As a glorious preview of his Resurrection, Christ’s appearance dramatically and temporarily changed in front of his closest Apostles on Mt. Tabor. The events of the Transfiguration revealed that Jesus is the divine Son of God.
Soon after Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, and only a week after Jesus first predicted his own passion and death, the Transfiguration strengthened the faith of the Apostles to prepare them.
Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus’ face become intensely white while He spoke with Moses and Elijah on the mountain. Then, just as they did at Jesus’ Baptism, the three Apostles heard God the Father call Jesus his Beloved Son.
Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the prophets. Their presence at the Transfiguration shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that had been promised in the Old Covenant.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is the 4th Luminous Mystery of the Rosary and is recounted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The story is always read from one of these synoptic Gospels on the 2nd Sunday of Lent as a reminder of the gift of hope.
The Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord each year on August 6.
Jesus’ divinity fully revealed:
A manifestation of divine glory:
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on Earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
Mark 9: 2-8
A new Moses on a new mountain:
Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets:
Jesus is transfigured. The Gospel tells us: “his face shone like the sun”. Shortly before this, He had predicted his Passion and Death on the Cross, shattering the disciples’ image of a powerful and worldly Messiah, and disappointing their expectations. Now, in order to help them embrace the loving plan that God has for each of us, Jesus takes three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them up the mountain, where He is transfigured. Through this brilliant burst of light, Jesus prepares the disciples for the dark night of the Passion.
Pope Francis, Homily, 6 August 2023
What happened to Jesus could happen to us:
His Father is our Father:
The Transfiguration gives us reason to hope:
The mystery of the Transfiguration strengthens faith:
On the threshold of the public life: the Baptism; on the threshold of the Passover: the Transfiguration. Jesus’ baptism proclaimed “the mystery of the first regeneration”, namely, our Baptism; the Transfiguration “is the sacrament of the second regeneration”: our own Resurrection. From now on we share in the Lord’s Resurrection through the Spirit who acts in the sacraments of the Body of Christ. the Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when He “will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” But it also recalls that “it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God”:
Catechism of the Catholic Church 556
Peter did not yet understand this when he wanted to remain with Christ on the mountain. It has been reserved for you, Peter, but for after death. For now, Jesus says: “Go down to toil on Earth, to serve on Earth, to be scorned and crucified on Earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on his journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?”
Worshipping at the site of Jesus’ Transfiguration high on Mt. Tabor:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
The greatest gift that God can give us:
Share this page with friends and family to start a conversation about your faith.
Don’t miss a post. Learn more about the Catholic Church and strengthen your Catholic faith.
Find more Fiercely Catholic video issues here.
Subscribe here.
