OT 18 [A] (Aug 6) Feast of the Transfiguration: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14; ; II Pt  1:16-19; Mt 17:1-9

On August 6^th the Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration. The feast of the Transfiguration became widespread in the West in the eleventh century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate the victory over Islam in Belgrade. Before that, the Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated in the Cyrian, Byzantine, and Coptic rites. According to tradition, the transfiguration occurred on Mount Tabor, but some believe it may have occurred on Mount Hermon or the Mount of Olives. There are no Old Testament parallels for this event, the closest being Moses’ face shining after he had visited with God on Mount Sinai (Ex 34:29-35).

The transfiguration occurred shortly after the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand. The account of the transfiguration confirms that Jesus is the Son of God and points to the fulfilment of the prediction that He will come in His Father’s glory at the end of the age (Mt 16:27). This event marks the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem for His passion.

During His Transfiguration, our Lord speaks with Moses and Elijah. Moses, of course, led God’s people out of their slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, God’s kingdom. Elijah, the most beloved of all the Jewish prophets, is closely related to the redemption of Israel and to God’s promised Messiah. In this Gospel account, we find Jesus about to enter Jerusalem, where, in fulfilment of God’s will, He will suffer and die while ushering in God’s heavenly kingdom, a kingdom transcending any earthly kingdom.

The great event of the Transfiguration seeks to peel away at the mystery of the Passion of Christ. On the Mount of Transfiguration, we have a glimpse of the true glorious nature of the scene that took place on another hill, Calvary. It’s hard to make out the crucifixion's innate beauty and true nature, especially when it is covered by all the blood, gore and horror of the event. The Transfiguration, however, allows us to see what really took place. The gospels attempt to do this by making striking similarities between the transfiguration account and the cross story: Both these scenes would have constituted an extraordinarily powerful diptych representing the high and low points of Jesus' life.

Our Lord takes Peter, James and John, His inner circle, with Him up the Mount of Transfiguration. On the evening of Holy Thursday, He will lead the same threesome to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives to witness His passion. History repeats itself - the three disciples fall asleep on the Mount of Transfiguration as they did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our Lord is transfigured on a mountain and crucified on another. Just as Jesus is flanked by His heavenly courtiers, Moses and Elijah, at the Transfiguration, He is placed between two thieves at His crucifixion. Although the disciples were enveloped with light on the Mount of Transfiguration, the whole land was covered in darkness at the Crucifixion. It is as if glory and suffering somehow belong together, two sides of the same coin. In the context of the deepest humiliation, pain and suffering, the true glory of Christ is revealed.

This feast calls us to be Peter, James, and John to those around us. With them, you and I, in our baptism and confirmation, are called by God to walk in the shoes of Peter, James, and John, not just for our own salvation but for the salvation of those who will know us, observe us, and learn from our example of God’s kingdom. It is through our faith and our love that our relationships with others can carry God’s graces to them. God’s kingdom is realized, made real, in how we relate to those around us.

 

As priest Jesus, offered His life on the altar of the cross and redeemed the human race by this one perfect sacrifice of peace. As king, He claims dominion over all creation, that He may present to You, His almighty Father, an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace...

When we pray The Lord’s Prayer, we ask that God’s kingdom may come here on earth as it is in heaven, not in some remote and distant future but here and now, in the way that we live and act with other people.


One day you and I will encounter our Father in heaven, the God who created us in love, so that we might give Him our love and share our love with those around us. Hopefully, on that day, we will hear the same words we heard in today’s Gospel account: “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” “You are my beloved daughter in whom I am well pleased.” Hopefully, you and I are allowing ourselves to be transformed into the persons He made us to be. Our transformation will be at the same time our transfiguration.

Let us, therefore, listen to the sacred voice of God so compellingly calling us from on high, so that with the Lord’s chosen disciples, we may penetrate the deep meaning of these holy mysteries, so far beyond our capacity to express. (Anastasius of Sinai)