Transfiguration moments offer us a temporary glimpse of heaven

Summer is sweet. A big part of the sweetness of summer is its bounty. The second half of summer is especially bountiful in Canada, when gardens overflow with fresh produce, and peaches and blueberries are common sights at farmers’ markets and grocery stores.

Before we moved to town from the country, we particularly enjoyed the blueberry season. We were fortunate to have on our property about 18 blueberry bushes that reaped a tremendous harvest. For 10 years, picking berries was a daily occurrence (the kids might say “chore”) for about three weeks of the summer, and friends and family members arrived regularly with their buckets and baskets to pick their fill. 

I used to covet every blueberry recipe I could find in an attempt to use up our supply. We still make some of our favourites, including a blueberry cream cheese dessert that can be found at Ultimo’s No-Bake Blueberry Squares Recipe | Allrecipes. Every summer we make this recipe at least once, and it takes us right back to the joyful memories of picking berries as a family.

The sweet joys of summer are reminiscent of the sweetness of the Transfiguration of Jesus that we celebrate Aug. 6. The temptation we have, just like the Apostles Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration, is to want to stay where we are, where things are good and joyful and comfortable.

Granted, this summer is one for the record books when it comes to heat in the West, but as a rule we Canadians are usually ready to revel in the sunshine after our wet, snowy, chilly winters. We want to stay where we are comfortable. We want to avoid suffering. What we really want is heaven, and when we get a glimpse of heaven on earth, we try to hold on to it. Whether it’s basking in the glory of the blueberry harvest, soaking up the rays on the beach, or, on a deeper level, experiencing a particularly good spiritual retreat or time at prayer, we sometimes wish we could stay in those moments forever.

It seems that a glimpse of heaven is exactly what the Apostles experienced at the Transfiguration. St. Mark tells us: “Jesus … led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’” (Mk 9:2-10).

But notice that no tents are pitched and the experience is over almost as soon as it begins. Jesus gives these three Apostles a taste of what it is to come if they remain faithful. They even get specific instructions from God the Father, who identifies Jesus has his Son, and instructs the Apostles to “listen to him.” Despite this huge experience for these three men, Jesus quickly moves on and tells them not to tell anyone about what they have seen, not until “the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

Why did Jesus share this experience with his Apostles if they couldn’t even tell anyone what they had seen and heard? I think we can all relate to the Apostles in this situation. We’ve all had personal, “mountaintop” experiences that help fortify us when we find ourselves down low in the valleys of life. If we never had any moments of transcendence, the lows would be too much to take.

The Apostles have now had an experience of divine glory that they could draw upon when they would go through Jesus’ passion and later their own experiences of persecution. Even though St. Mark tells us they were “terrified” in the moment, I think they would have looked back on this event as a pivotal point in their lives as Apostles. Jesus has shown them what they are working towards – the glory of being with him forever in heaven. It is an epic moment that probably affirms their faith and motivates them in their mission to follow Jesus.

Our lives are full of “transfiguration” moments that Jesus gives to us to encourage our faith while we carry out our necessary daily tasks. We are meant to enjoy these moments but not stay in them. So treasure the days of summer and blueberry harvesting and be inspired to keep working towards the ultimate sweetness of heaven.

Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, six children, and her mom. She can be reached at [email protected]