TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY/ 18TH SUNDAY, A
BEAUTIFUL WITHIN
How media set the standard of beauty to almost unreachable heights! Doesn’t television bombard us with the clamor for the flawless skin, lighter complexion, toned muscles and perfect set of teeth? Do we not long to live in the ideal home where the living room, the bath, and the garden suit the demands of comfort and aesthetics? The master chefs around the world promote healthy and natural food that tastes delish and looks irresistible.
There is nothing wrong to admire or aspire for beauty. The unhealthy obsession with it however, brings frustration, sadness and depression to so many people today. How many people feel condemned because they do not possess the curvaceous body or six-pack abs, do not live in palatial surroundings, and cannot afford to dine luxuriously in the latest launched restaurant or hotel?
Jesus reveals the true and resplendent beauty in today’s gospel of the ascencion (Mt. 17). As he was transformed into a glorious appearance, God the Father could not but exclaim in admiration: This is my beloved Son! Moses and Elijah awoke from their heavenly repose to be close to the dazzling spectacle. And the disciples were captivated they thought this was the apex of all experiences. This is the beauty of God – the beauty of Jesus of Nazareth.
We can ask the question though: what is so beautiful in a carpenter turned vagabond preacher? What is so attractive in one who owned nothing, lived nowhere, and survived by eating in other people’s parties? In the standard of the world, Jesus of Nazareth cannot exemplify beauty and glory. The world sees beauty only on the surface and digging deep is not part of its responsibility.
God appreciates real beauty, lasting beauty, inner beauty. For God, the real worth of a person is not in what he wears, how he looks, where he lives, and what he eats. Beauty, for God, is what resides in the heart, the goodness and kindness that flow from it. Jesus’ inner beauty manifests itself to those simple enough not to be attached to externals, to those keen enough to question what is behind the veneer or surface of people or things.
What is your standard of beauty? Do you prize external trappings or do you pursue the internal worth of people or things? Do you believe you are beautiful even if you are not perfect? Can you see the beauty of God within you?
