The feast of the Transfiguration is based on a mysterious event from the Gospels (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-10, Luke 9:28-36). This event provides one of the most distinctive and dramatic manifestations of Jesus' divinity. In the synoptic Gospels, our Lord takes Peter, John, and James up onto a mountain where He has a shining appearance during prayer. Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus, and a divine voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son; hear him" (Luke 9:35).
Despite its clear biblical basis, this commemoration has not always received very much emphasis. It was only a few years before the Reformation that the Latin church began to observe the Transfiguration as a universal feast on August 6. In liturgical simplifications after the Reformation, the Feast of the Transfiguration was removed from many calendars, including the calendar of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. It was restored but only as a minor commemoration or "black-letter day" in the 1662 BCP. The celebration was restored more fully and provided with "propers" as a feast of our Lord in the 1928 BCP. Some recent Anglican calendars have adopted the Lutheran custom of observing the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany.
The Transfiguration of Christ is significant whenever we observe it. It shows that Christ's Gospel continues the Law and the Prophets. It illustrates that Christ's authority remains after Moses and Elijah have faded from view. It manifests our Lord's great inner glory and approval by God the Father. It is also a reminder that the Son of Man must suffer before His glory is more fully revealed (Matthew 17:12).
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