Transfiguration Homily Help

Tenth Week of Pentecost – TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
Book of Offering page 583
Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:7-17 Gospel: Mark 9:1-7

2 Corinthians 3:7-17 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Contrast with the Old Covenant. 7 [a]Now if the ministry of death,[b] carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, 8 how much more[c] will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory. 10 Indeed, what was endowed with glory has come to have no glory in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.
12 Therefore, since we have such hope,[d] we act very boldly 13 and not like Moses,[e] who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not look intently at the cessation of what was fading. 14 Rather, their thoughts were rendered dull, for to this present day[f] the same veil remains unlifted when they read the old covenant, because through Christ it is taken away. 15 To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit,[g] and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

I. Biblical Exegesis
a 3:7–4:6 Paul now develops the contrast enunciated in 2 Cor 3:6b in terms of the relative glory of the two covenants, insisting on the greater glory of the new. His polemic seems directed against individuals who appeal to the glorious Moses and fail to perceive any comparable glory either in Paul’s life as an apostle or in the gospel he preaches. He asserts in response that Christians have a glory of their own that far surpasses that of Moses.
b 3:7 The ministry of death: from his very first words, Paul describes the Mosaic covenant and ministry from the viewpoint of their limitations. They lead to death rather than life (2 Cor 3:6–7; cf. 2 Cor 4:7–5:10), to condemnation rather than reconciliation (2 Cor 3:9; cf. 2 Cor 5:11–6:10). Was so glorious: the basic text to which Paul alludes is Ex 34:29–35 to which his opponents have undoubtedly laid claim. Going to fade: Paul concedes the glory of Moses’ covenant and ministry, but grants them only temporary significance.
c 3:8–11 How much more: the argument “from the less to the greater” is repeated three times (2 Cor 3:8, 9, 11). 2 Cor 3:10 expresses another point of view: the difference in glory is so great that only the new covenant and ministry can properly be called “glorious” at all.
d 3:12 Such hope: the glory is not yet an object of experience, but that does not lessen Paul’s confidence. Boldly: the term parrēsia expresses outspoken declaration of Christian conviction (cf. 2 Cor 4:1–2). Paul has nothing to hide and no reason for timidity.
e 3:13–14a Not like Moses: in Exodus Moses veiled his face to protect the Israelites from God’s reflected glory. Without impugning Moses’ sincerity, Paul attributes another effect to the veil. Since it lies between God’s glory and the Israelites, it explains how they could fail to notice the glory disappearing. Their thoughts were rendered dull: the problem lay with their understanding. This will be expressed in 2 Cor 3:14b–16 by a shift in the place of the veil: it is no longer over Moses’ face but over their perception.
f 3:14b–16 The parallelism in these verses makes it necessary to interpret corresponding parts in relation to one another. To this present day: this signals the shift of Paul’s attention to his contemporaries; his argument is typological, as in 1 Cor 10. The Israelites of Moses’ time typify the Jews of Paul’s time, and perhaps also Christians of Jewish origin or mentality who may not recognize the temporary character of Moses’ glory. When they read the old covenant: the lasting dullness prevents proper appraisal of Moses’ person and covenant. When his writings are read in the synagogue, a veil still impedes their understanding. Through Christ: i.e., in the new covenant. Whenever a person turns to the Lord: Moses in Exodus appeared before God without the veil and gazed on his face unprotected. Paul applies that passage to converts to Christianity: when they turn to the Lord fully and authentically, the impediment to their understanding is removed.
g 3:17 The Lord is the Spirit: the “Lord” to whom the Christian turns (2 Cor 3:16) is the Spirit of whom Paul has been speaking, the life-giving Spirit of the living God (2 Cor 3:6, 8), the inaugurator of the new covenant and ministry, who is also the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of the Lord: the Lord here is the living God (2 Cor 3:3), but there may also be an allusion to Christ as Lord (2 Cor 3:14, 16). Freedom: i.e., from the ministry of death (2 Cor 3:7) and the covenant that condemned (2 Cor 3:9).

Mark 9:1-7New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Chapter 9
1 [a]He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”
The Transfiguration of Jesus.[b] 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 [c]Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;[d] then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

I. Biblical Exegesis
a 9:1 There are some standing…come in power: understood by some to refer to the establishment by God’s power of his kingdom on earth in and through the church; more likely, as understood by others, a reference to the imminent parousia.
b 9:2–8 Mark and Mt 17:1 place the transfiguration of Jesus six days after the first prediction of his passion and death and his instruction to the disciples on the doctrine of the cross; Lk 9:28 has “about eight days.” Thus the transfiguration counterbalances the prediction of the passion by affording certain of the disciples insight into the divine glory that Jesus possessed. His glory will overcome his death and that of his disciples; cf. 2 Cor 3:18; 2 Pt 1:16–19. The heavenly voice (Mk 9:7) prepares the disciples to understand that in the divine plan Jesus must die ignominiously before his messianic glory is made manifest; cf. Lk 24:25–27.
c 9:5 Moses and Elijah represent, respectively, law and prophecy in the Old Testament and are linked to Mount Sinai; cf. Ex 19:16–20:17; 1 Kgs 19:2, 8–14. They now appear with Jesus as witnesses to the fulfillment of the law and the prophets taking place in the person of Jesus as he appears in glory.
d 9:7 A cloud came, casting a shadow over them: even the disciples enter into the mystery of his glorification. In the Old Testament the cloud covered the meeting tent, indicating the Lord’s presence in the midst of his people (Ex 40:34–35) and came to rest upon the temple in Jerusalem at the time of its dedication (1 Kgs 8:10).

Sample Homily
Saint Paul had been schooled indepth in the Scriptures of the Judaism, possibly in the
Greek Septuagint version and in the Hebrew Texts of his time. He even claims that he
had been schooled by the famous Rabbinical teacher Gameliel. As a Pharisee he felt
that the Scriptures were primarily about the Mosaic Law, and that following The Law
had kept the Jewish people ethically different from the pagan peoples around them.

With his encounter with the Risen Lord Jesus the veil was lifted off of him. Now he
wishes to lift this veil off of others, Jews, Samaritains, and Gentiles alike. In speaking
to the Corinthians he does not want others to come and persuade them that since
they are Gentile converts they must also convert to strict adherents of the Mosaic Law,
for Paul this is trading one veil for another; rather he wants to explain to them that true
glory is Jesus Christ, and that the fullness of life is living in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel reading today we see that some of the Apostles are allowed to witness
glory of Christ on the mount of Transfiguration. The Syriac Father Jacob of Serug
devoted one of his theological poems to this event, entitled The Transfiguration of Our
Lord on Mount Tabor and on Moses and Elijah, Who Were Conversing with Him. He
writes:

Now why was it necessary for these servants of the King to come
to talk to him? How and why did they come?
He (Jesus) wanted to join to the first the second to make them equal
that the Gospel mingle with the Torah and prevail on earth.
He wanted to assign the keys of Moses to John
to allow him (John) to write “in the beginning” spiritually.
The son of Amram is substituted by the son of Zebedee that he too become
a great scribe for the hidden mysteries of the Godhead.
He gave the power that Elijah had to Simon
that he “loose and bind” in a divine manner like a steward.
He joined to the followers of Moses those of Simon
to make the latter together with the former worthy of his message.
He wanted to change stewards. Therefore, he summoned them
that the old [stewards] give the keys to the young [stewards].
He wanted to honor those who properly labored with him
and give to the others an exalted position and work of righteousness.
He relieved Moses, put John to work,
set free Elijah and summoned Simon to “loose and bind”.
He wanted to confirm his New Testament.
Thus, he summoned his Father’s old servants that they subscribe [it].
He called the apostles and summoned the prophets, [thus] making them equal
to manifest the one teaching of truth to the whole world.
He mingled the latter with the former that the earth be aware
that he is the Lord of both the last and first [stewards].
He summoned the wisest, choicest, and most exalted [figures] from the Old Testament
that they witness to the teaching of the New Testament.
He wanted to retire the law that was in the hand of Moses,
so he called him that he entrust the truth to Simon and then leave.

Beautifully Jacob describes this event as the passing of “the keys” of authority from
Moses and Elijah to Peter and the Apostles of Jesus. In the Transfiguration the work
of Moses and Elijah is honored but it is also done, now is the final age and the totality
of trutf for which they had laboured and awaited, and now the keys are given to
the Apostolic Church to proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ and the salvation won by
him.