Spring 2008

Embodied Light, Incarnate Image: The Mystery of Jesus Transfigured

José Granados

“The flesh of Christ constitutes the place where transcendence can be most properly shown. The body and the concrete time frame of Jesus’s life are not only ways of making the imago Dei shine through, but are themselves the structure that allows the image to appear.”

According to Irenaeus of Lyons, the Transfiguration of the Lord on the mountain was an ascent toward a higher grace not only for the three disciples who were granted the favor of witnessing it, but also for the two other witnesses: Moses and Elijah. This was indeed the fulfillment of an old promise that was made to them when they saw the glory of God on Mount Sinai. Here on Tabor they were finally able to converse with their Lord face to face.1 The scene is linked with the vision of God and thus with the most profound desire that moves our life until we are able, as Augustine says, to rest and see, see and love, love and praise.2

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1. Cf. Irenaeus, Adversus haereses IV, 20, 9 (SC 100, 654–656).

2. Cf. Augustine, De civitate Dei, XXII, 30, 5.