Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:00:20 Today. We'll go line by line to the gospel and make comments taking the explanations from the commentaries of Cornelius ELAP a day in the Haydock commentary. Before we look at particular verses, we'll start with a brief overview of the event. Cornelius, ELAP today points out as many of you must know from your Bible reading that Matthew Mark and Luke have slight differences in their accounts of the transfiguration. And so he very helpfully reconciles the different accounts, one with each other. So here are the order of events, first Christ praise. And meanwhile, Peter, James and John, who are tired from hiking up the mountain and the length of time that our Lord is praying fall asleep while they're sleeping. Our Lord is transfigured Moses and Elias come and they talk with Christ concerning his death upon the cross, which he's going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The apostles are roused from sleep by the brightness of our Lord and the talking.
Speaker 1 00:01:26 And so they behold the glory of Christ and Moses and lies speaking with him when their conversations ended and it looked like they were going way. Saint Peter, as it were being new created with pleasure and grieving at their eminent departures sought to make three Tabernacles. So they pause for a while longer. Then the cloud descended obscuring of securing Moses and Elias, and they heard the voice speaking to Christ. This is my beloved son. And so the apostles being frightened, fell down and were presently comforted, raised up by our Lord and finally lifted up their eyes. They saw our Lord alone. Okay, now let's walk through the verses. And after six days, Jesus take thunder. When Peter and James and John his brother, and bring them up into a high mountain apart. This is James, the greater of the brother of Saint John. He preached the gospel in Spain.
Speaker 1 00:02:20 He's the first to deposit to be martyred. We can read about that in chapter 12 of the acts of the apostles and his relics are in Compostela, Spain Christ selects these three apostles and manifests his glory to him to strengthen them and prevent them from being scandalized. When he later showed the same three apostles, his weakness and his agony in the garden and gets salmony next line. And he's transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun and his garments became white as snow. The father's explained that Christ did not transfigure himself before his three apostles as if it were to manifest his divinity to them as he does to the saints in heaven, because his divinity cannot in any way be seen with the eyes of flesh Christ showed the pastas, the external glory of his body as an indication or a sign of his divinity.
Speaker 1 00:03:16 Here's an interesting fact, Christ our Lord possessed the splendor as well as the other gifts of a glorified body throughout his entire life. Before we explain that let's quickly review our catechism to make sure we all remember what the gifts of a glorified body are. So question four Oh nine or Baltimore catechism is what are the qualities of a glorified body? The answer is the qualities of a glorified body, our first brilliancy, by which it gives forth light, which is what we're seeing in the transfiguration second agility by which it moves from place to place as rapidly as an angel. So they move with the speed of thought third subtlety by which material things cannot shut it out. So we see our glory, his glorified body passing through closed doors in the upper room. We see his glorified body passing out of the tomb. And we also see him as a baby passing to our lady's womb and impassability by which it is made in capable of suffering.
Speaker 1 00:04:16 So Christ possessed this brilliance, this splendor as was the other gifts of a glorified body throughout his entire life from the very moment of his conception. Okay. But if that's true, then why do we only see this during the transfiguration Cornelius, the latter day summarized and the teaching, the father's explains in order that Christ might suffer and have his conversation among men, our Lord held back this glory and the other gifts proper to glorified body in his soul. So they were not allowed to pour forth into his body. Otherwise these gifts, especially the gift of brilliancy would have shown through his body like light through a lantern. So this repression of the brilliancy and the other gifts was there for a miracle. Okay. So in other words, during his whole life, except for in his transfiguration, he is actually actively repressing his brilliance by means of a miracle holding that within his soul.
Speaker 1 00:05:14 So it doesn't pour out into his body. And so he's that repressing of these gifts took a miracle, corny slap a continues. And so during the transfiguration, the cessation of this repression and the emanation of the interior splendor from the soul into the body of Christ was actually the cessation of a miracle. But to men, this sudden brilliance, this transfiguration seemed to be a miracle because it was new. They hadn't seen it before. And they were ignorant of the cause. Why was Christ? Transfigured one that by means of the school and brightness and by the testimony of Elias and Moses, he might demonstrate his divinity, his apostles too. Then he might for warned his disciples, not to lose confidence when they be held him nailed to the cross three as a doctor of a church st. FMO, Sirius st. Cyril st. John Damascene, Saint bays of the great and others teach that he was transfigured to indicate that he should come in this manner with great power and majesty to judge the world, which is why Elias who'll be the four comer of forerunner of Christ when he comes to judge also appeared.
Speaker 1 00:06:28 And for that, he might strengthen the faith and the hope and the courage and the Zoe parcels and the rest of us to undergo bravely all crosses for the sake of the gospel, with the hope of obtaining a similar glory at the resurrection, because there's two choices at the resurrection, and this is the one we want. Next time have you hold there, appeared to them, Moses and Elias, talking with them. What did Moses in lies appear rather than any of the other prophets? According to the doctors at church st. John, Kristen st. Jerome and Saint Ambrose, they appeared because Moses was a legislature legislator of the old law. When Elias was the Prince of the prophets. These two appeared to show that Christ was the true Messiah. The savior of the world promised by both the law and the prophets Saint John criticism points out that the Jews had accused Christ of blasts me to breaking the Sabbath.
Speaker 1 00:07:25 But these accusations were refuted by the very presence of Moses and Elias, because Moses who was the law giver, the legislator of those very laws would never have proved someone who was a transgressor of the law. And because Elias who is so full of zeal for the glory of God, would have never honored someone who made himself equal to God, unless he really was the son of the most high Saint Thomas gives several other reasons. First, our Lord showed that he had the power of life and death and is the judge of the living and the dead, because he had with him, Moses who was dead and Elias, who was yet alive and still is. And because it's Saint Luke says they spoke of his passion and death in order to strengthen his disciples in preparation for this, our Lord brings before them, those who had exposed themselves to death for God's sake for Moses presented himself before Farrell at the peril of his life, as Elias did before a hub at the peril of his life, how, and in what manner did Moses and Elias appear crunch, Lapidus explains everyone agrees.
Speaker 1 00:08:33 The lies himself appeared in his own body for Elias was taken up in a cherry to fire, and it's still alive. They may come again and contend with anti-Christ from the place where he is living. He was suddenly taken by an age, the Mount Tabor to speak with Christ and his transfiguration. So that's Elias their various opinions with respect to Moses. It is certain that Moses is dead. Something that this was not Moses who really appeared, but an angel in the form of Moses. But this is certainly an error. Suarez. Suarez is a great Jesuit theologian. This is certainly an aerospace Wars because Moses is introduced as a witness and a witness must bear testimony in his own person. The soul then of Moses was translated from limbo, by an angel to the earth. Limbo of course, is the fringe, the underworld, the great doctor, the church, Saint Robert Bellarmine summarizes the tradition.
Speaker 1 00:09:30 When he points out that the underworld has four chambers or levels, the inner most chamber, the inner most level is Johanna. What we commonly call hell. That's the abode of the devils inner the dam souls immediately above it with the same heating system, but different situation is purgatory above. That is the limbo of the fathers. And then the limbo of the children, the limbo, the fathers is where the saints, the old Testament went when they died. Remember heaven is closed. So that's where Saint Joseph, Adam, and Eve and Moses were. In fact, if you went to purgatory in the old Testament, when he got released, you just got to limbo. The father, as he couldn't get out of the underworld does the whole point. Then the limbo, the father's emptied on Easter Sunday when our Lord came up from, from there, Rose himself from the dead.
Speaker 1 00:10:17 And so they came up to earth and then on an essential Thursday, he led them all into heaven. Okay. So that happened on essentially Thursday, which by the way, they always comes on a Thursday. And I know also that some people have been told that limbo no longer exists. It is a geographic location and saying it lone longer exists makes about as much sense as saying Australia no longer exists. Even if you make a globe or a map without Australia on it, that will have very little effect on the reality of Australian being there or not. Okay. It's not going to go anywhere. We've explained all that before. So the soul of Moses was taken from a limbo of the fathers, by an angel, the earth, and assumed a body either formed by an angel. A lot of available materials that st Thomas thinks or else was led by an angel to a several cur and there's ashes were collected by the angel and formed into body to which the power of God reunited his soul.
Speaker 1 00:11:13 And thus, it was the true and living Moses whom an angel transferred from the Septor to Mount Tabor for it was fitting in that what is in that witnessing to Christ. Everything should be real installed. And that Christ by thus raising up Moses should show that he's both the Lord and the judge of living and the dead. This is the opinion of Tertullian origin, Saint airness and others whom swore sights and follows. If someone falls this opinion and supposes that Moses Rose again, he must also suppose that he died again since Christ. Our Lord was the very, first of all, those who Rose onto immortal life, next line, and Peter answering to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou will let us make here three Tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses. And one for Elias. Peter said this when Moses and the last were about to depart, nor did he might get them to pause longer next line.
Speaker 1 00:12:12 And as he was yet speaking behold, a bright cloud, overshadowed them and low voice out of the clouds saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased here. You, him, the cloud is not only a veil, but also the symbol of the glory of God throughout the old Testament. A cloud was a means by which God manifests is incomprehensible majesty to the Hebrews. We see this of course in the book of X, this, but you see at other place, Psalm one Oh three Psalm 17 other passages, we see an old Testament of called, called the chariot of God. His tabernacle is thrown the seat of his majesty, the seat of his omnipotence. When our Lord shall come again to judge the living in a dead, he will come in the clouds of glory.
Speaker 1 00:12:57 The cloud was bright because it resent, represented the glory majesty the father whose voice was heard. And second Peter one 17 st. Peter, I witnessed this event, caused this cloud at the excellent glory of the father who spoke out of it. And who by means of it increased the glory of the transfiguration of the Christ. The great doctors of the church st. John criticism in Saint John Damascene explained that the cloud was also bright to signify the difference between the old law and the new and the old law. God appeared to the Jews and a black cloud, because that law was full of shadows and terrors and the new light piers in a bright cloud because the new law brings glory and truth and love. The voice is the voice of God. The father to Christ. It comes after Moses and Elias departed to make it perfectly clear in certainty the apostles, these words were addressed to Christ alone and not to either Moses nor Elias during the transfiguration, just as we see the baptism of our Lord, the Trinity is symbolically represented.
Speaker 1 00:14:00 The Holy ghost is represented in this case, by the cloud, the father by the voice. And of course the son by himself, the voice said, hear him not Moses, who has gone away, but Christ as the new legislator of the new law, these words hear him. We're not set of Christ at his baptism because he was then for the first time shown to the world. But they're now being said to him, because he'd been set forth as the teacher and the legislator, therefore, the doctors of the church st. Leo, the great and Saint John damned machine teach that these words denote the ending of the old law and inauguration of the new, in other words, because the law and the profits are fulfilled and verified, and Jesus Christ, the new legislator and prophet you are to hear and obey him in preference to either Moses or Elias or any other teacher next line.
Speaker 1 00:14:52 And the disciples hearing fell upon their face and were very much afraid. They were afraid when they heard the voice, because as the doctrine of tshirt, st. FM of Syria explains at the sound of this voice, the apostles fell flat upon the earth for terrible was the thunder. And the voice shook the earth st. John Chris system adds at being struck with fear. They fell on their faces, worshiping God and beseeching him that the thenar lightning might not strike them next time. And Jesus came and touched them and said to them arise and fear not say drama explains the terrified disciples are still prostrate on the ground and unable to rise. When our Lord with his usual kindness approaches, touches him, drives out the fear and restores them to the use of their limbs.
Speaker 1 00:15:42 Next thing. And they lifted up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. This signifies symbolically the law and the prophets had disappeared. Now that Christ or Lord is present and that he alone remained, who brought the true light of gospel to mankind last line. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged him saying television to no man, to the son of man, be risen from the dead television to nomad. Not only to, not just to other people, st. Jerome says, but not even to the other apostles. Why weren't they supposed to tell the other apostles? So the others wouldn't become sorrowful or envious because they weren't present with Peter and James and John at the transfiguration. They will be silent about this mystery until the resurrection of our Lord had prepared men's minds to believe this. Our Lord did not want the apostles to expose such a wonderful event to the envy of the Pharisees who were already attacking misrepresenting.
Speaker 1 00:16:41 The most evident miracles I learned also gives a lesson here to each of us to observe the closest secrecy when it comes to signal graces and favors of the Lord. When it comes to spiritual things, without the progression of our confessor, we need to observe the closest secrecy. One last reflection, anyone who reads his Bible quickly notice that the events that transfiguration paralleled events we see on Mount Sinai in both of these cases, Moses and our Lord, they go up on a mountain. In both cases. The mountain top was then covered with the glory cloud of the Lord. And both cases, a voice came from the cloud. In both cases, the witness are struck with fear. In both cases, there's a dazzling appearance of glory, but in the case of Moses, it's only his face, the China with glory, what, with our lore, it's his entire body.
Speaker 1 00:17:39 And even as clothing and it's emanating from him on Mount Sinai, the law was revealed to Moses, and we see the word of God written in stone on twos of the law. But I might Tabor on the monitor transfiguration on the new sign. We see a new law being revealed, not the word of God written in stone, but the word made flesh. Moses had told the people in Deuteronomy 18, 15 quote, Lord, that God would raise up to the prophet of the nation of a brethren like unto me. Him is all shelf here. And now we see that profit profit, like gonna Moses that prophet, that Moses had commanded the people to hear. And we see the fulfillment of the prophecy. As we hear the voice, the heavenly father commanded the apostles to hear him today. And during this Holy lent, let us each take the time to really search our minds and hearts and ask ourselves, do we here? Do we really listened to him? Do we just hear what we want to hear? Have we adjusted the words of our Lord, the teachings of our Holy faith to they're comfortable for us, or are we listening to the authentic voice of our Lord and hearing everything he has to say to us?
Speaker 0 00:19:15 <inaudible>.
