The Transfiguration of the Lord

  "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." Oh, to be on that mountain! What a priceless experience for Peter, James, and John. If they had ever doubted, if they wondered whether Jesus was really who he said he was, their confidence surely got a boost on the day of the Transfiguration. Before their very eyes, Jesus' divine beauty radiated gloriously while the two ancient   prophets also appeared in miraculous manner. And to top it off, the voice of God the Father spoke from the heavens and confirmed that it was all true: Jesus really is the Son of God!
   Why did Jesus reveal himself in such a remarkable way to these men? Perhaps we have an answer in today's epistle. Peter writes, "We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain."  Peter mentions this fact in order  to confirm his credibility as a preacher as he goes on to say, "We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it." Because of the mission that Peter had to help shape and nurture the Church in its earliest days, his position as an "eyewitness" to the Transfiguration helped to gain the attention, and the faith, of his hearers.
   So although we were not there during this holy apparition, we have the benefit of it. We, and the faithful through the ages, have heard the testimony that Jesus is truly our God from those who saw in person that it was for real. In this way, the Transfiguration is able to bolster the faith of many, not just the three men who were there that day. May we have the grace to allow the feast we celebrate today to  truly deepen our faith. ©Liturgical Publications Inc