for the readings of today's mass, go to
It is accepted by Biblical scholars that the scene of the Transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor, which is 18 km west of the Sea of Galilee, at the east end of the Jezreel Valley, and rises from the 475 m from the town at its base. The mountain is a monadnock - an isolated hill or small mountain rising abruptly from gently sloping or level surrounding land, and is not volcanic. With its unique location, the mountain and the Catholic church on its top can be spotted from miles away.
It was here that Jesus miraculously was bathed in shining light, and engaged in conversation with Moses, the giver of the Law, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, thus indicating Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament.
You will notice that only Peter, James and John are with Him, and they are told to say nothing of this until after His resurrection - for the three of them will also be with Jesus at the agony of the garden, just before He is arrested. The point is simple - his agony and his ecstasy are the 2 sides of the same coin - one goes with the other - just as one cannot separate His death from His resurrection.
Mt. Tabor is truly a holy place, one that we always have visited in our parish pilgrimages to the Holy Land. With the challenges of travel to the Holy Land, and the complex political situation there, fewer and fewer pilgrims are able to travel there, especially now. Let us pray for the Christians in the Holy Land and all those who are entrusted with caring for the countless Holy Sites there.