A Fitting Bridge

This Sunday marks the final Sunday of Epiphany, the final Sunday before Lent, and our celebration of the Transfiguration. All of this will be encapsulated in our Instructed Eucharist. 

A fitting end to the season of Epiphany, the Transfiguration marks Jesus’ ascent of Mt. Tabor with his closest friends Peter, James and John. There, Jesus is transfigured - or transformed - before their eyes. The veil of this world is lifted, and Jesus is seen for his true nature - “dazzling white…the appearance of his face altered” (Lk 9:29). In the midst of this revelation, we discover Jesus has other companions with him. Moses and Elijah converse with the transfigured Christ symbolically giving the Law and Prophets’ blessing, as it were, of Jesus’ ministry. And what were they discussing? Jesus’ imminent “exodus," his soon to be accomplished triumph over death in the cross at Jerusalem (Lk 9:31). 

Hence, Transfiguration is not only an apt summation to Epiphany, but it is also a fitting bridge to Lent, that season where we’ll join Jesus on his journey to the cross for our sake, for the sake of the world. 

All this will happen during our Instructed Eucharist, a time when we’ll take a deeper look at the deep meaning behind the signs and symbols in our worship of the living God.  

Jay+

As we behold the face of God in the face of Christ, we are transformed into his image. This is what it means to be fully human—to become like Jesus, the truly human one, and to grow more and more in the freedom of the children of God.