Seeing God

“Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,

‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.’
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.”

Mark 9:7-8

Jesus brought Peter, James, and John up the mountain. We know something is about to happen when we read “up the mountain” for mountains are places where God meets His people. Moses on Mt. Sinai. Elijah on Mt. Horeb. Jesus on Calvary. God comes to meet His people.

Peter, James, and John did not know what was about to happen. They saw Moses and Elijah. They were ecstatic! These were like two big celebrities from the past. Then the Father spoke — “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” They heard God speak. The Father affirms the Son’s identity and then He speaks to Peter, James, and John, telling them to listen to His Son. The term used to describe this event is “theophany.” A manifestation of God that is experienced by humans. The Apostles saw God, heard Him, and felt Him. But what did they do with that experience? Peter wanted to stay on the mountain by making some tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Perhaps it was a good place to be at and the company was amazing, but the truth was as it is now: they cannot stay there.

An experience with God cannot be kept to ourselves. When we have seen God, our lives cannot remain stagnant. The life of a Christian is one of encounters, with God and with man, a series of mountaintops and valleys. We can never be sure how those experiences will turn out to be, sometimes they will be filled with joy and inspiration, and other times they will be filled with sorrow and feelings of emptiness. But there is one thing we can be sure of, and that is that Jesus will always be there. “Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone by Jesus alone with them” and that should be enough. When the going gets tough, and when the world seems dark and lonely, we must always remember that Jesus is with us. When we encounter Jesus in our brothers and sisters and in the sacraments, we will have seen God. And in seeing God, He comes to us and calms all our fears and worries, giving us all the graces we need at that moment to weather through those storms. Our Lord is waiting to encounter you, will you see Him?

**For a related reflection/article on the Transfiguration, see “Building Tents and Mountaintop Experiences” on Philip’s earlier blog.