Aug. 6 is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. For Ss. Peter, James and John, the inner circle of Apostles who accompanied Jesus as he ascended the mountain, the Transfiguration was a vision of God’s glory. It was a moment in which they contemplated the face of Jesus, transformed in the light of the Father’s intense love. It was a moment of glory, which would help them understand better the Passion of Jesus, which he had predicted while instructing them shortly before ascending the mountain.

According to the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), Jesus was glorified on a high mountain (traditionally, Mount Tabor). For the three Apostles, it was an encounter with the divine and an insight into Jesus’ identity. It was a breaking through of Jesus’ true form, a glimpse of his glory in the fullness of his kingdom.

The Gospel reading for this year’s feast is from St. Matthew’s account (Matthew 17:1-9). In this narrative of the Transfiguration, Jesus’ inner reality shone forth. He was transfigured in his outward appearance. Moses and Elijah appeared, conversing with Jesus. They represent the entire religious tradition of Israel — the Law and the Prophets. They stand as a confirmation of Jesus’ authority and the legitimacy of his teaching.

On the mountain, a bright cloud cast a shadow over the disciples, and they heard the voice of God saying the same words he spoke at the Baptism of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” but with this addition: “Listen to him.”

In 2002, St. Pope John Paul II introduced the Mysteries of Light to the recitation of the Rosary with his Apostolic Letter, “Rosarium Virginis Mariae,” and the fourth luminous mystery is the Transfiguration. He wrote, “The mystery of light par excellence is the Transfiguration … The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ as the Father commands the astonished Apostles to ‘listen to him.’” The vision on the mountain was to help prepare them to experience his passion with him, “so as to come with him to the joy of the Resurrection and a life transfigured by the Holy Spirit.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 21)

St. Pope John Paul II saw the scene of the Transfiguration, with the three Apostles transfixed by the beauty of the Redeemer, as “an icon of Christian contemplation.” Recognizing the mystery of Christ amidst his sufferings, while at the same time grasping his divine splendor, is what every follower of Christ is called to do. He wrote, “In contemplating Christ’s face we become open to receiving the mystery of Trinitarian life, experiencing ever anew the love of the Father and delighting in the joy of the Holy Spirit.” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 9)

After the vision, Ss. Peter, James and John descended mountain with Jesus. He told them not to speak of the vision until after his Resurrection from the dead. He knew that the vision would have no meaning for them until the reality of his death. By means of his Death and Resurrection, God would manifest his glory to the world. To rise, he would first have to suffer and die. To experience the resurrection, it is first necessary to experience the cross.

Not long after the Transfiguration, Jesus would undergo the ultimate sacrifice on another high place — Mount Calvary. There he would die on the cross to bring salvation to humanity.

Pope Leo XIV, at the Sunday Angelus on March 1, 2026, delivered a catechesis about the Transfiguration of Jesus. He said that the Transfiguration “foreshadows the light of Easter — an event of death and resurrection, of darkness and new light that Christ radiates on all bodies scourged by violence, crucified by pain, or abandoned in misery.” He went on to say that the Transfiguration of Jesus’ flesh “transfigures the wounds of history, enlightening our minds and hearts; his revelation is a gift of salvation.”

The Transfiguration of Jesus gives us Christians hope in the power of God. In life, we experience suffering, temptation and sadness, and the cross is always a reality. The vision of the glory of Jesus teaches us that God wishes us to share in his glory. The cross was not the end of the story for Jesus, nor is it the end of the story for us.

We have faith in the Beloved Son of God, and our faith holds us up as we face the difficulties of life. We live in hope, because of the new life Christ promises us. We dedicate ourselves to love, because the One, who called Jesus “Beloved,” loves us, as well. This truth inspires us to obey the Father’s command: “Listen to him.”