TO BE OR NOT TO BE

So goes the famous soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. But I am referring to next Sunday’s Gospel Text, the Trasfiguration on the mount. Nowadays, biblical scholars, including Joseph Ratzinge, tell us that Christ has not transfigured Himself. It was rather the other way round, that is a special grace was bestowed on Peter, James and John to see for that short instant, Christ in His full glory, as God. Light of Light.

No wonder that beautiful description by the Evangelist, about light, whiteness of the clothes, the three tents and Peter’s behaviour. Jesus was seen by them as He always is, looks. Jesus could not have been seen by the rest of the people during those three years of His Public Ministry, as Peter, James and \john saw Him … the time had not arrived yet. Besides Jesus wanted people to follow Him through conviction and belief in Him,  and not because He was visibly seen as God.

But there’s more to this Occasion. In brief, Matthew and Mark tell us that Jesus called His three Apostles  ‘after six days’, whilst Luke mentions ‘after eight days’. Let’s make it clear there were no mistakes or lapsus by the Evangelists. It was rather ‘inspirational’ Why? ‘After six days’ refers to the week when the Jews used to celebrate their JOM KIPPUR, a time of penance and repentance for a whole week. So Matthew and Mark were correct.

At the end of the week come two other days on which they celebrated the ‘Feast of the Sukkoth’ or the ‘Feast of the Tents’ and in Latin the ‘Feast of the Tabernacles’. So Luke was correct in quoting eight days. That is History. But what happened during those two days is very important. During the Feast of ‘The Tabernacles’ every Jew was espected to live in a TENT and thank God for all the produce of the earth He had provided them.

It was a time when the farmer harvested olives, grapes and the rest of the agricultural produce. In fact it was sometimes called the ‘Feast of the Harvest’ And they were expected to thank God for it. On the last day the High Priest used to enter the Temple and into The Holy of Holies and pronounce the name of ‘Jahweh’. This was done only once a year and only by the High Priest.

Biblical Scholars tell us that when Jesus was asking His Apostles whom the people say Jesus is, as we know various answers were given, but not Peter’s. Peter declared: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” And according to the Scholars that was the moment when the High Priest was in the Temple annoucing, declaring the name of God.

Peter was completely lost, amazed, ecstatic, joyful and afraid, as the Gospel tells us. He wanted to build three tents, because that was the custom when meeting God in person, to welcome Him in the ‘Tent of the Meeting’. So Peter was correct. Peter’s behaviour resembles that of Moses on the Sinai, when even he wanted to build the ‘Tent of the Meeting’ as he was conscious of being in the presence of God Almighty.

One very important lesson: all the  ‘fuss’ (if some might call it), in the building of the Tents to welcome the Almighty, teaches us a lot. The Tabernaculum, the Tabernacle is the Tent where God Almighty is welcomed, But alas, how we have taken this fact forgranted, and pass by without making a sign of adoration by kneeling whenever we pass, by keeping silence in the presence of the Almighty, by adoring God from the Gospel about the Transfiguration.