Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 6, 2020
Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
One time, I had the good fortune to go on a retreat for several days and meet with a spiritual director each day. The experience transformed me, leaving me feeling closer to God and exhilarated to live the Gospel. As the experience drew to a close, I started to regret that I would no longer have the feelings associated with the retreat and I wondered how I would return to my normal life.
My spiritual director invited me to consider this Transfiguration passage as a metaphor for my retreat experience. In the retreat, I was able to withdraw from my normal routines–I went to the mountaintop with the Lord, in a sense. In the time of the retreat, I was able to see Jesus in a new way. I was also able to see myself in a new way, in light of this encounter with God. Because of these new feelings, it was hard to allow the experience to conclude. I was like Peter who suggested, “if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” I wanted to dwell on the mountaintop.
My hesitation to return to normal life, upon further reflection, was just as ridiculous as Peter’s suggestion. What use would Moses and Elijah have for shacks on a mountaintop? They were already in eternity with God the Father. How constraining it would be for Jesus to dwell on the mountain! He needed to return to his ministry and complete his journey to Jerusalem where the Paschal mystery would unfold. I, too, needed to come down from the mountain. I had seen Jesus in a new light, and I needed to share that light with others. I especially needed to use that light to see others in the light of Christ with new eyes of compassion and understanding. Ultimately, this transformed not only my own faith-life but also my relationships with people close to me.
Let us all follow Jesus, Peter, James, and John down from the mountain and into our homes, workplaces, and communities so that the light of the Transfiguration might transfigure our lives.
Prayer
Lord Jesus: You shared the joy of your Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. But when they heard our Father’s voice from the cloud, they were terrified. You touched them and told them not to be afraid. Lord Jesus, be with me when I am joyful and when I am afraid. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The gospel stories of the transfiguration of Jesus tell us that Jesus and three friends, Peter, James and John, departed from everyone else and went up a high mountain. There, something happened to Jesus—he changed in front of them as his divinity burst forth. “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2). The two great prophets, Moses and Elijah—the Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy of Judaism—stood next to Jesus, talking with him. Then a bright cloud came over them, a traditional image used to convey the holy presence of God, and God’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).
Naturally, Peter, James, and John were terrified, and fell to the ground. Jesus touched them and told them, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Suddenly, it all passed and it was just the four of them standing on the mountain. The Renaissance painter, Raphael, captured this moment in his last masterpiece.
Why is this an important feast day in the Church? Because it is a moment when Jesus is revealed for who he truly is: both fully human and fully divine. As such, this is a moment that shows us who we really are as well—this is an image of the holiness that we strive for in both body and soul, and that will be granted us at the end of time.
There is an image of another, different transfiguration on campus: the statue of Moses giving the Ten Commandments that stands near the Hesburgh Library. After Moses converses with God, “the skin of his face became radiant” (Exodus 34:28). In fact, after this encounter, Moses had to wear a veil over his face whenever he was among the Israelites because his face shone so brightly. Moses is often depicted in art with what appear to be horns—artists were trying to represent his face radiating glory.
This context might help us see just how glorious Jesus must have appeared to Peter and John. Moses himself is overshadowed as Jesus, the fulfillment of the law that Moses proclaimed, momentarily shines forth as divine.
Moses experienced intimacy with God just as Jesus was one with the Father and it changed them inside and out. It changed them so greatly that others could not fail to notice. This is our calling as well—to cultivate intimacy with God so that this encounter changes us through and through.
May we live this day conscious that our baptism has made us like Christ, and as we embrace that identity in our words and actions, may we remain open to God’s transfiguring grace.
On this feast of the Transfiguration, may we be transformed by grace and shine with God’s glory!
Image Credit: Our featured image of the Transfiguration is in the public domain. Last accessed March 28, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
