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Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming
fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master,
it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was
saying. Luke 9:32–33
As we are presented with this glorious event of the Transfiguration
this Sunday, there are numerous lessons we can learn from it. The
passage above presents us with two particular lessons.
First, Peter and his companions were overcome by sleep while Jesus
was transfigured in glory and conversing with Moses and Elijah.
This line could suggest many things. It could mean that Peter was
weak and more concerned with his human condition than he was with
attentiveness to the important journey he was invited to take with
our Lord. It could reveal a kind of spiritual sloth. It is easy in
life to become weary of the journey and to become drowsy at the
times that we should be most attentive to our Lord. For example,
think about any time when you knew you should pray but instead, sat
daydreaming or distracted, or chose to fill that time with
something mindless. Peter and his companions, therefore, teach us
that it is easy for us in our fallen human nature to “doze off”
during those times when God wants to speak to us, especially while
at Mass.
Another interpretation of this line comes from the Church Father,
Saint Ambrose. He suggests that this sleep of Peter and his two
companions was primarily a result of them encountering “the
incomprehensible brightness of the Divine nature.” As Jesus was
transfigured, the initial vision was too much for them to
comprehend, and so this vision began with them asleep as a symbol
of the fact that we are all incapable of seeing the glory of God in
our weakened state. But then they became “fully awake,” which
implies that it took time for them to open their eyes to see the
glory of God. This lesson teaches us that we all must wake up and
work to become fully awake if we are to see the glory of God as He
reveals Himself to us.
After becoming fully awake and encountering the incomprehensible
brightness of the divine nature, Peter says, “Master, it is good
that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.” The Gospel writer then goes on to say
that Peter “did not know what he was saying.” Again, if we turn to
Saint Ambrose, he points out that Peter’s experience is commendable
because he not only had earnest feelings but also took the
initiative of good deeds. He wanted to build three tents so that
Jesus, Moses and Elijah would remain with them. But another Church
father points out that Peter “did not know what he was saying”
because he did not, at that time, realize that it was indeed his
mission to build a dwelling place for Jesus, the Law and the
Prophets. It was his mission to build the Church, which was to be
the future dwelling place of God on earth and the place in which we
will encounter God throughout life.
You, too, are entrusted with the responsibility of building up the
structure of the Church on earth so that many may encounter the
full glory of God. This will only happen if you continually seek to
become fully awakened to the glory of God as He reveals Himself to
you and, in the joy of that encounter, go forth to build up God’s
Church by your earnest desire and intentional acts of charity.
Reflect, today, upon Peter and his two companions, James and John.
Prayerfully ponder them asleep as Jesus was transfigured in
glory.
Reflect upon them waking up and beginning to realize what was
taking place before them. Consider Peter’s excitement and amazement
and the effect that had on him. And then ponder how these disciples
eventually did go forth to build the Church, the house of God, so
that they and many others would come to meet Christ. Pray that the
witness of these disciples will inspire you to follow in their
footsteps.
My Transfigured Lord, the glory that shone forth from Your
divine face in radiance must have been beyond human description.
Your true glory in Heaven is something that I hope to one day
behold. Please instill in me a desire to more fully understand Your
glory and to work tirelessly to be an instrument of that glory to
all I meet. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Андрей Николаевич Миронов (A.N. Mironov), CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons
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