A poor illiterate man wanted to be baptized. The parish priest asked him many questions to see whether he was fit for Baptism. “Where was Jesus
born?” How many apostles did he have?” How many years did he live?” Where did he die?” The poor man knew nothing of all these questions.
Irritated, the priest then said, “ At least you know the prayers like the Our Father and the I Believe?” The man again shook his head. “What do you know then?” asked the priest flabbergasted. The man explained, “ Before I met Jesus I was a drunkard who beat my wife and children; I lost my job and was wasting my life.” Then he continued, “ But after encountering Jesus, I’ve quit drinking. I work hard and have begun to love my family. For me Jesus is my personal Saviour!”
Jesus takes his three favorite apostles up a high mountain and the apostles were privileged to witness the inner life of Christ, when his splendor
was revealed to them in this holy place. He is transfigured and glorified before their very eyes. In a short interval they become aware of the divinity of
Jesus. They see Jesus in a new way that was humanly unimaginable and they want to stay there forever.
It is small wonder then that in the Bible God often chooses a mountain top to reveal Himself and His plans. Mountain indicates the Divine presence. It
was on Mount Sinai that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Jesus gave his first teachings on the Sermon on the Mount. He was
crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended to heaven from Mount Olive. In the transfiguration on the mountain we experience the divine presence and
his closeness to us. As we celebrate this great event we pray for a deeper experience of God in our own lives and to share in his divine life .
God Bless
Fr. Joseph