Transfiguration

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Transfiguration is:

“The mysterious event in which Jesus, speaking with Moses and Elijah on the mountain, was transformed in appearance – in the sight of Peter, James, and John – as a moment of disclosure of His divine glory” (CCC, Glossary, pp. 901-902; 554).

  • The English word “Transfiguration” comes from the Latin word “transfigurare” (pronounced tranz-fig-you-ra-ray).  The first part of the Latin word, “trans” means “change;” and the Latin word “figura” (pronounced fig-goo-ra) means “figure” OR “appearance.”  These words combine to describe what happened to Jesus at this event: Jesus’ appearance (figure) changed.  The Greek text uses the word metamorphosis (pronounced met-ta-mor-foe-sis, meaning “to change form, shape, or appearance”) to describe the change or transformation that occurred in Our Lord at this momentous occasion.

When do celebrations of Our Lord’s Transfiguration appear in the Church’s calendar?

The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated on August 6th of every year and it is featured during the Lenten season, on the Second Sunday of Lent.

Who witnessed the Transfiguration?

There were three witnesses to the Transfiguration: St. Peter, St. James, and James’ brother, St. John.

What changes occurred in Our Lord?

Our Lord’s appearance changed!  The three Gospel narratives tell us that the Lord Jesus’ “face shone like the sun,” (Matthew 17:2); and “the appearance of His countenance was altered” (Luke 9:29).  Each narrative tells us that Our Lord’s clothing changed: “His garments became white as light” (Matthew 17:2); “glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them” (Mark 9:3); “and His raiment became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29).

Where in the Gospels is the Transfiguration reported?

The Transfiguration narrative appears in Matthew 17:1-18 (read in Cycle or Year A of the Lectionary); in Mark 9:2-8 (read in Year B); and in Luke 9:28-36 (read in Year C).  The Transfiguration is also mentioned in 2 Peter 1:16-18.

Why were the three Apostles allowed to witness Jesus’ Transfiguration?

Like most Jews of the time, the Apostles mistakenly believed that the blessings to be brought by the Messiah or Christ would be earthly or material blessings.  As in the time of King David, the Messiah was supposed to bring freedom from foreign domination; there would be a return to a golden age of material prosperity like the times when David and Solomon ruled.  When Jesus had already begun to prepare His disciples for His impending death by revealing that He would suffer (Matthew 16:21), the Apostles rejected this revelation.  By means of His Transfiguration Christ wanted to teach them that God’s Christ would give them more than earthly happiness, political independence or material prosperity.  Our Lord wanted them to learn that He would come to His glory through suffering and Death, in order to bring them the better happiness of freedom from sin and the grace of everlasting life.  The Transfiguration was to teach them and us that we will come to share in Christ’s glory in the same way and that ultimate happiness cannot be measured in earthly terms.  The Transfiguration also “gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming, when He will change your lowly body to be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).  The Transfiguration also reminds us that “it is through many persecutions that we must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22; Cf. CCC, 556).

Why did Moses and Elijah appear to Our Lord during the Transfiguration?

Both Moses and Elijah were real people that once lived; but, they were “bigger than life.”  Moses symbolized the Jewish Law in much the same way “Uncle Sam” embodies the idea of “America.”  Likewise, the Prophet Elijah was also a symbol of Prophecy as much the same way as the “Statue of Liberty” represents the ideal of freedom to Americans.  The Transfiguration serves to “prove” by “The Law” (Moses) and “The Prophets” (Elijah) that Christ’s Suffering was indeed the plan of God (Luke 24:26).  This “proof” is further backed by the testimony of God the Father Himself – commanding that Jesus’ revelation must be heeded (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:25).  Moses and Elijah are also the only Old Testament figures to hear God’s voice on Mt. Sinai, which is also called Mt. Horeb (Exodus 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8-18).  The Transfiguration counteracts the mistaken belief held by the Apostles and many Jews of the time that the Messiah will bring only earthly blessings, like freedom from the Romans, material prosperity, and earthly contentment.

What was the significance of the “Cloud” and God the Father’s Voice?

In the experience of the Transfiguration, the three disciples encounter not only the Lord Jesus, but also the other two Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity: God the Father, Who made Himself known by His Voice.  The Holy Spirit made Himself known by appearing visibly in the form of the luminous “Cloud” (CCC, 555).  This “Cloud” is the Shekinah (pronounced Sheck-key-nah) or “Glory of the Lord.”

Is it correct to say that in the Transfiguration, the entire Trinity appeared and made itself known to the spectators?

Yes, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit made Themselves known to the three disciples.  As St. Thomas Aquinas put it: “The whole Trinity appeared: The Father in the Voice; the Son in the Man; and the Holy Spirit in the shining Cloud” (Summa Theologiae, III, 45, 4ad 2).

From: www.stationofthecross.com.  Written by Fr. Rick Poblocki