The Transfiguration of Jesus

ST LUKE 9:28-36 

28 And it came to pass about eight days after these words, that He took Peter, and James, and John, and went up into a mountain to pray.29 And whilst He prayed, the shape of His countenance was altered, and His raiment became dazzling white. 30 And behold two men were talking with Him. And they were Moses and Elias,31 appearing in majesty. And they spoke of His departure that He should accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with Him were heavy with sleep. And waking, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him. 

33 And it came to pass, that as they were departing from Him, Peter saith to Jesus: Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias; not knowing what he said. 34 And as he spoke these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they were afraid, when they entered into the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son; Listen to Him. 36 And whilst the voice was uttered, Jesus was found alone. And they held their peace, and told no man in those days any of these things which they had seen.    - The Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God. 

The Transfiguration is one of the few episodes in the Gospel that is explicitly connected in time with another:  it happened “about eight days after” (verse 28) St Peter’s confession of faith.  There is also a thematic link between the two episodes: what “He was to accomplish at Jerusalem” (verse 31) was the route Jesus had to take to reach “glory” (verse 32); the cross foretold a little earlier (9:22-23) is not the final outcome; it is simply a stage on the way to glory: “For a moment Jesus discloses His divine glory, confirming Peter’s confession.  He also reveals that He will have to go by the way of the cross at Jerusalem in order to ‘enter into His glory’.  Moses and Elijah had seen God’s glory on the mountain; the Law and the Prophets had announced the Messiah’s sufferings.  Christ’s Passion is the will of the Father: the Son acts as God’s servant. The cloud indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit.  ‘The whole Trinity appeared:  the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud’ (St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae)”  (Catechism of the catholic Church, 555).

In His transfiguration, Jesus strengthens His disciples’ faith by giving them an insight into the glory that His human nature will possess after the Resurrection.  It is no accident that the three disciples who witness the Transfiguration (v. 28) are those who are closest to Him during His agony in Gethsemane (St Matthew 26:37; St Mark 14:33).  Their hope is strengthened by this vision:  “For a person to go straight along the road, he must have some knowledge of the end […].  This is particularly necessary if the road is hard and rough, the going heavy, and the end delightful” (St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae).