concerning His Passion and Death, which He was soon to suffer for the redemption of the world.
Transported with joy[1] at the sight, Peter exclaimed: “Lord, it is good[2] for us to be here. If Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” As he was yet speaking, a bright cloud[3] overshadowed them[4], and the Voice of the Eternal Father was heard, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. Hear ye Him!”
The disciples fell prostrate on the ground, terrified [5] by the heavenly Voice. Then Jesus came to them, and touched them[6], saying: “Arise, and be not afraid!” When they arose, they saw no one but Jesus alone. As they went down from the mountain, Jesus said to the three disciples: “Tell the vision to no one[7] till the Son of Man be risen from the dead.”
COMMENTARY.
The Divinity of Christ is proved:
a) by the testimony of His heavenly Father, Who, at the time of our Lord’s Transfiguration, declared for the second time that Jesus was His beloved Son.
b) by the teaching of the apostles, who were eye-witnesses of His divine glory. This glory was visibly manifested at the Transfiguration, and was seen by the three apostles. Therefore St. Peter was able to write in his second epistle (i, 16. 17. 18) thirty-five years later: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
- ↑ With joy. Being quite beside himself with the beauty and glory of his transfigured Lord, and speaking, according to Luke 9, 33, “not knowing what he said'’.
- ↑ It is good. “This is so glorious to us that we wish to remain here for ever.”
- ↑ A bright cloud. The token of the immediate Presence of God. Compare this cloud with the cloud into which Moses entered on Mount Sinai (Old Test. XXXVI), and with the cloud which rested on the Tabernacle (Old Test. XXXVIII).
- ↑ Overshadowed them. Namely, Jesus. Moses and Elias.
- ↑ Terrified. Because they recognised the Presence of God both in the Voice and in the bright cloud.
- ↑ Touched them. To help them to recover themselves, so amazed and shaken were they by all they had seen and heard.
- ↑ Tell no one. Our Lord gave them this command, because the time for His being glorified was not yet come. St. Chrysostom writes thus: “Silence was imposed on them, because the greater the things related of the Son of God were, the harder would it be for many to believe, and the greater in consequence would be the scandal of the Cross.” It was only by His Resurrection that the stumbling-block of His Death was removed.
