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).

The Glorious St Joseph Mysteries

Hail Joseph, Son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you amongst men, and blessed is Our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us and be with us now and as we sigh our last breath. + Amen.

1) The Happy Death of St Joseph

"Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones" (Ps. 115:6). After having faithfully served Jesus and Mary, St. Joseph reached the end of his life in the house at Nazareth. There, surrounded by angels, assisted by Jesus Christ the King of angels, and by Mary, his spouse, who placed themselves at each side of his poor bed, filled with the peace of paradise, he departed from this life. 

Who shall ever be able to understand the sweetness, the consolation, the blessed hope, the acts of resignation, the flames of charity which the words of eternal life coming alternately from the lips of Jesus and Mary, breathed into the soul of Joseph at the end of his life? - St. Alphonsus Liguori

 2) The Assumption of St Joseph

When he has been tried, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.  - St. James 1:12

It is beyond doubt that Christ did not deny to Joseph in heaven that intimacy, respect, and high honor which he showed to him as to a father during his own human life, but rather completed and perfected it. - St. Bernardino of Sienna

How could we doubt that Our Lord raised glorious St. Joseph up into Heaven, body and soul? For Joseph had the honor and grace of carrying Him so often in his blessed arms, arms in which Our Lord took so much pleasure. St. Joseph is therefore in Heaven body and soul, without a doubt.  - St. Francis de Sales

3) The Intercession of St Joseph

To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succor us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succors us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks. This has also been the experience of other persons whom I have advised to commend themselves to him; and even to-day there are many who have great devotion to him through having newly experienced this truth."  

 - St. Teresa de Ávila

4) Patron of Workers

For Joseph, of royal blood, united by marriage to the greatest and holiest of women, reputed the father of the Son of God, passed his life in labor, and won by the toil of the artisan the needful support of his family. It is, then, true that the condition of the lowly has nothing shameful in it, and the work of the laborer is not only not dishonoring, but can, if virtue be joined to it, be singularly ennobled. Joseph, content with his slight possessions, bore the trials consequent on a fortune so slender, with greatness of soul, in imitation of his Son, who having put on the form of a slave, being the Lord of life, subjected himself of his own free-will to the spoliation and loss of everything.  - Pope Leo XIII

5) Patron of the Universal Church

He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possessions. -Psalm 105:21

In these latter times in which a monstrous and most abominable war has been declared against the Church of Christ … we should more efficaciously implore the compassion of God through the merits and intercession of Saint Joseph … Hence, by a special decree … We solemnly declare the blessed patriarch Joseph Patron of the Universal Church! … O God, who in your ineffable providence was pleased to choose blessed Joseph as the spouse of your most holy mother, grant, we beseech you, that we may be made worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate as our protector on earth. -Blessed Pope Pius IX

The Blessed Patriarch Joseph looks upon the multitude of Christians who make up the Church as confided especially to his trust - this limitless family spread over the earth, over which, because he is the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus Christ he holds, as it were, a paternal authority. It is, then, natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage and defend the Church of Jesus Christ.  - Pope Leo XIII