It is often said that Jesus revealed his glory to Peter, James and John, and let them see him conversing with Moses and Elijah, in order to strengthen their faith before it would be tested by the disaster of his crucifixion. Pope Leo the Great said: ‘By changing his appearance in this way he chiefly wished to prevent his disciples from feeling scandalized in their hearts by the cross. He did not want the disgrace of the passion, which he freely accepted, to break their faith. This is why he revealed to them the excellence of his hidden dignity.’

This is no doubt so; but let us remember that the person who most needed strengthening in the face of the crucifixion was Jesus himself. He was about to go up to Jerusalem and there undergo a horrific and humiliating death. Nobody needed affirming and comforting more than Jesus did.

And so Moses and Elijah appear with him. This would have a profound effect on Peter, James and John, for Moses and Elijah were the foremost representatives of the Law and the Prophets. These were the pillars of the Jewish religion, and they were bearing witness to Jesus. This would certainly strengthen the faith of the disciples. But it would also encourage and affirm Jesus himself. With these great men behind him – with, in effect, the whole history of Israel behind him to bear witness to him and to stand with him, Jesus could face the great ordeal before him.

And a voice is heard from heaven: ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ The disciples would be astonished. They would certainly listen to Jesus, listen more intently than before. But consider also the effect upon Jesus. His Father’s voice rings out from heaven, acknowledging him as his own beloved Son, and authenticating his teaching. What a comfort it must have been.

Many people have had to face terrible ordeals in life. I think of men in the trenches, about to go over the top, facing the very strong possibility of being killed. What would any of them not have given to hear the voice of God saying, ‘It’s all right. Whatever happens, I’ll be with you. You are my beloved child; I will not desert you.’ And many more people, including you and me, have had to face difficult and frightening situations. A new job, a new home. How wonderful if we could hear the voice of God saying, ‘I will be with you.’ Embarking on marriage is not so frightening a thing as going into battle, and yet it is a leap into the unknown. How wonderful if we could hear the voice of God saying, ‘I will be with you in all the difficult circumstances of the new life into which you are entering.’ We will not all have to go over the top into a hail of bullets, but we will, all of us, at some time have to face death, the great and terrible unknown country. How wonderful, how comforting, if we could hear the voice of God saying, ‘Do not be afraid, for I will be with you.’

The amazing thing is, that we do have that voice, that promise, that affirmation. Jesus tells us, ‘Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’ Jesus is our Emmanuel, our God-with-us. He promises, not once but many times in the scriptures, that he will never desert his followers. He tells us that whenever two or three are gathered together in his name, he will be there among them; he is, therefore, certainly with us now.

This Mass is the sign and guarantee that he is with us. Take, eat, he says: this is my body. Drink this, all of you: this is the cup of my blood. This is his way of being with us, in all our troubles, in all our cares, in all our dangers. It’s a beautiful arrangement, and we should not take it for granted, that we store what remains unconsumed of the Blessed Sacrament in a little house, a Tabernacle. I teach our first Communion children to think of the Tabernacle as Jesus’s house, with Jesus living in it. And so it is. He is never far from us; every time we come into our church, we go down on our knee as we enter his presence. But actually he is even nearer to us than that. He is with each one of us, he dwells in us as in a temple. We renew his presence in us every time we receive his Body and Blood. And what a comfort that is, what an assurance when we face difficulty and danger, when we are lonely or afraid. ‘Do not be afraid’ whispers his voice within us. ‘Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’