Gospel: Transfiguration of the Lord

Today marks the Second Sunday of Lent, and the Gospel reading will be taken from the account of St Luke (click here for the Mass readings from USCCB).

Today, we move from Jesus' retreat to the desert and temptation by the devil to the glory shown in Jesus' Transfiguration. On the first Sunday of Lent, our Gospel always tell the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. On the second Sunday, we always hear the story of Jesus' Transfiguration.

The report of Jesus' Transfiguration is found in each of the Synootic Gospels--Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The context for St Luke's Transfiguration story is similar to that found in St Matthew's and St Mark's.  The Transfiguration occurs after St Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus' prediction of his Passion. After the prediction, there is a discussion of the cost of discipleship in each of these Gospels. The placement of the Transfiguration story close to St Peter's confession and Jesus' prediction encourages us to examine the Transfiguration in the larger context of the Paschal Mystery.

The Transfiguration occurs on a mountain in the presence of just three of Jesus' disciples--St Peter, St John the Apostle, and St James the Greater. These are among the first disciples called in St Luke's Gospel. We recently heard this Gospel at Mass, on the fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Only St Luke's Gospel, which often describes Jesus at prayer, indicates that Jesus is praying as his appearance changes to bright white. St Luke indicates that the three disciples were sleeping while Jesus prayed. They will be sleeping again as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before his Passion and death.

As they awake, St Peter and the disciples see Jesus Transfigured, and Elijah and Moses present with Jesus. Elijah and Moses, both significant figures in the history of Israel, represent Jesus' continuity with the Law and the Prophets (Moses represents the Law and the Ten Commandments and Elijah represents the Prophets). In St Matthew's and St Mark's Gospels, there is reference to conversation among Jesus, Elijah, and Moses, but only St Luke's Gospel explains that this conversation is about Jesus's later accomplishments in Jerusalem. St Luke describes this as his exodus, connecting Jesus' Passion, death, and Resurrection with Israel's Exodus from Egypt.

On witnessing Jesus' Transfiguration and seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah, St Peter offers to construct three tents for them. Having just awoken, perhaps St Peter's offer was made in confusion. We also notice that St Peter reverted from his earlier confession that Jesus is the Messiah (Son of God), calling him "Master" instead. As if in reply to St Peter's confusion, a voice from heaven speaks, affirming Jesus as God's Son and commanding the disciples to listen to him. This voice from heaven recalls the voice that was heard in Jesus' baptism, which, in St Luke's Gospel, spoke directly to Jesus as God's Son.

In his Transfiguration, we see an anticipation of the glory of Jesus' Resurrection. In each of the reports of this event, the disciples keep secret what they have seen. Not until they also witness his Passion and death will the disciples understand Jesus' Transfiguration. We hear this event early in Lent, but we have the benefit of hindsight. In our hearing of it, we anticipate Jesus' Resurrection even as we prepare to remember Jesus' Passion and death.

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The Gospel is sponsored by Prada Men's Wallet.