06 August 2013, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord TESTIFYING TO OUR FAITH IN CHRIST SCRIPTURE READINGS: DN 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 PT 1:16-19; LK 9:28-36 Is our faith based on myths or facts? The author in the Second Letter of Peter makes it clear that the apostles were not simply repeating some cleverly invented myth about Jesus Christ, but that they were eye-witnesses to the glory of Jesus. He said, “we had seen his majesty for ourselves. He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour’. We heard this ourselves, spoken from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.” Indeed, faith primarily comes from testimony. Faith is not proven, but that does not mean therefore that it is mythological. It is surely not a figment of one’s imagination. But how can one be so sure of this? In asking this question, we are asking about the credibility of faith. Or more pointedly, we are questioning the credibility of the testimony of the witnesses. Indeed, faith, in the final analysis, boils down to the conviction and credibility of the witnesses. The credibility of the witnesses firstly involves an encounter. This is the presupposition. Having an encounter with the Lord does not mean that things become all clear. Even Moses had to clarify his calling with the Lord many times, and what the Lord wanted him to do. So did Elijah. He needed the affirmation of the Lord to continue his work of prophecy. Jesus, too, in today’s gospel, was given that Transfiguration experience in order that He could be clear that the path He was taking to Jerusalem was indeed the one willed by the Father. As for the apostles, we are told that they could not grasp this event and for this reason was told to keep quiet about it until the prophecy was fulfilled. They needed time for more reflection in order that they might come to terms with the depth of their encounter. Secondly, the credibility of the witnesses is dependent on the coherency of their testimony. In other words, that what they claimed must be shown in practice or in history. This was the case of Moses, Elijah and Jesus. What they taught about God and prophesied was fulfilled in history. The Transfiguration Experience was a preview of what was still to be unfolded in the life of Jesus. Thirdly, credibility is not centered only in what they said but attested by the transformation in their own lives. Thus, we see that their lives were changed after their encounter with God, whether it was in the case of Moses, Elijah or Jesus. That the disciples truly encountered the Lord was seen in the way they gave their lives for their mission. If not for their confidence in the future and the plan that God had in store for them, they would not have been so courageous as to give up everything for what they believed in. Finally, credibility cannot simply be based on trust, but the ultimate test is to enter into the experience ourselves. This is the acid test. For the testimony to be valid, we too must be able to experience what they had experienced. Consequently, as Christians, we are called to testify to people about Jesus. If we are to be effective in our proclamation, it presupposes that we have seen and heard the Lord for ourselves. How can we be His witnesses if we are not first seen and heard, since to be a witness is to testify to something or someone? However, like the apostles, Peter, James, and John who were asleep (Luke 9:32), we too might also miss God’s glory and action in our lives because we are spiritually asleep. There are many things which can prevent us from encountering the glory of God. Spiritual laziness and an unexamined life can prevent us from coming to understand our faith. Prejudice and disappointments in life can also prevent us from seeing the glory of God. We must spend time reflecting on our own encounters with the Lord. At times, like the apostles of Jesus, we are not aware of how the Lord is encountered in various ways in our daily struggles. We must become more aware of His presence through prayer and reflection so that we can help others to come to their own insight into the various ways that God is revealing His presence to them. Secondly, the credibility of proclamation and witnessing must be borne out in the transformation of our lives. This is what the world is looking for. Often our failure to transform the lives of the people we try to evangelise lies in the fact that our lives are not coherent with what we say. This vast distance between what we claim and how we live only means that at most we have changed their minds but we have not yet touched their hearts. Perhaps, we are too dependent on the Laws, on doctrines and commandments. We feel very comfortable fulfilling the laws of the Church, and observing the rituals of our faith, but we need to be more prophetic in our lives. This calls for holiness. That is why holiness seems to be the most urgent need in proclamation today. But there can be no growth in holiness unless we encounter Jesus and listen to Him. Without this encounter and time spent listening to Him, we cannot expect ourselves to be transfigured like Jesus. If we are to radiate with the love and the light of Christ, we must first come to the Light. WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV MSGR WILLIAM GOH ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ___________________________ Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart. - See more at: csctr.net/reflections/?utm_source=CSC+Weekly+Update&utm_campaign=a7295bb03f-Weekly_Update_13_19_May_20135_13_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b56cc50263-a7295bb03f-273542365#sthash.PKjFaRFj.dpuf
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 22:50:54 +0000
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