BRIGHT AS THE SUN - TRANSFIGURATION (8/6/2023)

TRANSFIGURATION
August 6, 2023

BRIGHT AS THE SUN

When the Feast of the Transfiguration occurs on a Sunday, as it does this year, it is celebrated instead of the Sunday in Ordinary Time. Actually, we also hear the gospel of the Transfiguration every year on the Second Sunday of Lent. This Feast highlights the majesty and divine glory of Jesus.

DANIEL

In our first reading, Daniel relates a vision of the heavenly court. He describes the Ancient One - the Lord God - in highly majestic terms: snow bright clothing, white hair, a throne of flaming fire with streams of fire flowing from his throne. An uncountable number of attendants ministered to the Ancient One.

Then, Daniel sees "One like a Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven..." The Son of Man (Jesus) receives "dominion, glory, and kingship." Jesus has an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. Parts of this reading from Daniel are used on the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The event of the Transfiguration manifests the kingship of Christ. The Responsorial, Psalm 97, continues to exalt the Lord as king.

2 PETER

The second reading is a testimony to the Transfiguration from an eyewitness - St. Peter himself. Peter testifies that the Lord Jesus "received honor and glory from God the Father" when the Father declared, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Peter emphasizes the reality of the experience of the Transfiguration by recounting what he saw and heard. He urges his readers to be attentive to "the prophetic message that is altogether reliable."

The reading closes with more allusions to light and brightness - "a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your midst."

GOSPEL

All three Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - record the event of the Transfiguration. Each of them, however, adds certain details not found in the others. Today's gospel from Matthew, for example, says about Jesus that "his face shone like the sun" - a detail only noted by St. Matthew.

All three gospels state that a cloud overshadowed the persons there and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." This is very similar to the declaration of the Father at Jesus' baptism in the Jordan, except that this time he adds, "listen to him."

Matthew also adds that Peter, James and John "fell prostrate and were very much afraid." Jesus, however, bids them to stand up and not to fear.

A REVELATION OF HIS GLORY

Today's feast is a revelation of Christ's divine glory. Jesus is true God and true man. To the eyes of those around him, Jesus looked like just another man of his time. But in this very special event, to prepare and encourage his disciples before his passion and death, the glory and majesty of God shone upon him and through him.

In an especially moving verse, St. Paul writes, "For it is God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).

May the Holy Spirit cause the light of Christ to shine in our hearts always!