Gen. 12:1-4, Psalm 33, 2 Tim. 1:8-10, Matt. 17:1-9

In Matthew’s dramatic account of the Transfiguration of Christ, Peter, James and John are witness to the transcendent power and glory of God on Mount Tabor. Recall that these are the same three disciples who accompany Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is demonstrating and impressing His splendor and divinity upon them in preparation for his impending Passion, so that they will remember and recall His glory during His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ glorification is further emphasized by God’s proclamation regarding his Son, with whom He is well pleased, “listen to Him.” This recalls a similar pronouncement of praise that God announces at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, underscoring His divinity.

In 2018, Roberta and I had the joy of visiting the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mt. Tabor. We celebrated Mass at the Church, and I was given the privilege of reading. The experience was impactful and profound, imparting the grandeur, power, and splendor of God the Son. This memory and its effects were heightened by the enormous mosaic dominating the Church’s interior, emblazoned in bright shades of gold with the disciples in the foreground to the left and right of Christ, who is elevated and radiant in white robes and halo. In the background, Christ is flanked by Moses to his left and Elijah to the right. We returned to the Church of the Transfiguration again in 2022, and the same mesmerizing impact rushed back.

We are all invited each day to witness the glory and power of God the Father if we remain open to the experience. While some of us have had dramatic expressions of God’s power in our lives, I particularly find Him in the quiet and subtle. I appreciate God’s omnipotence especially in witnessing the beauty of His creation. I see God’s handiwork in the breaking of dawn or at sunsets, cardinals in a tree, walks on the beach, marital union, and the wondrous gift in the birth of children. We need to recall God’s power and greatness especially in times of distress and challenge, just as the Apostles were called to remember the greatness of His Transfiguration while they experienced the suffering of the Paschal mystery.

Ed Brandecker is married to Roberta and they have been active at Holy Family Parish for many years. He is a retired doctor, owner of Rancho Loma Vineyards, and is in the process of discerning a call to the deaconate and is generous with his time and knowledge of the faith with others.