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“The White Clothes of Jesus” (Mark 9:2-9)Today on this last Sunday in the Epiphany season the church celebrates a great, pivotal event in the life and ministry of Jesus, namely, the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Jesus goes up on a high mountain, taking along with him his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John. There he is transfigured before them, that is, his appearance changes, and his clothes become dazzling white. Two great figures from the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, appear with Jesus and talk with him. The disciples don’t know what to make of all of this....

“Myth-Busters: Apostolic Witness and Prophetic Word” (2 Peter 1:16-21)“Cleverly devised myths.” That’s what we Christians are accused of believing. All that stuff about Jesus Christ being the Son of God and the only Savior of the world? “Just a bunch of fables, fairy tales, myths.” But then this is nothing new. Even back in the first century, Christians were ridiculed for believing the same thing, that they were falling for a bunch of poppycock, fables and fairy tales. St. Peter refers to this accusation in our epistle for today when he writes, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths...

Sixth-century mosaic depicting the Transfiguration (St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai) CNA STAFF, Aug 1, 2010 / 05:11 am (CNA).- Both Roman and Eastern rite Catholics will soon celebrate the Church's feast of the Transfiguration on its traditional date for both calendars, August 6. The feast commemorates one of the pinnacles of Jesus' earthly life, when he revealed his divinity to three of his closest disciples by means of a miraculous and supernatural light.Before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ climbed to a high point on Mount Tabor with his disciples Peter, James, and John. While Jesus prayed upon the...

“The Transfiguration Prefigured: A Mountaintop Experience before the Exodus” (Luke 9:28-36)Sometimes--oftentimes, in fact--the events in the gospels, the events in the life of Jesus, have precedents that occurred in the Old Testament. What I mean is, there were events in the history of Israel that set the stage for, set the pattern for, what Jesus would fulfill and accomplish in his life and ministry. Our gospel account for today is a good example. It is the story of Christ’s Transfiguration. You see, there were events in the Old Testament that prefigured this event, when Christ was transfigured. “The Transfiguration Prefigured”...

“How the Transfiguration Gives Us the Hope of Glory” (Mark 9:2-9)Today is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the Sunday right before Lent begins, which means it is the Sunday in the church year when the Gospel reading always is an account of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. For just as in the Gospel narrative, where the Transfiguration event serves as a pivot point in Christ’s ministry--from here on out Jesus is heading to the cross--so also the church year mirrors this movement, this pivot point, by placing the Transfiguration at this juncture of Epiphany and Lent: Epiphany, the manifestation...

Inexpressible Joy: Meditation on the Transfiguration (Excerpt from Surrender: A Guide for Prayer) By: JACQUELINE SYRUP BERGAN AND MARIE SCHWAN, CSJ   Luke 9:28-36 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions...

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).- To enter into life, it is necessary to listen to Jesus and follow him along the way of the cross, says Benedict XVI.The Pope affirmed this today after praying the midday Angelus in St. Peter's Square. He began his address by thanking those who spiritually accompanied him and the members of the Roman Curia on their spiritual exercises, which ended Saturday.Then the Holy Father turned his attention to the Gospel from today's liturgy, which presented the story of the Transfiguration."The transfiguration is an event of prayer," the Pontiff said. "Praying, Jesus is immersed in...

“Every Picture Tells a Story” (Matthew 17:1-9)Today is the Transfiguration of Our Lord. “Trans-fig-uration?” you say. “What’s that?” That’s a word you don’t use every day. And that’s OK. Because this was an event you don’t see every day, either. And one, if you did see it, you would never forget. That’s why Peter, writing many years later, remembered it so vividly. He says of Christ: “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with...

“The Vision and the Voice” (Luke 9:28-36)Today is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the day we observe the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The Transfiguration is that event when our Lord Jesus Christ was transformed in his appearance. His glory was made manifest before he set out on his way to the cross. Thus the Transfiguration serves as a fitting bridge between Epiphany and Lent: It’s the climax of the Epiphany season, when Christ’s glory is manifested, and it sets the stage for the season of Lent, when Jesus heads to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Our text today is...

August 6, 2006 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Sunday 33 Reading 1Dn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;his throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him.The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of...

Summer days in the Holy Land are hot and still; the relentless sun beats down on green-gray shrubs and dusty rubble. It was on one such day--on August 6, as the church remembers--that Jesus took his closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, and led them up the side of "a high mountain." It is Mt. Tabor that claims this honor. Perhaps the three were used to being taken aside for private conferences. But they weren’t prepared for what happened next. When they reached the peak, St. Matthew tells us that Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his face shone like...

Transfiguration - Hoosoyo - Prayer of Forgiveness The celebrant burns incense during the Prayer of Forgiveness and then directs the deacon or a priest concelebrant to do the incensation. In the absence of a deacon or a concelebrant, the celebrant himself does the incensation during the qolo.The deacon or concelebrant incenses the cross, the main altar, the celebrant, the ministers, and the congregation.PROEMION The celebrant first burns incense, saying:To the praise and glory of the Most Holy Trinity. He then sings the proemion: May we be worthy to praise, glorify, and honor Jesus Christ the bright and ineffable Light and...

August 6, 2005Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Saturday 34 Reading IDn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;his throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him.The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming,on the clouds of heaven;When...

August 6, 2004 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Friday 34 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II Gospel Reading IDn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As...

Please feel free to "jump on the thread" with extraneous comments, I'd like this to be a pleasant refuge from some of the others. The following is an excerpt from The Best of McGee. The honest expression from Simon Peter (amounts to saying), "We're so glad we're here!"Do you feel that way when you come to church on Sunday? If not, you shouldn't go. You shouldn't go to a place (where you are not edified). Instead, you should go where your heart and soul are blessed and refreshed. Then Peter says something that is wrong."If Thou wilt, let us make...

August 6, 2003The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Wednesday 34 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II Gospel Reading IDn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was bright as snow,and the hair on his head as white as wool;his throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him.The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a...

August 6, 2002Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Psalm: Tuesday Week 35 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II Gospel Reading IDn 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched:Thrones were set upand the Ancient One took his throne.His clothing was snow bright,and the hair on his head as white as wool;his throne was flames of fire,with wheels of burning fire.A surging stream of fireflowed out from where he sat;thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,and myriads upon myriads attended him.The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I sawone like a Son of man...