Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION (Cycle C)
Readings:
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
2 Peter 1:16-19
Luke 9:28-36
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), NABRE (New American Bible Revised St. Joseph Edition), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, which is why we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: The Messiah-King Revealed in
Glory
This Sunday, we celebrate the day Jesus revealed Himself in
His Divine Glory to the Apostles Peter, James, and John before His Crucifixion
and Resurrection. In celebrating this feast, we also acknowledge Jesus's
kingship over all creation and the promise of our future resurrection with Him
in glory.
In the First Reading, the prophet Daniel received a vision of the Messiah who appeared to be a man, ascending in glory on a cloud to God in Heaven. Daniel's vision, seen from the vantage point of the heavenly court, was also seen by Jesus's Apostles and disciples from an earthly perspective on the day Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives, forty days after His Resurrection: as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight (Acts 1:9). What they couldn't see was what took place next in Daniel's vision: the presentation of Jesus, the Divine Messiah, to God the Father, who gave God the Son kingship over all nations and peoples on the earth. Jesus, the Messiah-King, fulfilled Daniel's vision in the Ascension when He received as a reward, in His victory over sin and death, dominion over all the earth and its nations and peoples.
The Responsorial Psalm is a liturgical hymn calling for the covenant people to rejoice in proclaiming God their Divine King. The psalmist described God's awesome revelation of Himself in His Divine Glory, recalling Israel's theophany of God at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:16-20). He then proclaimed God's sovereignty over the cosmos and His reign as the Divine King over the earth's nations, peoples, and all other powers.
Jesus's sacrifice, death, and Resurrection restored the Kingdom of God on earth. His faithful subjects, those redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, share in His victory over sin and death. The Church reads from this psalm on the Feast of Transfiguration because it recalls the vision of the glorified Messiah-King seen by the prophet Daniel and three of the Apostles in their Transfiguration experience, described in each of the Synoptic Gospels and retold by St. Peter in his eyewitness account (Second Reading). The Psalm Reading response is "The Lord is King, the Most High over all the earth." We have the hope that one day we will sing this response in the company of saints and angels in the presence of the Divine Messiah, our King of glory!
The Transfiguration event was a vision of Christ's glory that St. Peter witnessed and later wrote about in his second letter to the universal Church (Second Reading). St. Peter's Transformation experience was the fulfillment of the vision of the glorified Messianic King witnessed in the 6th century BC by the prophet Daniel (First Reading). The experience of the Transfiguration changed Peter's life. It was a vision he must have clung to in the dark hours of Christ's Passion and death, during his years as the Vicar of Christ's earthly Kingdom of the universal Church, and during his martyrdom by the Romans in AD 67.
Our Gospel Reading recounts the experience of three Apostles as they witnessed Jesus transformed in His Divine Glory in the presence of two Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah. The experience was not only a revelation of the Divine Messiah, but of the Most Holy Trinity as God the Holy Spirit overshadowed God the Son in a bright cloud, and God the Father's voice was heard from Heaven, acknowledging Jesus as His Divine Son.
Jesus's Kingdom of the Church on earth and in Heaven is everlasting and indestructible (prophesied in Dan 2:44; 7:14). Those in covenant with Jesus in the Sacrament of Baptism and who serve His earthly Kingdom of the Church are the Messiah-King's subjects. They receive a revelation of the Living Christ in every Eucharistic celebration and who faithfully and obediently await His glorious return.
The First Reading Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~ The Vision of
the Messianic King
9 As Daniel watched: Thrones were set up, and the Ancient
One took his throne. His clothing was snow bright, and the hair on his head as
white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. 10 A
surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; thousands upon thousands
were ministering to him and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was
convened and the books were opened. [...] 13 As the visions during the night
continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he
reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, 14 the one like a Son of
man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages
serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Daniel received a prophetic vision of the divine judicial proceeding convened against humanity in the heavenly Sanctuary when the Book of Life and the Book of Deeds were opened to present evidence for and against humanity (Rev 20:12). The "Ancient One" is God the Father, and the "one like a Son of man" is the Messianic King who looks like a human being. Daniel received his vision in the 6th century BC; however, the event in the vision did not occur until the Messianic Age, when Jesus, the victorious Messiah-King, received divine rule over all the earth after His glorious Ascension (Acts 1:6-11). The vision of God the Father in verses 9-10 is reminiscent of Israel's theophany of God in His glory on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:18-19; also see Ps 50:3 and Rev 5:11).
13a I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of
heaven
The title "son of man" in Scripture usually means a human
being, as often applied to the prophet Ezekiel (see, for example, Ez 2:2-3). "Son
of Man" was Jesus's favorite title for Himself. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus used
the title "Son of Man" for Himself thirty-two times. In the Gospels of Mark and
John, He used the title for Himself fourteen times, and in the Gospel of Luke,
Jesus used the title for Himself twenty-five times. However, when Jesus used
the title for Himself, He used it not only in the sense of His humanity but in the
sense of the Messiah-King of Daniel's vision. His intentional use of the title
in this way becomes clear in Jesus's trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin when He
used the title "Son of Man" for Himself for the last time (see Mt 26:64; Mk 14:62;
Lk 22:69). It was Jesus's use of the title "Son of Man" in answer to the High
Priest's question if He was the Messiah that He quoted from Daniel 7:13, causing
the High Priest and the Sanhedrin to condemn Jesus to death for blasphemy. They
understood that He claimed to be the Divine Messianic king of Daniel's vision
(Mt 26:65-66; Mk 14:63-64; Lk 22:70-71).
13b when he reached the Ancient One and was presented
before him, 14 the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and
kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be
destroyed.
This part of Daniel's vision, seen from the vantage point of
the heavenly court, was also witnessed by Jesus's Apostles and disciples from
an earthly perspective. On the day Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of
Olives, forty days after His Resurrection, the Apostles and disciples stood
with Him on the Mount of Olives, and as they were looking on, he was lifted up,
and a cloud took him from their sight (Acts 1:9). What they couldn't see
was what took place next: Jesus's presentation to God the Father in verse 14 of
Daniel's vision. Jesus, the Messiah-King, received as a reward for His victory
over sin and death: dominion over all the earth. His Kingdom of the Church on
earth and in Heaven is one everlasting kingdom that will stand forever (prophesied
by Daniel in Dan 2:44). Christians are the Messiah-King's faithful subjects who
serve His Kingdom and await His glorious return.
Responsorial Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 ~ The Lord is King
The response is: "The Lord is King, the Most High over all
the earth."
1 The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many
islands be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and
judgment are the foundation of his throne.
Response:
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the
LORD of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see
his glory.
Response:
9 Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the
earth, exalted far above all gods [above the angels].
[...] = Old Testament Greek
Septuagint (LXX) translation; also see the quote in Hebrews 1:6b.
Response:
The title of this liturgical hymn is A call to rejoice: the Lord reigns and reveals himself as king, giving the theme of the psalm and calling for the covenant people to acclaim the Lord God as the King of "all the earth." The psalm opens by proclaiming the Lord as King and inviting all peoples of the earth to rejoice (verse 1). Then, the psalmist describes God's awesome revelation of Himself and the glory that precedes Him (verses 2 and 5-6). The reference to "many islands" (also translated as "coastlines") in verse 1 is a reference to distant countries over which the Divine King has sovereignty (see Is 42:4, 10, 12). The theophany in verses 2 and 5-6 recalls Israel's experience of God at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:16-20) and proclaims God's sovereignty over the earth and the cosmos.
Verse 9 is Israel's acclaim to the Lord God, who reigns as the only God and Divine King over the earth, its nations, peoples, and all spiritual powers. The Masoretic Hebrew text and our translation have the word "gods" in verse 9. However, the Greek Septuagint translation (used in Jesus's time) has "angels" instead of "gods," as does the quote of verse 9 in Hebrews 1:6b, which makes more sense since there is no other God but Yahweh and He is above the angels who are His servants.
Christ the King restores the Kingdom of God on earth by defeating the power of Satan over the earth and humanity by destroying sin and death. His faithful subjects, those redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, share in His victory. The Church reads from this psalm on the Feast of Transfiguration because it recalls the vision of the glorified Messiah-King seen by the Apostles in their transfiguration experience described in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-36).
The Second Reading 2 Peter 1:16-19 ~ Peter's Eyewitness
Testimony of Jesus in His Glory
16 We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made
known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been
eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the
Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This
is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this
voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Moreover,
we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well
to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns
and the morning star rises in your hearts.
St. Peter began this passage by assuring Christians that the Gospel message of salvation and the story of Jesus's sacrifice and Resurrection are not myths like those about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses worshipped by most of the population in the Roman world. The "we" in verse 16 refers to Peter and Jesus's other Apostles and disciples. Peter wrote that people could be confident that the testimonies of the Apostles and disciples about Jesus Christ, and His teachings and works are true because theirs is eyewitness testimony.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, "This is my
Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice
come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
St. Peter bears witness to the reliability of the apostolic
message by testifying to hearing the Divine Voice of God from Heaven
identifying Jesus as His Divine Son who had God's full approval (Mt 17:5;
Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35). The "we" Peter mentions in verses 18 and 19 refers to his
companions at the Transfiguration event: the Apostles James and John Zebedee
(Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2; Lk 9:28).
19a Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is
altogether reliable.
In addition to witnessing the Transfiguration event and Jesus's
other works, Peter declared that he and the other Apostles possess the
"prophetic message." They received directly from Jesus the authority to teach, forgive
sins, guide, and discipline His Church in the apostolic power to "bind and
loose." This power was first given to Peter by Jesus in Matthew 16:16-19, then
to all the Apostles in Matthew 18:18, and was repeated to them by Jesus after
His Resurrection in John 20:22-23 when He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. The
prophetic message is also equivalent to the Scriptures since the Old Testament
spoke prophetically about the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom (Lk 24:44-49).
St. Peter's message is that the teachings of Christ, like the Scriptures
themselves, are entirely trustworthy because the Scriptures are the word of God,
and Jesus is the Living Word.
19b You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp
shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts.
The poetic imagery in Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp
for my feet, a light for my path, may have inspired Peter in writing verse
19. Using similar poetic language, Peter reminds his audience that the
teachings Jesus passed on to the Apostles and disciples, and the same teachings
the Apostles and disciples have passed on to the faithful, are like a "lamp
shining in a dark place," guiding them on their journey to salvation. The Church's
prophetic message will be a lamp until "day dawns." The promise of day dawning
is probably a reference to the Second Advent of the Lord and the dawn of the
new Heaven and earth (Rev 21:1-4).
and the morning star rises
The image of the "morning star" can have three interpretations:
In Revelation 2:28, the "morning star" symbolized Jesus's resurrection victory over death. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus identifies Himself as the "morning star": I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star" (Rev 22:16).
in your hearts.
The reference to coming in hearts is the "lamp" of the
prophetic word that will give way to a deeper and more complete understanding
in the hearts of the faithful when the Lord Jesus returns. The First Advent of
Christ and His Gospel message of the gift of salvation has Let light shine
out of darkness, and has shone in our hearts to bring to light the
knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6). But,
so too will the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, the "Morning Star," cause the
light of the eternal day to shine in our hearts and souls forever.
The Gospel Reading Luke 9:28-36 ~ The Transfiguration of
the Christ
28 About eight days after he said this, he took Peter,
John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying his
face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And
behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in
glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 Peter
and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they
saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As they were about to part
from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us
make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did
not know what he was saying. 34 While he was still speaking, a cloud came and
cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the
cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son;
listen to him." 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They
fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
The Transfiguration of the Christ is an experience with the divine that reveals the true nature of Jesus's identity to three of the Apostles. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark record the same experience (Mt 17:1-8 and Mk 9:2-8). The disciples and Apostles must have been frightened and discouraged after Jesus predicted His death (Lk 9:22). Jesus took three Apostles up a "mountain" to witness a manifestation of His glory. The revelation confirmed His divine identity and gave them the vision to grasp in their darkest hour when evil men fulfilled the prophecy of His death.
That Jesus only took three Apostles with Him is not a demonstration of favoritism. God does not have "favorites." It was instead a demonstration of hierarchy in the future administration of Christ's kingdom. These three were also set aside from the others to witness the synagogue official's daughter raising from the dead (Lk 8:51-55). They were also singled out again when Jesus faced His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-37; Mk 14:32-33). What they witness will assure them that He will return in glory when "all things have taken place" (Mt 5:18) in God's divine plan, including His suffering and death.
and went up the mountain to pray.
Significantly, the location of this experience took place on
a mountain. Mighty works/revelations of God often took place on mountains,
including the Theophany of God on Mount Sinai (see for example: Gen 22:2, 11;
Ex 19:16-20; 1 Kng 18:19-39; 19:11-18;
1 Chr 21:15-17; 2 Chr 3:1; and Mt 5:1-2).
Two traditions identify the mountain. One tradition names Mount Hermon at
Caesarea Philippi, but the more popular tradition places the Transfiguration
event on Mount Tabor. It is an isolated mountain about six days journey from
Caesarea Philippi, west of the Sea of Galilee, and in the northeast portion of
the Plain of Esdraelon that rises to a height of 1,843 feet. Christians have
celebrated Mount Tabor as the site of the Transfiguration since the 4th
century AD. As the new Moses, Jesus ascended the mountain not to find a
revelation of God but to give a revelation of God the Son to His three
Apostles.
This narrative is one of the few places in the Gospels containing a chronological time marker. Verse 28 discloses that it was eight days after Peter's confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God that they came to "a high mountain." Some of the Fathers of the Church interpret the "after six days" in Matthew 17:1 and Mark 9:2 to suggest they ascended the mountain on the seventh day, like Moses in Exodus: After Moses had gone up, a cloud covered mountain. The glory of the LORD settled upon Mount Sinai. The cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud (Ex 24:15-16). However, St. Augustine and others taught that the other Gospels left out of their calculation the day Peter gave his confession of faith, and Jesus spoke the words concerning His Kingdom and the day on which they ascended the mountain. They suggest that the Gospels of Matthew and Mark have counted the intermediate days between these two events and therefore used the expression "after six days." St. Augustine and others believed it was on the seventh day that they arrived, and on the eighth day after they set out, they ascended the mountain. St. Augustine wrote: Leaving out of their calculation the day on which Jesus spoke these words, and the day on which he exhibited that memorable spectacle on the mount, they have regarded simply the intermediate days, and have used the expression, "after six days." But Luke, reckoning in the extreme day at either end, that is to say, the first day and the last day, has made it "after eight days," in accordance with that mode of speech in which the part is put for the whole (St. Augustine, Harmony of the Gospels, 2.5). Luke's "eighth day" might also be a symbolic number since on the "eighth day," Jesus will arise from death on Resurrection Sunday, the day after the seventh day Old Covenant Sabbath (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1-3; Jn 20:1). In the significance of numbers in Scripture, eight is the number of salvation, rebirth, and eternity; see The Significance of Numbers in Scripture.
29 While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
The change in the appearance of His face recalls the description
of Moses's radiant face after being in the presence of God (Ex 34:29-35). In
St. Matthew's account, he describes Jesus's face as radiant and his garment as
"as white as light" (Mt 17:2). This description also recalls Daniel's vision of
the "man" dressed in linen with a belt of fine gold around his waist, whose
"body was like chrysolite, his face shone like lightning, his eyes were like
fiery torches, his arms and feet looked like burnished bronze, and his voice
sounded like the roar of a multitude (Dan 10:5-6). The divine person Daniel
saw may have been an angel or the pre-Incarnate Christ. Daniel's vision is like
when St. John saw the glorified Jesus in Revelation 1:12-15.
30 And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and
Elijah, 31 who appeared in
glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Moses and Elijah also appeared in transcendent glory and
discussed with Jesus the coming hour of His "exodus," meaning His departure
from Jerusalem. In Sacred Scripture, Moses and Elijah represent the Old
Covenant Law and God's holy prophets. The "exodus" from Jerusalem that they
discussed with Jesus concerned the events of His death, burial, Resurrection,
and Ascension when He will make His "exodus" (departure) from His earthly
existence to the Heavenly Kingdom.
The disciples and Apostles knew Jesus in His human form. However, in the encounter on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus revealed Himself in His divine glory in the presence of the Old Covenant Law-giver and liberator, Moses, and the prophet Elijah. In the epiphany on the Mount of Transfiguration, the three Apostles witnessed the coming together of the Old and New Covenants with Christ as the beginning and the end of divine revelation. Moses and Elijah represented the Old Covenant Church and embodied the Law and the prophets of the old Israel. Peter, James, and John represented the New Covenant Church and embodied the hierarchy of the new Israel, the Church of the people of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth (CCC 751-52, 877). It was a vision of the supernatural the Apostles would need to strengthen themselves and their brother Apostles in the covenant ordeal they were to face in the climax of the final year of Jesus's ministry.
33 As they were about to part from him, Peter said to
Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for
you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was
saying.
John's Gospel does not mention the Transfiguration. St. John
rarely repeated what the Synoptic Gospels sufficiently covered. He did,
however, mention in the second year of Jesus's ministry (which began in the
feeding of the five thousand) that He went to Jerusalem for the pilgrim feast
of Sukkoth, known in English as the Feast of Booths/Shelters or Tabernacles (Dt 16:16; Jn 7:1-2, 10). The covenant obligations for the festival are in
Leviticus 23:33-43. In Leviticus 23:42, God commanded: During this week
every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths, that your descendants
may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made
them dwell in booths, I, the LORD am your God." The festival lasted a
significant eight days (Lev 23:33, 39;
also see Num 29:12, 35).
Perhaps Peter suggested they should build booths because the event of the Transfiguration took place near the time of the festival of Booths/Tabernacles. If this was the case, what Peter suggested, but perhaps did not wholly understand, was a radical reordering of the Old Covenant liturgical calendar and the annual sacred feasts. Notice that Jesus did not rebuke Peter. Perhaps Peter suggested they did not need to keep the Old Covenant feast in Jerusalem to offer worship in the presence of God when they could worship God the Son on the mountain in the presence of the great prophets. He may have begun to grasp that the Old Covenant order was ending with its ritual purity rites and feast days to be replaced by the prophet Jeremiah's prophecy of a New and eternal Covenant (Jer 31:31-34; 32:40; 50:5).
Jesus fulfilled the old rituals of the Law, as He promised in Matthew 5:18, and would inaugurate the New Covenant at the Last Supper (Lk 22:19-20). From the Cross, He announced: "It is fulfilled/finished/accomplished" (Jn 19:30). The moral law would remain, but the new order would transform the old. There would be new religious commands, sacrifices, and prohibitions in the New Covenant liturgical worship, and the sacred communion feast of the Old Covenant Toda (Thanksgiving) would become the holy communion feast of the Eucharist, the Thanksgiving meal of Christ's Body and Blood (Heb 8:13; 9:11-15; 10:11-18).
34 While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a
shadow over [overshadowed] them, and they became frightened when they entered
the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen
Son; listen to him." 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
The Divine voice was the same heard from Heaven at Jesus's
baptism (Lk 3:22), another revelation of the Most Holy Trinity that also took
place at His Baptism. The divine voice was heard from Heaven three times:
The word for the shadow of the cloud cast over them is episkiazo. It is the same word in the account of the Holy Spirit overshadowing the Virgin Mary in the Incarnation (Lk 1:35) and in the Greek translation of Exodus when God's Spirit overshadowed the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 40:34). A cloud was a frequent vehicle for the manifestation of God's presence in Scripture. Some examples of the presence of God the Holy Spirit manifested in a cloud in Scripture:
This significant event of Jesus's transfiguration into His Divine Glory is tied both in time and meaning to two events concerning St. Peter and recorded in the Synoptic Gospels:
The pronouncement of the Divine Voice, "this is my beloved Son," confirmed Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God at Caesarea Philippi. However, the command of the Divine Voice, "Listen to Him," was a rebuke of Peter's refusal to listen to Jesus's announcement of His coming Passion (Mt 16:21-23).
The command of the Divine Voice of God from Heaven, saying, "Listen to Him," also confirmed that Jesus was the prophet like Moses God promised His people in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. That prophecy ended with a promise and a command: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command. If any man will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it (Dt 18:18-19 NJB).
36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They
fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
Like the children of Israel who heard the voice of God in
the Theophany at Sinai (Ex 20:18), and like the prophet Daniel who also experienced
a divine appearance (Dan 9:15-18; 10:7-9), the three Apostles were amazed at
what they experienced. They obeyed Jesus's command not to tell anyone what they
had seen. It wasn't until after His Resurrection and Ascension that they shared
their experience. Peter wrote about the Transfiguration years later in a letter
to the universal Church that we studied in our Second Reading: We did not
follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he
received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came
to him for the majestic glory, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well
pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him
on the holy mountain (2 Pt 1:16-18).
The Transfiguration of Christ presented the Apostles and those who read about it with the revelation of the mystery of Jesus's identity as fully man and God. The miraculous transformation of the human Jesus into the glorified Divine Son puts the Passion and death of Jesus into perspective. The experience assured the Apostles that Jesus's suffering and death would end in the triumph of His glorious Resurrection on the third day, as He has tried to tell them (Mt 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). The memory of His glory they witnessed would sustain Saints Peter, James, and John when facing their private ordeals during the events of Jesus's Passion. And sharing their vision of the glorified Jesus encouraged the other Apostles and disciples to remain faithful. It is a vision that is also meant to inspire us. If we remain faithful and obedient to the commands of Jesus, one day, we will also see Him in His glory and hear God's voice.
Catechism References (*indicates the quoting of the
Scripture reference in the citation):
Daniel 7:10 (CCC 678);
7:13 (CCC 440);
7:14 (CCC 664)
Luke 9:28 (CCC 2600*); 9:30-35 (CCC 2583*); 9:31 (CCC 554, 1151*); 9:33 (CCC 556*); 9:34-35 (CCC 659*, 697); 9:35 (CCC 516, 554)
The Transfiguration (CCC 554*, 555*, 556*, 568)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2014; revised 2022 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.