From Mount Tabor to Mount Calvary

I found inspiration on the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. I had the pleasant surprise of seeing my childhood priest offer Mass and listen to him preach once again. He told of a time when he was younger, and how he had the opportunity to not only see Mount Tabor, but to see the top of it (by Taxi, he admitted). He explained how it probably would have taken most of the day to climb by foot to the top like the way Christ and his companions would have done.

Jesus would have had to cancel his every plan for the day. He would have had to brush off the crowds, waiting for him to speak. He would have had to say “I will later” to the beggars and lepers as they ask for help and healing. He would have to tell to Apostles he was leaving for the day. And for what?

The priest then spoke of his personal experience on the Mount again. It’s so tall you can almost see Jerusalem from it. But what you can definitely see is a small little nub of a mountain, way off in the distance: Mount Calvary.

Jesus knew what would happen on Mount Tabor that day. He knew of the glorious light that would shine from Him. He knew He would float on air. He knew He would be able to see His old friends once again- Moses and Elijah.

He also knew what would happen on the Mount he could see off in the distance. And He still went down the mountain, even after being offered a tent and some rest with his friends.

This priest speaking was my childhood priest who only left the parish recently. I was still quite used to his tendencies when preaching. I got emotional when he got emotional. I knew the way he raised or lowered his voice for effect. But I was shocked by what he did next:

He hitched up his vestments and he ran up the steps to the altar, raising his voice as his did so. “Our mountaintop is right here! Three steps away!”

I wondered for a moment which mountaintop he meant. Then I realized, it didn’t matter.

You cannot celebrate your life’s high points without a thought for your low points. Nor can you dwell on your low points without a smile for your high points. And neither should you do so of Christ’s life. Christ willingly went down Mount Tabor, knowing soon enough he would be on Mount Calvary.

The mass is not just a remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion. It is Christ getting crucified over and over again. The Eucharist we eat is Christ’s broken body. We know this- we were already taught this from an early age. But it is not just His crucifixion we celebrate- it is His resurrection and it is His transfiguration. We do not just celebrate Christ’s lowest moment, but His highest as well.

Next time you go to Mass, bring your low points to Mount Calvary and bring your high points to Mount Tabor: bring them all to the altar- to Christ.

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