Our Lord Himself I saw in . . . this venerable Sacrament . . . I felt as if my chains fell, as those of St. Peter at the touch of the Divine messenger. My God, what new scenes for my soul!

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

The Transfiguration of the Lord

The Transfiguration of the Lord
Feast Day
August 6th

Transfiguration
Lorenzo Lotto
1510-12
Pinacoteca Comunale, Recanati

This feast became widespread in the West in the eleventh century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate Christendom's victory over Islam in Belgrade in 1456. Before that, the Transfiguration of the Lord was already celebrated in the Syrian, Byzantine, and Coptic rites. The Transfiguration prefigures the glory of the Lord as God, foretells his ascension into heaven, and anticipates the glory of heaven, where we shall see God face to face. Through grace, we already share in the divine promise of eternal life.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration
of your Only Begotten Son
confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers
and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption to sonship,
grant, we pray, to your servants,
that, listening to the voices of your beloved Son,
we may merit to become co-heirs with him.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading:
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Second Reading:
2 Peter 1:16-19
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but 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 whom I am well pleased," we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Gospel Reading:
Gospel A - Matthew 17:1-9
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."

Gospel B - Mark 9:2-10
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

Gospel C - Luke 9:28b-36
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION TWO: THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
CHAPTER TWO: I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON OF GOD
ARTICLE 3: "HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"
PARAGRAPH 3. THE MYSTERIES OF CHRIST'S LIFE
III. THE MYSTERIES OF JESUS' PUBLIC LIFE

A foretaste of the Kingdom: the Transfiguration
554 From the day Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Master "began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things. . . and be killed, and on the third day be raised."290 Peter scorns this prediction, nor do the others understand it any better than he.291 In this context the mysterious episode of Jesus' Transfiguration takes place on a high mountain,292 before three witnesses chosen by himself: Peter, James and John. Jesus' face and clothes become dazzling with light, and Moses and Elijah appear, speaking "of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem".293 A cloud covers him and a voice from heaven says: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"294
555 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".295 Moses and Elijah had seen God's glory on the Mountain; the Law and the Prophets had announced the Messiah's sufferings.296 Christ's Passion is the will of the Father: the Son acts as God's servant;297 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."298
You were transfigured on the mountain, and your disciples, as much as they were capable of it, beheld your glory, O Christ our God, so that when they should see you crucified they would understand that your Passion was voluntary, and proclaim to the world that you truly are the splendor of the Father.299
556 On the threshold of the public life: the baptism; on the threshold of the Passover: the Transfiguration. Jesus' baptism proclaimed "the mystery of the first regeneration", namely, our Baptism; the Transfiguration "is the sacrament of the second regeneration": our own Resurrection.300 From now on we share in the Lord's Resurrection through the Spirit who acts in the sacraments of the Body of Christ. The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ's glorious coming, when he "will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body."301 But it also recalls that "it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God":302
Peter did not yet understand this when he wanted to remain with Christ on the mountain. It has been reserved for you, Peter, but for after death. For now, Jesus says: "Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on his journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?"303

Transfigured!
Blessed Grapes and Hymns of Glory: The Feast of the Transfiguration in the Eastern Churches
God holds for you nothing less than Himself (Augustine of Hippo on the Transfiguration)
The blessings of grapes (Feast of the Transfiguration)
The feast of the Transfiguration in the Western-Syrian tradition
WDTPRS – Transfiguration: in the Son our own “sonship” more fully revealed

[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] 4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration (Patristic Rosary)
[CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX CAUCUS] Pope leaves Castel Gandolfo on unannounced pilgrimage for Transfiguration
[CATHOLIC / ORTHODOX CAUCUS] On the Feast of the Transfiguration: A Meditation on Seeing
Roman and Byzantine Catholics to celebrate feast of the Transfiguration
Inexpressible Joy: Meditation on the Transfiguration (Excerpt-Surrender: A Guide for Prayer)
Pope: No Resurrection Without the Cross (Reflects on Gospel Account of Transfiguration)
Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Transfiguration
Maronite Catholic: Hoosoyo of the Transfiguration
Transfiguration
AUGUST 6 - FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
It Is Good For Us To Be Here: The Transfiguration of the Lord

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 9
2.	9:1 AND after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them.	9:1 Et post dies sex assumit Jesus Petrum, et Jacobum, et Joannem, et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum solos, et transfiguratus est coram ipsis.	και μεθ ημερας εξ παραλαμβανει ο ιησους τον πετρον και τον ιακωβον και [τον] ιωαννην και αναφερει αυτους εις ορος υψηλον κατ ιδιαν μονους και μετεμορφωθη εμπροσθεν αυτων
3.	9:2 And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white.	9:2 Et vestimenta ejus facta sunt splendentia, et candida nimis velut nix, qualia fullo non potest super terram candida facere.	και τα ιματια αυτου εγενοντο στιλβοντα λευκα λιαν ως χιων οια γναφευς επι της γης ου δυναται λευκαναι
4.	9:3 And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.	9:3 Et apparuit illis Elias cum Moyse : et erant loquentes cum Jesu.	και ωφθη αυτοις ηλιας συν μωσει και ησαν συλλαλουντες τω ιησου
5.	9:4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, 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.	9:4 Et respondens Petrus, ait Jesu : Rabbi, bonum est nos hic esse : et faciamus tria tabernacula, tibi unum, et Moysi unum, et Eliæ unum.	και αποκριθεις ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου ραββι καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι και ποιησωμεν σκηνας τρεις σοι μιαν και μωσει μιαν και ηλια μιαν
6.	9:5 For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.	9:5 Non enim sciebat quid diceret : erant enim timore exterriti.	ου γαρ ηδει τι λαλησει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι
7.	9:6 And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him.	9:6 Et facta est nubes obumbrans eos : et venit vox de nube, dicens : Hic est Filius meus carissimus : audite illum.	και εγενετο νεφελη επισκιαζουσα αυτοις και ηλθεν φωνη εκ της νεφελης ουτος εστιν ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος αυτου ακουετε
8.	9:7 And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them.	9:7 Et statim circumspicientes, neminem amplius viderunt, nisi Jesum tantum secum.	και εξαπινα περιβλεψαμενοι ουκετι ουδενα ειδον αλλα τον ιησουν μονον μεθ εαυτων
9.	9:8 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead.	9:8 Et descendentibus illis de monte, præcepit illis ne cuiquam quæ vidissent, narrarent : nisi cum Filius hominis a mortuis resurrexerit.	καταβαινοντων δε αυτων απο του ορους διεστειλατο αυτοις ινα μηδενι διηγησωνται α ειδον ει μη οταν ο υιος του ανθρωπου εκ νεκρων αναστη
10.	9:9 And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.	9:9 Et verbum continuerunt apud se : conquirentes quid esset, cum a mortuis resurrexerit.	και τον λογον εκρατησαν προς εαυτους συζητουντες τι εστιν το εκ νεκρων αναστηναι

2. And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
3. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
4. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
5. And Peter answered and said 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.
6. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
7. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
8. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

PSEUDO-JEROME; After the consummation of the cross, the glory of the resurrection is shown, that they, who were to see with their own eyes the glory of the resurrection to come, might not fear the shame of the cross;

wherefore it is said, And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and led them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.

CHRYS. Luke in saying, After eight days, does not contradict this; for He reckoned in both the day on which Christ had spoken what goes before, and the day on which He took them up. And the reason that he took them up after six days, was that they, might be filled with a more eager desire during the space of these days, and with a watchful and anxious mind attend to what they saw.

THEOPHYL. And He takes with Him the three chiefs of the Apostles, Peter, as confessing and loving him, John, as the beloved one, James, as being sublime in speech and as a divine; for so displeasing was he to the Jews, that Herod wishing to please the Jews slew him.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. He does not however show His glory in a house, but He takes them up into a high mountain, for the loftiness of the mountain was adapted to showing forth the loftiness of His glory.

THEOPHYL. And He took them apart, because He was about to reveal mysteries to them. We must also understand by transfiguration not the change of His features, but that, whilst His features remained as before, there was added unto Him a certain ineffable brightness.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. It is not therefore fitting that in the kingdom of God any change of feature should take place, either in the Savior Himself, or in those who are to be made like to him, but only an addition of brightness.

BEDE; Our Savior then when transfigured did not lose the substance of real flesh, bit showed forth the glory of His own or of our future resurrection; for such as He then appeared to the Apostles, He will after the judgment appear to all His elect. It goes on, And his raiment became shining.

GREG. Because, in the height of the brightness of heaven above, they who shine in righteousness of life, will cling to Him; for by the name of garments, He means the just whom He joins to Himself. There follows And there appeared to them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

CHRYS. He brings Moses and Elias before them; first, indeed, because the multitudes said that Christ was Elias, and one of the Prophets, He shows Himself to the Apostles with them that they might see the difference between the Lord, and His servants. And again because the Jews accused Christ of transgressing the law, and thought Him a blasphemer, as if He arrogated to Himself the glory of His Father, He brought before them those who shone conspicuous in both ways; for Moses gave the Law, and Elias was zealous for the glory of God; for which reason neither would have stood near Him, if He had been opposed to God and to His law.

And that they might know that He holds the power of life and of death, He brings before them both Moses who was dead, and Elias who had not yet suffered death. Furthermore He signified by this that the doctrine of the Prophets was the schoolmaster to the doctrine of Christ. He also signified the junction of the New and Old Testament, and that the Apostles shall be joined in the resurrection with the Prophets, and both together shall go forth to meet their common King. It goes on, And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for or Elias.

BEDE; If the transfigured humanity of Christ and the society of but two saints seen for a moment, could confer delight to such a degree that Peter would, even by serving them, stay their departure, how great a happiness will it be to enjoy the vision of Diety amidst choirs of Angels for ever? it goes on, For he wist not what to say; although, however, Peter from the stupor of human frailty knew not what to say, still He gives a proof of the feelings which were within him; for the cause of his not knowing what to say, was his forgetting that the kingdom was promised to the Saints by the Lord not in any earthly region, but in heaven; he did not remember that he and his fellow-Apostles were still hemmed in by mortal flesh and could not bear the state of immortal life, to which his soul had already carried him away, because in our Father's house in heaven, a house made with hands is not needed. But again even up to this time he is points at, as an ignorant man who wishes to make three tabernacles for the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel, since they in no way can be separated from each other.

CHRYS. Again, Peter neither comprehended that the Lord worked His transfiguration for the showing forth of His true glory, nor that He did this in order to teach men, nor that it was impossible for them to leave the multitude and dwell in the mountain. It goes on, For they were sore afraid. But this fear of theirs was one by which they were raised from their usual state of mind to one higher, and they recognized that those who appeared to them were Moses and Elias. The soul also was drawn on to a state of heavenly feeling, as though carried away from human sense by the heavenly vision.

THEOPHYL. Or else, Peter, fearing to come down from the mount because he has now a presentiment that Christ must be crucified, said, It is good for us too be here, and not to go down there, that is, in the midst of the Jews; but if they who are furious against You come hither, we have Moses who beat down the Egyptians, we have also Elias, who brought fire down from heaven and destroyed the five hundred.

ORIGEN; Mark says his own person, For he wist not what to say. Where it is matter for consideration, whether perchance Peter spoke this in the confusion of his mind, by the motion of a spirit not his own; whether perchance that spirit himself who wished, as far as in him lay, to be a stumbling-block to Christ, so that He might shrink from that Passion, which was the saving of all men, did not here work as a seducer and wish under the color of good to prevent Christ from condescending to men, from coming to them, and taking death upon Himself for their sakes

BEDE; Now because Peter sought for a material tabernacle, he was covered with the shadow of the cloud, that he might learn that in the resurrection they are to be protected not by the covering of houses, but by the glory of the Holy Ghost; wherefore it goes on, There was a cloud that overshadowed them. And the reason why they obtained no answer from the Lord was, that they asked unadvisedly; but the Father answered for the Son, wherefore there follows And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

CHRYS. The voice proceeded from a cloud in which God is wont to appear, that they might believe that the voice was sent forth from God. But in that He says, This is my beloved Son, He declares that the will of the Father and the Son is one, and that, save that the is the Son, He is in all things One with Him who begot Him.

BEDE He then whose preaching, as Moses foretold, every soul that wished to he saved should hear when He came in the flesh, He now come in the flesh is proclaimed by God the Father to the disciples as the one whom they were to hear. There follows, And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves; for as soon as the Son was proclaimed, at once the servants disappeared, lest the voice of the Father should seem to have been sent forth to them.

THEOPHYL. Again mystically; after the end of this world, which was made in six days, Jesus will take us up (if we be His disciples) into a high mountain, that is, into heaven, where we shall see His exceeding glory.

BEDE; And by the garments of the Lord are meant His saints, who will shine with a new whiteness. By the fuller we must understand Him, to whom the Psalmist says, Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin; for He cannot give to His faithful ones upon earth that glory which remains laid up for them in heaven.

REMIG. Or else, by the fuller are meant holy preachers and purifiers of the soul, none of whom in this life can so live as not to be stained with some spots of sin; but in the coming resurrection all the saints shall be purged from every stain of sin. Therefore the Lord will make them such as neither they themselves by taking vengeance on their own members, nor any preacher by his example and doctrine, can make.

CHRYS. Or else, white garments are the writings of Evangelists and Apostles, the like to which no interpreter can frame.

ORIGEN; Or else, fullers upon earth may by a moral interpretation be considered to be the wise of this world, who are thought to adorn even their foul understandings and doctrines with a false whitening drawn from their own minds. But their skill as fullers cannot produce any thing like a discourse which shows forth the brightness of spiritual conceptions in the unpolished words of Scripture, which by many are despised.

BEDE; Moses and Elias, of whom one, as we read, died, the other was carried away to heaven, signify the coming glory of all the Saints, that is, of all who in the judgment-time are either to be found alive in the flesh, or to be raised up from that death of which they tasted, and who are all equally to reign with Him.

THEOPHYL, Or else it means, that we are to see in glory both the Law and the Prophets speaking with Him, that is we shall then find that all those things which were spoken of Him by Moses and the other prophets agree with the reality; then too we shall hear the voice of the Father, revealing to us the Son of the Father, and saying, This is my beloved Son, and the cloud, that is, the Holy Ghost, the fount of truth, will overshadow us.

BEDE; And we must observe, that, as when the Lord was baptized in Jordan, so on the mountain, covered with brightness, the whole mystery of the Holy Trinity is declared, because we shall see in the resurrection that glory of the Trinity which we believers confess in baptism, and shall praise it all together. Nor is it without reason that the Holy Ghost appeared here in a bright cloud, there in the form of a dove; because he who now with a simple heart keeps the faith which He has embraced, shall then contemplate what he had believed with the brightness of open vision. But when the voice had been heard over the Son, He was found Himself alone, because when He shall have manifested Himself to His elect, God shall be all in all, yes Christ with His own, as the Head with the body, shall shine through all things.

9. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
10. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

ORIGEN; After the showing of the mystery on the mount, the Lord commanded His disciples, as they were coming down from the mount, not to reveal His transfiguration, before the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; wherefore it is said, And as they came down from the mountain , he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

CHRYS. Where He not only orders them to be silent, but mentioning His Passion, He implies the cause why they were to be silent.

THEOPHYL. Which He did lest men should be offended, hearing such glorious things of Him Whom they were about to see crucified. It was not therefore fitting to say such things of Christ before He suffered, but after His resurrection they were likely to be believed.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. But they, being ignorant of the mystery of the resurrection, took hold of that saying, and disputed one with another; wherefore there follows, And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

PSEUDO-JEROME; This which is peculiar to Mark, means, that when death shall have been swallowed up in victory, we shall have no memory for the former things. it goes on, And they asked him, saying, Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come.

Catena Aurea Mark 9

Transfiguration

Fra Angelico

1440-42
Fresco, 181 x 152 cm
Convento di San Marco, Florence

Transfiguration of Christ

Crete
c. 1550
Egg tempera on wood, 77 x 51 cm
Ikonen-Museum, Recklinghausen

Transfiguration

Basilica of Transfiguration, Monastery of St. Catherine
Early 7th c.
mosaic
Mount Sinai

Information: The Transfiguration of the Lord

Feast Day: August 6

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

The Transfiguration

Feast Day: August 6

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us about the wonderful event of the Lord's Transfiguration. Before he suffered and died, he let three of his apostles see him shining with great glory. He did this to make their belief in him stronger.

Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up Mount Tabor which stands in the middle of Galilee. When they were alone, suddenly the Lord's face began to shine bright like the sun. His robes became white as snow. The apostles were speechless. As they watched, two famous prophets who had died a long time ago, Elijah and Moses, appeared. They were talking with Jesus. Imagine the joy those apostles felt.

"Lord," said St. Peter, "it is good for us to be here. If you wish, we could set up three tents here - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Peter really did not know what he was saying, because he was trembling with wonder and fear. As he was talking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. From the cloud they heard the voice of God the Father, saying, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."

When they heard that, the apostles were so frightened that they fell on their faces. Then Jesus came close and touched them. "Arise," he said. "Do not be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus.

As they came down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until he had risen from the dead but they did not understand what Jesus meant. Only after his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, would they understand what Jesus had really meant.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Thursday, August 6

Liturgical Color: White

Pope Paul VI died on this day in 1978. He
wrote the encyclical Humanae Vitae, outlining
the dangers of not respecting life. His dire
predictions of the harmful effects of disregard
for life have proven true.

Day 218 - A Question about the Messiah // Jesus Denounces the Scribe’s Hypocrisy

Today’s Reading: Luke 20:41-47
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 43 till I make your enemies a stool for your feet.’ 44 David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?”

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Today’s Commentary:
David’s son?: The greatness of David was proverbial in the OT. He was the ideal king of Israel by whom all others were measured.

Jesus uses the OT to challenge a mistaken assumption that even the Messiah would be inferior to David. On the contrary, David himself calls the Messiah his superior “Lord” in Ps 110:1 (20:42; Acts 2:34-36).

Catholic Culture

Feast of the Transfiguration

Daily Readings for: August 06, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of your Only Begotten Son confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption to sonship, grant, we pray, to your servants, that, listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may merit to become co-heirs with him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Transfiguration of Our Lord; St. Sixtus II, pope & Felicissimus & Agapitus, martyrs

This feast became widespread in the West in the 11th century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate the victory over Islam in Belgrade. Before that, the Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated in the Syrian, Byzantine, and Coptic rites. The Transfiguration foretells the glory of the Lord as God, and His Ascension into heaven. It anticipates the glory of heaven, where we shall see God face to face. Through grace, we already share in the divine promise of eternal life.

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, in addition to the Feast of the Transfiguration; today is also the feast Sts. Sixtus II and Felicissimus & Agapitus who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian.

The Transfiguration
Our divine Redeemer, being in Galilee about a year before His sacred Passion, took with him St. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, Sts. James and John, and led them to a retired mountain. Tradition assures us that this was Mount Thabor, which is exceedingly high and beautiful, and was anciently covered with green trees and shrubs, and was very fruitful. It rises something like a sugar-loaf, in a vast plain in the middle of Galilee. This was the place in which the Man-God appeared in His glory.

Whilst Jesus prayed, he suffered that glory which was always due to his sacred humility, and of which, for our sake, He deprived it, to diffuse a ray over His whole body. His face was altered and shone as the sun, and his garments became white as snow. Moses and Elias were seen by the three apostles in his company on this occasion, and were heard discoursing with him of the death which he was to suffer in Jerusalem.

The three apostles were wonderfully delighted with this glorious vision, and St. Peter cried out to Christ, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias" Whilst St. Peter was speaking, there came, on a sudden, a bright shining cloud from heaven, an emblem of the presence of God's majesty, and from out of this cloud was heard a voice which said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" The apostles that were present, upon hearing this voice, were seized with a sudden fear, and fell upon the ground; but Jesus, going to them, touched them, and bade them to rise. They immediately did so, and saw no one but Jesus standing in his ordinary state.

This vision happened in the night. As they went down the mountain early the next morning, Jesus bade them not to tell any one what they had seen till he should be risen from the dead.

Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

In the Transfiguration Christ enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The splendor of His inward Divinity and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed on His body, and permeated His garments so that Christ stood before Peter, James, and John in a snow-white brightness. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen the Apostles who were depressed by their Master's prediction of His own Passion and Death. The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two phases: The Cross, and glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we first suffer with Him.

— Rt. Rev. Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas

Sts. Sixtus II & Felicissimus & Agapitus
The Martyrs Archdeacon Laurence, Pope Sixtus, Deacons Felicissimus and Agapitus, the Soldier Romanus were citizens of Rome, and suffered in the year 258 under the emperor Valerian (253-259). Holy Pope Sixtus, born at Athens, received a fine education, preached in Spain and was made bishop in Rome following the martyr's death of Holy Pope Stephen. These were times when a pope occupying the Roman throne, was known to choose death for the faith. In a short while St Sixtus also was arrested and put in prison together with his deacons Felicissimus and Agapitus.

When the holy archdeacon Laurence visited Pope Sixtus, whom they held in prison, he cried out with tears: "Whither art thou gone, father? Why hast thou forsaken thine archdeacon, with whom always thou hast offered the Bloodless Sacrifice? Take thy son with thee, that I may be thy companion in having blood shed for Christ!" St Sixtus answered him: "I have not forsaken thee, my son. I am old and go to an easy death, but yet greater sufferings await thee. Know, that after three days upon our death thou shalt follow after me. And now go, take the church treasury and distribute it to the poor and needy Christians." St Laurence zealously did the bidding of the holy hierarch.

Having heard, that Pope Sixtus had been taken to trial with the deacons, St Laurence went there so as to witness their deed, and he said to the holy bishop: "Father, I have already fulfilled thy command, and distributed by hand thine treasury; forsake me not!" Hearing something about treasure, soldiers put him under guard, and the other martyrs were beheaded (+6 August 258).

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Mark 9:2-10

The Transfiguration of the Lord (Feast)

He was transfigured before them. (Mark 9:2)

Clearly the Church considers the Transfiguration to be a central event in Jesus’ life—and in our lives of faith. Not only do we celebrate it every year on August 6, but we also read the story on the second Sunday of Lent every year. Why do we spend so much time with this story? One obvious answer is that the Transfiguration very clearly reveals Jesus as God’s beloved Son. This vision was meant to help sustain the disciples through the dark days of his passion and death, just as it can sustain us in our own dark days. But there is another reason.

We know that Jesus had a human body just like ours. Now, as we see it shining with divine radiance, we see an image of great hope for us: we can be transformed as well! The Transfiguration isn’t just for Jesus; it’s for all of us fellow humans with him.

Yes, we will be transformed at the end of time when Jesus returns in glory. But that’s not the only transformation that this story points to. The Transfiguration also tells us that we can be transformed, little by little, every day as we embrace God’s word on the mountain: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7). As we quiet our hearts to hear Jesus’ voice, his glory rubs off on us. His word changes our hearts. His love brightens our eyes. His glory helps us lift up our heads.

What a wonderful hope this message of transformation is! Without it, we’re stuck right where we are. The best we can do is what Peter stammered out: erect a tent to honor what God has done for us. Of course, commemorating past blessings isn’t a bad thing, but God has so much more for us. He wants us to move into the future with him. He invites us to follow him on his journey of love, through the cross to the risen life that he has promised to all of us.

So listen to Jesus today. Try to detect his still small voice in prayer, in nature, or in your circumstances. Listen to him, and he will raise you up!

“Jesus, show me your glory today! Let your unfailing love touch and change me.”

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
2 Peter 1:16-19

Marriage = One Man amd One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for August 6, 2015:

“Not everyone is going to be a friend, but no one needs to be an enemy.” (Susan Vogt) How do you, your spouse, and your children deal with people you don’t like? Avoid them? Pray for them? Try to understand them? Gossip about them? Confront them? Fight? Talk about it.

Regnum Christi

Love’s Labor Transfigured

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

August 6, 2015. Transfiguration of the Lord

Mark 9: 2-10

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in your wondrous shining glory, although this is hidden from my eyes. I hope in the peace and everlasting joy of the world to come, for this world is a valley of tears. I love you, even though I am not always able to discern the love in your intentions when you permit me to suffer. You are my God and my all.

Petition: Lord, detach my heart from the world, and allow me to live for love of you.

The Great Exodus: Jesus was conversing with Moses and Elijah about his exodus: the liberation of mankind from the slavery to sin. He was not speaking about the miracles he would perform, the comforts or beauty of this world, or the ambitions he might hold. He was not concerned with the opportunities he might have to use his talents, to achieve great things, to win esteem from others, to make a name for himself, or to rest and relax. Jesus was not speaking about any of these things. His only desire was his exodus – his suffering and death and departure from this world to glorify his Father, fulfilling his will by saving mankind.

The Promised Land: Our hearts can love and be attached to many things: ambitions, desires, hopes, esteem, comfort, getting things done, using our talents, self-fulfillment. Our Lord chose to subordinate all these possibilities to the love of his Father. This is what it means to follow Christ and be “detached” from the world: to be ready to give up any of these goods for love of Christ, should he require us to do so. We must be so in love with Christ that we esteem him more than all of these other loves. This is the true Promised Land and true liberation from the slavery of egoism. The fruits of dying to self in this way are joy, peace, love and eternal life.

Rising from a Seed: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat” (John 12:24). All of our loves have to be purified, dying like seeds in the ground, because all of our loves have a strong elements of self-centeredness embedded in them. It is this self-centeredness that must be uprooted and die. If we analyze what we love we will see that this is true. A wife who loves her husband may experience a self-centered aspect of her love that causes her to seek to control him. A father who loves his son might punish him out of his anger instead of for the son’s greater good. The self-centered element of our love impoverishes and tarnishes it, causing us, in reality, to love much less than we are capable of loving.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, free my heart from every selfish aspect of my love. Help me make that generous step of “dying to self” in this way. Help me to understand that this will always lead to true freedom and joy in my heart and to a greater capacity of true self-giving.

Resolution: I will make a generous decision to overcome some area of selfishness in a relationship today.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 5

<< Thursday, August 6, 2015 >>

Transfiguration

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Peter 1:16-19
View Readings

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
Mark 9:2-10
Similar Reflections

LISTEN TO HIM, NOT HIM

"As they were coming down the mountain..." —Mark 9:9

Peter said to the transfigured Jesus: "How good it is for us to be here!" (Mk 9:5) Peter may have been "beating around the bush." He may have been speaking not so much of the goodness of being on the mountain as of the badness of carrying the cross with Jesus in "the valley of the shadow of death" (Ps 23:4, RSV-CE; see also Mt 16:22). Compared to the valley of the shadow of death, the mountaintop looked great.

After Peter had made his remarks, "a cloud came, overshadowing them, and out of the cloud a voice: 'This is My Son, My Beloved. Listen to Him' " (Mk 9:7). The Father may have said, in effect: "Don't listen to Peter, who has just spoken. Listen to Jesus, Who says: 'It is good for us to get off the mountain and into the valley from which we can carry the cross up another mountain, Mt. Golgotha, Calvary.' "

St. Augustine preached on the transfigured Christ: "Go down to toil on earth, to serve on earth, to be scorned and crucified on earth. Life goes down to be killed; Bread goes down to suffer hunger; the Way goes down to be exhausted on His journey; the Spring goes down to suffer thirst; and you refuse to suffer?" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 556)

Prayer: Father, give me ears to hear the crucified Jesus (see Rv 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Promise: "We were eyewitnesses of His sovereign majesty. He received glory and praise from God the Father when that unique declaration came to Him out of the majestic splendor: 'This is My beloved Son, on Whom My favor rests.' We ourselves heard this said from heaven.' " —2 Pt 1:17-18

Praise: Praise You, transfigured and glorified Lord Jesus. You are the Light of the world and of heaven (Rv 21:23). Alleluia!