At the Transfiguration, the apostles, privileged to witness that event, certainly knew our Lord better as a result. The human veil over His divinity was for a moment lifted, and they beheld His heavenly splendor…But not only His glory and majesty—they also beheld the upward call of every Christian. To behold Christ in glory is to behold our end. Saint Augustine says that the transfigured Christ reveals what His body is to become. We are to be transfigured as well. The purpose of everything in our faith—all the doctrines and sacraments—is to change us “from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Cor 3:18) Further, ours is to be not only the glory of Christ but also the testimony of the Father. We are to hear the words of the Father applied to ourselves: “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” …The project of the Christian life is to train our ears to hear these words and our hearts to accept them. [Fr. Paul Scalia: That Nothing May Be Lost Ignatius Press, 2017]
At the Transfiguration, the apostles, privileged to witness that event, certainly knew our Lord better as a result. The human veil over His divinity was for a moment lifted, and they beheld His heavenly splendor…But not only His glory and majesty—they also beheld the upward call of every Christian. To behold Christ in glory is to behold our end. Saint Augustine says that the transfigured Christ reveals what His body is to become. We are to be transfigured as well. The purpose of everything in our faith—all the doctrines and sacraments—is to change us “from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Cor 3:18) Further, ours is to be not only the glory of Christ but also the testimony of the Father. We are to hear the words of the Father applied to ourselves: “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” …The project of the Christian life is to train our ears to hear these words and our hearts to accept them.