The Fathers of the Church see in the Transfiguration a prefiguring of the Resurrection. That is, when Jesus radiates light and his clothes become dazzling, what we behold in that moment is the world recreated after the Resurrection—a world God is going to give us in the life of heaven. And that is important, because what he is doing for three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—is strengthening them. Knowing the journey to Jerusalem is beginning and that all these terrible events are about to unfold, he gives them a glimpse of glory to give them hope, the strength to keep going—even in the face of what is to come—so they might make it to the Resurrection.
But notice, too, that he fails. Of the three—Peter, James, and John—only one ends up at the crucifixion, assuming John is the beloved disciple. That is it. One out of three. Anywhere you go, that is a failing grade. So the Lord did not accomplish what he intended at that moment.
And yet—notice what he says to Peter and James about their failure to be at the crucifixion: nothing. He never rebukes them for it. He never says, “Because you didn’t show up, I’m taking away this, this, and this from you for the rest of your life.” He never does any of that. In fact, he tells Peter ahead of time, “You’re going to fail. But after you come back, strengthen your brothers.” And in all the appearances after the Resurrection, he simply shows up. He invites them. He continues to push them forward in the mission he gave them from the beginning.
That is essential for us to grasp: the Lord does not punish them for failing. He does not revoke their calling. He simply shows them mercy.
Too often in our own lives, we believe that if we sin—especially if we sin badly—if we fall off the path, the Lord is going to take everything away from us. I have spoken with many people who think, “My life is what it is because I messed up once, and God took away what he was going to give me.” But that is just not true. God does not interact with us that way.
Even when you flip through the Old Testament and see the many times God punished his people, you also see all the times he relented, when he withdrew the punishment before it was fully carried out. He always regrets punishing humanity. He always shortens it. And he does the same for us.
God does not take his gifts away. Just because we make mistakes or bad choices, he does not stop loving us. He does not hold it over us for the rest of our lives. He continues to love us. He continues to offer us everything he offered before. He continues to send us the same mission, calling us again and again.
So we do not need to fear that God will take away all that he has given us. It is still there—waiting—if we would simply open our hearts, repent, and return to him. His mercy is always available, always abundant.
The disciples abandoned the Lord in his time of greatest need, and yet he loved them. He made them saints—names we remember through all of history. And he loves us the same way.
So let us always trust in that mercy—and never fear that we will lose everything.