The Transfiguration Embodiment Game

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Feb 26, 2024

The Transfiguration of Jesus foreshadows the Resurrection and links the glory of Jesus to Moses and Elijah. Moses embodies the Law and Elijah the Prophets. The saints are friends of God. and their virtue transfigures them in glory.

So let’s play the Transfiguration Embodiment Game.

Jesus teaches us to embody the First Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Mt. 22:37)

In the Book of the Maccabees, the pagan ruler issued decrees forbidding Jewish worship, sparking a Jewish revolt. The Maccabees destroyed pagan altars, and the Jews became outlaws. Although the revolt failed, their zeal for the law served as a warning to occupiers. Later, the Romans grudgingly allowed the Jews to worship the one God during their occupation. The Maccabees and their zeal embodied the First Commandment.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Second Commandment when He teaches us to pray, “Hallowed be thy name.”

The Council of Lyons in 1274 emphasized the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. The Dominicans spread the devotion, and it multiplied for centuries. Membership in the Holy Name Society helped tame the rough speech of Catholics and discouraged the abuse of the Lord’s name. Devout members of the Holy Name Society embody the Second Commandment.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Third Commandment: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” (Mk. 11:17)

During the persecution of Catholics in Mexico, the laws closed churches and imprisoned the clergy. In 1926, a young Jesuit priest, Miguel Pro, returned to Mexico and spent the rest of his life in secrecy. He adopted many disguises to administer the Sacraments until his capture. As the soldiers lifted their weapons for his execution, Miguel Pro extended his arms and proclaimed, “Viva Christo Rey”—Long live Christ the King. The photo of his courage under fire inspired Mexican Catholics to continue their holy struggle. We could have used many Miguel Pros during the devastating COVID shutdown to embody the Third Commandment.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Fourth Commandment: “[Jesus] went down with [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.” (Lk. 2:51)

We honor the Fourth Commandment by obeying and honoring parents, especially in old age. Many sons and daughters embody the Fourth Commandment by caring for their elderly parents. But far too many sons and daughters thoughtlessly violate the Commandment by abandoning their parents to loneliness.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Fifth Commandment: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt. 5:44)

The arguments in favor of the atomic bombings in WWII are familiar. It would be better that one city (or two) should die than the whole nation. The high priest Caiphas used the same argument when he conspired to put Jesus to death: “You do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” (Jn. 11:50)

Admiral William Leahy, White House chief of staff and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during WWII, was unpersuaded by the consequentialist arguments of Caiphas. He wrote in his 1950 memoirs:

The use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender. In being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children.

Admiral Leahy embodied the Fifth Commandment.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Sixth and Ninth Commandments: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

In the late 19th century, the King of Uganda was a pervert, like the LGBTQ ideologues who disrupted the funeral at St. Patrick cathedral. He made perverted advances on Charles Lwanga and many of the male children, and they resisted until death. On the day of their execution, their tormentors wrapped them in reed mats, placed them on the pyre, and burned them to death. They died calling on the name of Jesus and proclaiming, “You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls.” Today, they might die rather than condone the blessing of same-sex couples. Charles Lwanga and his companions are embodiments of the Sixth Commandment.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Seventh and Tenth Commandments: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s: and to God the things that are God’s.” (Lk. 20:25)

We embody the Seventh Commandment when we respect private property: we give an honest day’s work for our pay, refuse to demand that others pay for our comforts, and work to prevent government authorities from excessive spending that robs future generations.

Jesus teaches us to embody the Eighth Commandment: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (Jn. 14:6)

Sophie Scholl was a devout Lutheran and attracted to the Catholic faith by the writings of John Henry Newman. She resisted the Nazis in her beloved country. On February 18, 1943, the 21-year-old Sophie and Hans Scholl went to the university in the heart of Munich to distribute their anti-Nazi flyers. Captured by the authorities, Sophie, her brother Hans, and her friend Christoph Probst, were put on trial and executed, beheaded by guillotine. Prison officials, impressed by their bravery, let them smoke cigarettes together before the execution. Sophie’s last known words were: “God, my refuge into eternity,” and, “The sun still shines.” Sophie Scholl and her companions embodied the Eighth Commandment as they spoke truth to power.

As friends of God, our embodiment of His law prepares us for transfiguration in His glory. The Transfiguration Embodiment Game is a game for all ages.