The Gospel for today Mass show us our Lord im Transfiguration, wey happen for one mountain where Jesus show three of His apostles small part of His glory: Peter, James, and John. The beginning of this story resemble Jesus im forty days for desert. Jesus take these three apostles go one side by themselves, so dem fit spend some time alone. Dem no go desert, but dem climb mountain, and that one surely no easy.
Wetin these apostles go experience for that mountain no resemble desert experience of hunger, thirst, heat, and temptation at all. Instead, for wetin go don seem like one sudden flash of grace wey pass ordinary experience, Moses and Elijah appear and dey talk with Jesus. Jesus Himself begin shine with light, and His clothes become white wey dey dazzle eye. Then the Father im Voice sound like thunder from Heaven. No be only the apostles their eyes the light dazzle; the experience touch their spirits deeply too, because dem know say dem dey see something wey dem no fit ever imagine say dem go see. Dem dey receive the gift of seeing small part of Jesus im glory, and this gift dey console dem.
Even though this experience for mountaintop different well-well from Jesus im time for desert, na experience wey go help the apostles pass wetin dem fit measure when dem enter their own deserts for future. This small part of glory wey dem see na to put hope for their hearts when dem go need am pass. As dem dey leave the mountain, Jesus tell dem make dem no tell anybody about their experience until the Son of Man don rise from the dead. Jesus know say for that time, after dem don kill Am and He don rise from the dead, these apostles and plenty of His followers go endure persecution and even death. Na why Jesus give dem this vision wey console dem, to help dem endure the crosses wey dem go face one day.
Which “mountaintop” experience you don get with our Lord? You don ever get one moment during retreat, parish mission, or prayer, when Jesus show Himself to you in one powerful way? When that kind thing happen, we dey want hold on to that feeling say God dey close to us, just as the apostles want for the mountain. But dem need come down and face Jesus im Cross, and later, their own too. Na so e still be for us. These moments wey dey console us deeply no dey usually last forever. Jesus dey give us these graces as small taste of wetin dey wait for us for Heaven, so that we go get strength to embrace His Cross together with Am, for any form wey e take come into our lives.
Think deeply about any experience wey you don get, wey make you feel God im consolation deep for your heart. That kind experience don give you strength during hard times? As you dey think deeply about any such experience wey you don get, remember why God give you am. Na gift wey suppose always remind you of God im glory, so that when you remember am, e go stir up hope inside you when you need hope pass.
My Lord wey Your appearance change with glory, You show Your apostles small part of how You be God, and wetin dem see glorious well-well. This gift give dem strength as dem endure Your suffering and death, and their own too. Abeg, show me small part of Your glory so that I go fit hold on to wetin I know about Who You be when I need am pass. Jesus, na You I trust.