Feast of the Transfiguration

Today we celebrate the glorious Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord — that mysterious moment on the mountain when Jesus revealed His divine glory to Peter, James, and John. It is a moment of light, of awe, and of deep spiritual insight, one that speaks directly to the longings of every human soul seeking to find meaning in a world that often feels shrouded in shadows.

In the Gospel, Peter says something very human, very relatable: ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents…’ He wanted to remain there, to hold on to the moment of divine beauty and peace. And really, who can blame him? On that mountaintop, the veil was lifted. All fear, all uncertainty disappeared. In that brilliance, the troubles of the world seemed far away. Don’t we feel the same way in our own encounters with God’s presence — in moments of deep prayer, in the beauty of the liturgy, in sacred silence? Like Peter, we want to stay. In a world filled with division, violence, anxiety, and despair, we long for a taste of heaven, for a refuge from chaos.

St. Anastasius of Sinai, one of the early Fathers of the Church, reflecting on the Transfiguration, said this: ‘He was transfigured, not by putting aside the flesh but by revealing the glory of His divinity through it.’ What a powerful reminder — that the glory of God is not opposed to the world God created, but is found in and through it. The Transfiguration was not an escape from reality — it was the unveiling of what is most real.

Why, then, does Jesus insist that the disciples come down the mountain? Because the glory they witnessed was meant to strengthen them for the road ahead — the road that leads to the Cross. Christ does not call us to flee the world, but to carry His light back into it. We cannot build permanent tents on holy mountains while the world below cries out in need. The vision of the Transfiguration equips us to face suffering with hope, injustice with courage, and death with the certainty of resurrection.

We are called to descend the mountain, but we do not leave the glory behind. It remains with us — as memory, as promise, as light. The same Jesus who stood radiant on the mountain walks beside us in the valley.

So as we reflect on this feast today, let us take this lesson to heart: we are not made to dwell forever in the moments of spiritual ecstasy, but we are sent by Christ to bring what we have seen into the broken places of the world. In prayer, in sacrament, in the love we offer to our neighbors, we are to be bearers of the light that was revealed on Tabor.

May the glory of the Transfigured Christ sustain us in our journey, and may we one day share fully in that light which is God’s eternal gift.