55. August 6th - The Transfiguration

Shortly after Mary Magdalene disappeared, while I was contemplating the difference between pride and demonic possession, or at least demonic influence and while hovering in the most elegant of all church buildings in the world, the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, I once again heard the voice of the Bride say to me,

"Angel, don't fret, as long as you love our Lord and guard your heart, you will be okay. I'll help you go home. But now, my time traveler, I have a big treat for you."

She sounded so motherly and compassionate, knowing what I needed and ready to provide it. "What is it my lady?" I replied.

"You are to return to Jerusalem to be with Jesus Christ before the crucifixion. See what I have done with time...for you?" Her cheerful voice sounded not as from one person, but rather I heard all four parts of harmony.

Shifting my focus from how She sounded to what She said I asked, "Go back to Jerusalem? Where? Why now?" Again I had to deal with the awkwardness of speaking to the invisible so I stared at the marble coffin of Pope John Paul II.

"Go to Mount Tabor, find Jesus hiking up it with a few of His students and be quick!"

Instead of flying off as commanded, I questioned Her again, "How is that possible my lady, to find Jesus on earth when He has ascended to heaven, I saw Him there recently."

She replied sounding more than a little annoyed with me. "Aren't you the one who doesn't like time. I believe that it was time's long seemingly endless serpentine shape that you detested most, wasn't it? Well, as with the feast of Gabriel that I rescheduled, I celebrate the event you are going to see exactly seven months to the day after Jesus' baptism. Did God ever tell you that for Him the number seven mean completion because He created the world and rested in seven days.

This way I show My children the perfect completion of His baptism (and by reference their own). First, on January 6th, Jesus is lowered into the sea to be purified in a watery symbolic death and now, on August 6th, you will witness Him raised high on a mountaintop, like a babe being lowered Into the font and raised up high out of it. To link the events, both times God proclaims Jesus to be His Son. Isn't that wonderful?!

What you will see actually occurred 40 days before the crucifixion, but I am not in the mood to celebrate during Lent, and August 6th is the 40th day before the elevation of the Cross. Get it? Now hurry up or you may be too late. GO!"

I wanted to hug Her goodbye, not knowing if we would meet again before Her year ends, so I flew up to the dome and circled it seven times before swooping down and flying out the door against a wave of incoming pilgrims. One child noticed me, looked up and as I was leaving I heard him shout, "Hey angel, where are you going so fast?" Smart kid.

I flew directly to Mt. Tabor and right away spotted the group of hikers about two kilometers from the top. Jesus noticed me, smiled and winked. That wink was gold to me. I stayed close while they made their way through the lush mountainside, fragrant with quince bushes.

Jesus was the first to reach the top. When He arrived, He looked all around, down at the ground and up at the sky. His eyes moved from tree to tree, looking for something. Finding it He called out to His companions,

"Friends, come here. I want to show you something!"

"We're coming!" shouted James huffing and puffing, "How did you get there so fast!" John being the youngest, most energetic of the lot ran ahead of the others to meet Him.

While waiting for Peter and James to arrive Jesus sat on a large rock and appeared to be in deep thought. John did not dare to speak to him, but instead wandered around breathing in the cool morning air and taking in the spectacular view.

When Peter and James reached them Jesus stood up from His rock. Suddenly, Jesus started to glow brighter and brighter! I had never seen anything like it, well not since I heard God say, "Let there be light!" It was like the first day of creation all over again! But this time God's two most magnificent works, light and humanity were united!

It was spectacular, marvelous, phenomenal! I was flabbergasted. His clothes became dazzling white and His face shined like the sun. Then, suddenly two men appeared out of thin air and the three fellows started talking, as if all of this was very normal.

I looked over at John, Peter, and James who were equally dumbfounded. As amazing at the sight was I had to chuckle at how silly the men looked standing there with mouths agape staring at luminous Jesus chatting with the apparitions.

I moved closer to Jesus to get a better look at His ghostly companions. Moses I recognized right away as the man I recently hid behind at Gabriel's party, and Elijah I recognized from the statue at Saint Peter's. Elijah turned to look at me and said, "Greetings angel, I haven't seen you in a while. Has it been a week?" And then he winked at me again!

I smiled bashfully and responded, "Pleased to meet you sir." and then moved even closer to Jesus to hear what He was telling them. I strained to hear Jesus saying something about a decisive move against the evil one, when to my surprised Peter yelled out awkwardly “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Now that made me laugh out loud! Imagine making a house for a ghost! What would he do in there?

While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud moved in to overshadow all of us. From the cloud I heard God bellow, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”

I supposed that if John and Peter and James had been at the baptism of Jesus as I was, this announcement would not have seemed so alarming, but they were not. I have never EVER seen three grown men fall on their faces so fast. They were terrified.

While I was laughing and looking around I saw Moses and Elijah float up disappearing into the heavens. I wished that I could follow them because I wanted to talk with Elijah more.

Instead, I watched the illumination of Jesus grow dim. He walked over to Peter, tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Get up and do not be afraid.” John heard that, peeked out of his clenched arms, stood up, and saw no one except Jesus Himself alone, and then James and Peter stood up too.

Jesus said, "Let's go back down, it is getting late, and some people are waiting for us in the village."

"Jesus!" exclaimed John, "What just happened?! Did we really see Moses and Elijah? And how did you get to be so bright...and why?"

In unison Peter and James chimed in, "Yeah? Tell us."

Jesus said, "Moses and Elijah came to visit Me to help me prepare to battle Satan in the coming weeks. I let you come with Me to witness the meeting because You must become more aware than you have been until now of the reality of heaven, and of heaven on earth. You will need this knowledge to strengthen you for your own battles with the enemy.

Light is an element of God's creation that brings forth knowledge because in the light nothing is hidden, as it is in the darkness. When In Creation God said, 'Let there be light' He took the first step towards replacing the blindness of darkness where lies hide to destroy and where emotions are much too prevalent with the Wisdom and reality that vision renders to humankind. I've said enough. We must head back down now, Peter go first and lead the way for Me."

The students said no more but in silence contemplated the vision and words of their extraordinary Friend and Teacher.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after I have been raised from the dead.”

I wondered as I accompanied the men down the mountain whether they could keep such a spectacular vision a secret. I know that I couldn't.