Matthew 17:1-9

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

2 Peter 1:16-19

Matthew 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, 

and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

And he was transfigured before them; 

his face shone like the sun 

and his clothes became white as light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,

conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, 

“Lord, it is good that we are here.

If you wish, I will make three tents here, 

one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold,

a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, 

then from the cloud came a voice that said, 

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;

listen to him.”

When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate

and were very much afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying,

“Rise, and do not be afraid.”

And when the disciples raised their eyes, 

they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,

Jesus charged them,

“Do not tell the vision to anyone 

until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, it is good that I am here with you. I will listen to your beloved Son and follow him. I believe that he rose from the dead, sits at your right hand, and will come again in glory to judge all the living and the dead. He is the King over all creation, and I am a member of your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Son of Man in Daniel: The prophecy from Daniel in the First Reading is one of the most important in the Old Testament. We see two divine figures. The first is the “Ancient One” or “Ancient of Days.” In the light of the New Testament, we know that this is God the Father who grants kingship, authority, and power to another divine figure, “one like a son of man.” “Son of Man” was the title that Jesus most often used to refer to himself. On the one hand, the title emphasizes Jesus’ human nature and the humility of assuming our human nature through his Incarnation. On the other hand, it identifies him as the divine Savior figure that Daniel prophesied would come at the end of the age (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Solemnities and Feasts, 338).

2. The Transfiguration of the Son of Man: Jesus revealed his glory at the Transfiguration and appeared like the Ancient of Days as described in the prophet Daniel. In this way, Jesus manifests that he is truly the Son of God the Father. The Ancient of Days has clothing as white as snow and hair as white as pure wool. In like manner, Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white, and his face shone like the sun. The Son of Man in Daniel was a figure that was both divine and human. He looks like a human being but is also a divine being. The cloud upon which the Son of Man comes is the divine glory cloud, the cloud of God’s majesty. The kingdom that the Son of Man receives from God is an everlasting kingdom. The Son of Man will reign over all creation. Peter has just confessed Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus needs to refine his disciples’ understanding of the Messiah. “The Christ, the Messiah, was the long-awaited King, whom many expected to victoriously liberate Israel from the Romans. The coming of this King would usher in a new Davidic kingdom of freedom for God’s people. Jesus, however, reveals to His disciples that the way of the Messiah is not the way of political power and might, but rather the way of humility, suffering, and death. Jesus then goes on to say some scandalous things about what it would mean to be a follower of the Messiah: ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23)” (Gray, The Luminous Mysteries, 89).

3. Peter’s Recollection of the Transfiguration: In his second letter to the Church, Peter invites his readers to contemplate and ponder the mystery of Jesus’ Transfiguration. It was a mystery that he himself witnessed. Peter heard the powerful voice of the Father, saw the hidden glory of the Son, and was enveloped by the consoling cloud of the Spirit. What Peter preaches about the life of Jesus and Jesus’ return is not a myth he devised, but a sure testimony. “Peter and the other apostles are not just telling fables about Christ’s return in glory. They saw his majesty revealed in the transfiguration, the same majesty that will be fully revealed when he comes again in power” (Keating, First and Second Peter, Jude, 151). Peter’s witness is reliable. He saw the glory of Jesus and heard the words of Jesus. What Peter experienced on the mountain at the Transfiguration confirmed and strengthened the witness from Scripture about the coming royal Messiah and divine-human Son of Man.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, by your radiant splendor, cleanse me from the stains of sin. May I be transformed into your likeness and listen attentively to your word. Help me to know how good it is to be in your presence.

Living the Word of God: The experience of the transfiguration strengthened the apostles for the experience of the crucifixion. How can the contemplation of Jesus’ transfiguration strengthen me for times of suffering, sacrifice, temptation, and tribulation?