Why would our Lord Jesus Christ bring only three of his apostles up a mountain and leave the rest behind? The choice of the Lord dwells within the mystery of his plan of salvation for each person. We can only propose opinions without any clarity as to how close we are to the truth or how distant are we from our Lord’s way of thinking. One could ask the question, ‘Were these three the inner circle of our Lord?’, ‘Were they the privileged ones?’ These questions are focused on the persons and not on the mystery of the Lord’s salvation.
The mystery of the Lord invites an open-minded participation from all who are called as these three apostles had no idea that they were going experience the most beautiful and glorious mystical Transfiguration of our Lord before reaching their destination.
Here the word “Transfiguration” according to the Oxford dictionary means, “a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state”. The transfiguration narrative appears in Matthew 17:2-3 when “Christ face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light” and Moses and Elijah appear before the apostles and were seen talking to our Lord. When we refer to the Old Testament, it is interesting to note that in Exodus 34:29 when Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, his “face shone so bright” as well but Moses was not transfigured.
The event took place right after a painstakingly long uphill climb. Those who have gone to Mt. Sinai will testify that the climb is not easy and not everyone can make it to the top. Using the analogy of mountaineering which can be rigorous, difficult and even hazardous, sufferings due to the arduous climb, we are reminded that persecutions and temptations in our lives can be painful, and challenging as well. It is difficult to stay focus on Jesus Christ.
Just like anyone who climbs a mountain, they know they must come down. We are called to come down from the Eucharistic experience to live the graces we have received in the daily responsibilities of life and be a beacon for all to see these graces.