This may be a stock photo of Mount Tabor, the place of the transfiguration of Jesus of Nazareth. In some church calendars, today is the day that event is observed and celebrated. Here is a link to an inspiring lecture on the subject by Father Hezekias Carnazzo of the Institute of Catholic Culture. https://instituteofcatholicculture.org/events/transfigured-with-christ
Last Saturday, I received a newly published book by the Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration. See SarahHinlickyWilson.com for more information. Here is a link to her conversation with Amber Noel and her Living Church Podcast.
I will likely attend mass today as an ecumenical observer because there aren’t any local Lutheran congregations that will be observing this celebration on this date. We with several other denominations observe the Transfiguration on the Sunday before the beginning of Lent. Roman Catholics hear the Transfiguration as the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent.
Many of the faithful have seen the transfiguration as the turning point in the story of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Everything is going great, this is the high point just before his descent toward his death by crucifixion outside of Jerusalem.
It now appears that the scholarship is pointing to the Transfiguration as a preview of the glory of God when Jesus returns at the end of time as Lord of the living and the dead. Moses represents one who died, Elijah one who never died but was carried into heaven by a chariot of fire. The disciples, Peter, James, and John fall asleep at this glorious moment because they have entered into the rest of the final Sabbath when the kingdom of heaven comes and all nations are at peace.
I offer this as a reminder that in the middle of so many concerns and worries of our day, that there is One Lord who is working to bring all things to completion. We are part of it. God wouldn’t have it any other way.
I don’t have the expertise to show you the icon of the Transfiguration, but it is the last figure at the bottom of this link: https://instituteofcatholicculture.org/events/transfigured-with-christ
Be well, dear readers.