humanity of Jesus, a man like us in all things but sin. God the Father acknowledges the authenticity and merits of Jesus' true divinity as Son and second person of the Holy Trinity. The human soul exists that man may be directed to search for the divine. Unfortunately, the Mosaic Law and the prophets were insufficient for the people of ancient Israel to achieve the realization of their spiritual quest. Man's refractory spirit prevented him from trusting God. Time and again, God's chosen people meandered aimlessly in sin only to discover that they were hopelessly lost. Consider the story of the prodigal son and his generous father, a parable of the incarnation. When man was lost and very far from God,^[2] the "Father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him".  [Lk 15:20]  God the Father seeks out his human creature who is lost in sin and unworthiness. The father's embrace of his errant son on the road signifies God's gracious bond to his beloved Israel:  "He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye."  [Deu 32:10]  Through the incarnation of Christ his only Son, the Father adopts human frailty precisely to espouse man's own creatureliness and fragility, with a view to restoring the divine-human communion lost in the ancient garden.  [cf. Gen 2:8-23]  God becomes man through incarnation. Man embraces God through his own divinization.  [cf. 2Cor 3:18]  Through the miracle of human birth, Christ emptied himself  (Gk. kenosis)  of divinity.  [cf. Phi 2:6-11]  Christ did not abuse his humanity by making it an instrument for flaunting his divine powers. By accepting humanity and servitude, Christ subjected himself to the human condition, to the vicissitudes of life, and to the reality of death. Christ divested himself of divine prerogatives, and accepted human nature as a means by which to model to humanity the ineffable, abiding communion shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity. God's blessings are the incarnation of grace. An offering of mercy and a sharing of the life within the Holy Trinity, blessings are a proof of God's love. Transfigured to reveal God's glory, Christ shows us how to be transformed by the light of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, who casts aside the veil separating man from God's glory  [cf. Isa 25:7], gives us confidence to live in freedom, God's freedom, which the world cannot give:  "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."  [2Cor 3:18-4:1]  Clearly, God wills that man share a portion of his resplendent glory. God ennobles man by conferring glory upon Jesus in the company of prophets and disciples. In a manner of speaking, the transfiguration reveals that God has placed his powerful hand upon his son's shoulders. God's hand is preeminently a proof of their filial relationship, that Jesus is the Father's Son. God's hand also demonstrates his approval. The Father recognizes Jesus' faithfulness to him and to his plan of salvation. The gift of God's glory reveals His pleasure in Jesus, his boundless love and esteem. 

STOLE AND CHASUBLE

2.  "And as (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white."  [Lk 9:29]  In ancient Palestine, men wore a mantle  (Gk. himation), a functional outer garment draped around the body and fastened by a belt or other means.^[3] Mantles were rectangular and of various sizes. Long mantles provided protection from the elements and covered one while sleeping. Hems of mantles often were adorned with fringe and tassels at each corner. Ornate hems signaled the wealth and social status of a person. The Greek word stole, a New Testament reference to the outer garment or robe, is associated with wealth or salvation. The history of the liturgical dress of the Catholic priest can be traced back to apostolic times. When offering Mass, the priest wears an outer garment called a chasuble. The thin band of cloth around the priests neck and under the chasuble is called a stole. The chasuble and stole signify priestly identity and authority which originates in Christ. Recall the marvelous example of the woman who was ill for twelve years:  "(She) came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well. Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, 'Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well. And instantly the woman was made well.'"  [Mat 9:20-22]  Whereas the Son of God was transfigured in glory, man seeks to be transformed. To achieve this, we walk side-by-side with Jesus, holding on to his mantle. Jesus walks with his hand on our shoulder. The mission of God's church--the justification for religion and the life of faith--is directed wholly to teaching Jesus' disciples how to remain at his side throughout life. As long as we cling to his robe, to the hem of his radiant garment, Jesus will walk beside us with his hand on our shoulder. "We walk in the light"  [Isa 2:5, 1Jn 1:7]  by reflecting his glory. We hold fast to Jesus' robe by following faithfully God's commandment of worship on the Lord's Day, by seeking absolution in the sacrament of confession when we sin, by offering prayers of petition, praise and thanksgiving throughout the work of each day, and by remaining faithful to His Bride, the Church. Whenever we neglect our spiritual duties, we let go of Jesus' mantle. We no longer walk side-by-side with him. If we tarry behind Our Lord, how can his hand remain our shoulder? If we meander aimlessly behind our Saviour, how can we walk in his light?^[4] "God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."  [1Jn 1:5-7; cf. Isa 2:5]  God who glorifies his Son, ennobles man. God's glory is the white raiment adorning the saints, martyrs, disciples, the humble and the contrite. God awaits patiently our expression of humility and contrition. With heart moved by pity and love for the prodigal son who returns, God will say to the angels, "Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet."  [Lk 15:22]  We walk with our Saviour, clutching his robe tightly in our hand. He walks with us, with his hand securely on our shoulder. To what destination is Jesus leading us? Drawing near to Christ that he may lead us to the Father, we journey with the Good Shepherd to heaven, to "springs of living water".  [Rev 7:17]  "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful".  [Heb 10:23]  Let us glorify God's name in heaven and on earth.  [cf. Phi2:11]