Jerome Pistoni
The transfiguration of the Lord
August 6, 2023
According to tradition, the fact of the transfiguration would have occurred 40 days before the crucifixion of Jesus. In the eastern church, on September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was already celebrated, so calculating 40 days before we arrive at August 6.
The feast of the Transfiguration is connected to the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, which recalls the pilgrimage of the Jews in the desert, when they lived under tents (huts). Even today, as in the time of Jesus, on this anniversary, the people move to the desert (on the edge of the town) and build temporary huts to remember the events of the Exodus.
From Mount Tabor Jesus looks to the last mountain, to that Calvary on which he will be "lifted up" (cf. Jn 12:32) and from which will no longer the Law descend on tablets of stone (cf. Ex 31:18), but the Spirit of the Risen Lord, to gather the world into one people.
Matthew in his gospel mentions seven geographical mountains and two in parables. Jesus climbs mount Tabor with only three disciples, Peter James and John. According to Jewish law every fact or situation must be guaranteed by two or three witnesses (Dt 17:6). There Jesus is revealed as the Christ: “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light”.
We focus on the words that Peter addressed to Jesus: “If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah”. We might think that the apostle did not have a clue of what he was witnessing. On the contrary, we discover that his statement is a masterpiece of communication, based on Jewish culture and the knowledge of the listeners: on the one hand there is the enthronement of Jesus made before the Torah (Moses) and the Prophecy (Elijah) and on the other we know, thanks to the astonished words of Peter, that this messianic enthronement takes place on the feast of Tabernacles. Peter doesn't say stupid things, such as having an outdoor picnic and sit back to take a siesta. He wants to celebrate with Jesus, Moses and Elijah the Jewish feast of Tabernacles that took place in those days.
The account of the Transfiguration is therefore the Christian way of saying, in Jewish ways, that Jesus is the Messiah awaited by Israel and recognized by Christians who also have the authoritative and decisive testimony of Moses and Elijah.
August 6th
On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in history was dropped on Hiroshima (Japan) and the second on Nagasaki three days later, thus ending World War II. The infamous date marked the beginning the ‘atomic age’ in which we still live. The ongoing invasion of parts of Ukraine by the Russian army is evidence of what pope Frances calls “a piecemeal Third World War”. Daily Moscow threats to use the nuclear weapons.
On August 6, 1964 pope Saint Paul VI writes his encyclical «Ecclèsiam sùam», in which he places dialogue as a method of government at the centre of his papal action. His legacy is connected with the season of Vatican Council II, started by pope saint John XXIII; both of them are the greatest pontiffs of the past century. This renovation of the church is now embodied in the leadership of pope Francis, who conducts the people of God on a synodal path.
The world needs to decide whether it handles conflicts and grievances with atomic weapons or with a spirit of dialogue.
The mystery of the Transfiguration happened in a time when the disciples were starting to feel lost. The days of the joyful acceptance of Christ by the crowds, and the miracles who brought popularity, had been replaced by the opposition of the establishment. The glory that the three apostles saw on mount Tabor, reveals to us that reality might be different from what it appears. We are to expect the unexpected, even when all seems lost.
The transfiguration of the Lord
August 6, 2023
According to tradition, the fact of the transfiguration would have occurred 40 days before the crucifixion of Jesus. In the eastern church, on September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was already celebrated, so calculating 40 days before we arrive at August 6.
The feast of the Transfiguration is connected to the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, which recalls the pilgrimage of the Jews in the desert, when they lived under tents (huts). Even today, as in the time of Jesus, on this anniversary, the people move to the desert (on the edge of the town) and build temporary huts to remember the events of the Exodus.
From Mount Tabor Jesus looks to the last mountain, to that Calvary on which he will be "lifted up" (cf. Jn 12:32) and from which will no longer the Law descend on tablets of stone (cf. Ex 31:18), but the Spirit of the Risen Lord, to gather the world into one people.
Matthew in his gospel mentions seven geographical mountains and two in parables. Jesus climbs mount Tabor with only three disciples, Peter James and John. According to Jewish law every fact or situation must be guaranteed by two or three witnesses (Dt 17:6). There Jesus is revealed as the Christ: “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light”.
We focus on the words that Peter addressed to Jesus: “If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah”. We might think that the apostle did not have a clue of what he was witnessing. On the contrary, we discover that his statement is a masterpiece of communication, based on Jewish culture and the knowledge of the listeners: on the one hand there is the enthronement of Jesus made before the Torah (Moses) and the Prophecy (Elijah) and on the other we know, thanks to the astonished words of Peter, that this messianic enthronement takes place on the feast of Tabernacles. Peter doesn't say stupid things, such as having an outdoor picnic and sit back to take a siesta. He wants to celebrate with Jesus, Moses and Elijah the Jewish feast of Tabernacles that took place in those days.
The account of the Transfiguration is therefore the Christian way of saying, in Jewish ways, that Jesus is the Messiah awaited by Israel and recognized by Christians who also have the authoritative and decisive testimony of Moses and Elijah.
August 6th
On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in history was dropped on Hiroshima (Japan) and the second on Nagasaki three days later, thus ending World War II. The infamous date marked the beginning the ‘atomic age’ in which we still live. The ongoing invasion of parts of Ukraine by the Russian army is evidence of what pope Frances calls “a piecemeal Third World War”. Daily Moscow threats to use the nuclear weapons.
On August 6, 1964 pope Saint Paul VI writes his encyclical «Ecclèsiam sùam», in which he places dialogue as a method of government at the centre of his papal action. His legacy is connected with the season of Vatican Council II, started by pope saint John XXIII; both of them are the greatest pontiffs of the past century. This renovation of the church is now embodied in the leadership of pope Francis, who conducts the people of God on a synodal path.
The world needs to decide whether it handles conflicts and grievances with atomic weapons or with a spirit of dialogue.
The mystery of the Transfiguration happened in a time when the disciples were starting to feel lost. The days of the joyful acceptance of Christ by the crowds, and the miracles who brought popularity, had been replaced by the opposition of the establishment. The glory that the three apostles saw on mount Tabor, reveals to us that reality might be different from what it appears. We are to expect the unexpected, even when all seems lost.