Gospel: The Transfiguration of the Lord

Today marks the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and the Gospel will be proclaimed from the account of St Matthew (tap here for the complete Mass readings from USCCB).

Today's liturgy invites us to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The feast calls to our attention the importance of this event in Jesus' life, further affirmed by its report in each of the Synoptic Gospels. In the Liturgical Cycle A, the reading for this feast is taken from the Gospel of St Matthew. The Transfiguration occurs after St Peter confesses his belief that Jesus is the Messiah and after Jesus predicts his Passion. In each of these Gospels, a discussion of the cost of discipleship precedes the Transfiguration.

In each of the Gospel accounts, Jesus takes three of his disciples--St Peter, St James the Greater, and St John the Evangelist--to a high mountain. While they are there, Elijah and Moses appear and converse with Jesus. The prophets Elijah and Moses are both important figures in the history of Israel. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and received from God the Ten Commandments. Moses represents the Law, which guides the lives of Jewish people. Elijah is one of the most important prophets of Israel who helped the Israelites stay faithful to God, and some believed Elijah's return would signal the coming of the Messiah (Savior) of the Jewish people. The appearance of these two figures from Israel's history indicated Jesus' continuity with the Law and the prophets. They also reveal that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was promised to the people of Israel.

Upon witnessing Jesus' Transfiguration and seeing Jesus with Elijah and Moses, an awestruck St Peter offered to construct three tents for them when a voice from Heaven affirms that Jesus is "my beloved Son" and commands the disciples to listen to him.

In each of the reports of the Transfiguration, Jesus instructed the disciples to keep secret what they have seen until after "the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." We, however, have the benefit of hindsight. In our hearing of the Transfiguration as narrated by the Synoptic Gospels, we see an anticipation of Jesus' glorious Resurrection, a foreshadowing of Christ's glory in Heaven, as well as the promise of our own resurrection.

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Picture from Pexels.