Divinized from Glory to Glory (2 Cor 3,18)

Do you want to be a “god”?

In last Wednesday’s liturgical feast, the Communion Antiphon tells us that “When Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (cf. 1 Jn 3:2). Imagine that someday, we too may participate in the light of glory that Peter, James and John saw in Jesus when his appearance transfigured and showed to them the reality of his divinity! 

As Scripture says, we are indeed promised to be like Christ as “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pt 1:4). The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord reminds us that just as the humanity of Jesus was transfigured to remind us that He is God; so also will the baptized, as members of the Body of Christ become divine. 

The goal of Christianity is not merely to become a kind person and be saved. It’s much more than that. Christianity aims to turn us into a prince or princess in the Kingdom of God . . . in fact, to become divine! The Transfiguration of Jesus points to our own transfiguration “from glory to glory” to be divine like him (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).

Our divinization is not about becoming another member of the Trinity. God alone is the One God by nature and He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Instead, we become divine by participation. The life and energies of the One God dwells in every soul in sanctifying grace. This is Christian salvation!

We are not merely saved from sin. We are saved for divine sonship to become sons in the Son. We become divine because the One God lives in us if we are in the state of grace and persevere to the end.

The path towards the promise of royal divinity does not come without the cross. Jesus was transfigured to strengthen the faith of his 3 disciples so that they may remember his divine power when they see him nailed and rejected on the cross of shame. There, they will see YHWH in the flesh whom they have pierced (cf. Zech 12: 10). 

It is also a lesson for us that the path to glory means carrying our cross, even if that means rejection, loneliness and isolation in this life. We often want to have a glorious life and become gods ourselves without the cross. Instead, the Father asks us in the Gospel to listen to His beloved Son (cf. Lk 9:35). 

Adam and Eve sinned by wanting to become gods without God. Now the Father asks us to accept the gift of divine life by first listening to Jesus, the Word – YHWH – incarnate. We will suffer many trials and problems brought about by our own sins and the sins of others which can disillusion us and even cause us to doubt or even lose our faith. 

When this happens, remember the Transfiguration of Jesus. Remember that God is truly in control and He is the true King who though being Lord of all the earth, suffered to allow Himself to be nailed on a cross and abandoned by those closest to Him. Lord, when the storms of doubt come, increase our faith! 

We end with the consoling words of the Second Reading: “be attentive… until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Our sufferings may last even for 70 or 80 years of life. That is short compared to eternity with God and with our brethren madly in love with us, aflame with the divinizing light of glory!

Ioannes is a contributing writer for Collegium and he is a student of Sacred Theology. He wishes to keep his identity anonymous.

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Broken Bonds and the Communion of Saints