Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord

On Saturday the 6th of August we celebrated the great Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord. To contemplate this great event below are two of St Bede’s reflections on St Luke’s recording of the Transfiguration.

St BEDE: Luke writes more clearly of how they appeared and what they spoke about with him. Luke says that Moses and Elijah were seen in majesty, and they spoke of his passing away which he was about to fulfil in Jerusalem. Moses and Elijah, who talked with the Lord on the mountain and spoke about his passion and resurrection, represent the revelations of the law and prophets that were fulfilled in the Lord….

It is appropriate that the Evangelist reported Moses and Elijah were “seen in majesty.” The mark of the favour with which they are to be crowned is shown by the pre-eminence of their majesty. It is also appropriately recorded that they spoke about his passing away, which was to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

To his faithful, the Redeemer’s passion has become a unique subject for praise. The more they remember that they could not have been saved apart from his grace, the more they should always ponder the greater memory of this grace in a faithful heart, and bear faithful witness to it

ST BEDE: The Father’s voice did not forbid them to listen to Moses and Elijah (that is, to the Law and the Prophets). It rather suggested to all of them that listening to his Son was to take precedence since he came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets. It impressed on them that the light of gospel truth was to be put ahead of all the types and obscure signs of the Old Testament. By the benevolent, divinely arranged plan when the moment of the cross was drawing near, he strengthened them so that the disciples’ faith might not falter when the Lord was crucified. He revealed to them how also his humanity was to be lifted up by heavenly light through his resurrection. The heavenly voice of the Father gave assurance that the Son was coeternal to the Father in his divinity so that when the hour of the passion approached, they would be less sorrowful at his dying. They remembered that after his death he would soon be glorified as a human being, although in his divinity he had always been glorified by God his Father.

Since the disciples were fleshly and still fragile in substance, they were afraid and fell upon their faces when they heard God’s voice. Since the Lord was a benevolent master in everything, he consoled them at the same time by his word and his touch, and he lifted them up