“…Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (NRSV, Luke 9:28,29)

The Transfiguration of Our Blessed Lord marked the beginning of that 120 mile journey that was to take him for the last time along the road which wound its way to the south to Jerusalem and to Calvary.

He was now in the far north of Palestine, and looking ahead to his journey’s end he took Peter, James and John – the inner three among the Apostles – up a high mountain apart by themselves.  There is a tradition that this was Mount Tabor near Nazareth, but it seems more likely to have been Mount Hermon away to the north.  Tabor was only 1800 feet high with a fortified town on its summit.  Hermon, however, was over 9000 feet high, a gigantic range stretching along for 20 miles whose snowfields melt only at the height of summer.

And there amid the solitude of those desolate wastes, Jesus was transfigured.  His clothing became as white as the mountain snows and his face shone like the sun; and the inner glory of his Godhead, until then hidden beneath the veil of flesh, was made visible and his Body took on the fashion of his Resurrection Body.