By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted March 14, 2025

(See the readings for the Second Sunday of Lent)

The Italian renaissance painter Raphael’s last work was a painting of the Transfiguration. For several centuries it was considered the greatest work of art. Mark Twain visiting the Vatican in 1869 wrote of his impression: “I shall remember The Transfiguration partly because it was placed in a room almost by itself; partly because it is acknowledged by all to be the first oil painting in the world; and partly because it was wonderfully beautiful.”

Those last two words are striking. It is “wonderful” in that it inspires awe for what it represents and “beautiful” in its interpretation of this key moment in the life of Christ and humanity.

The top half of the painting sees Jesus lifted off the mountain, arms raised in prayer position, brilliant light coming from behind and around him, his clothes dazzling white. Moses and Elijah on either side are also in the air, each holding the law and the prophets respectively as they represent them. Peter, James and John lay on the ground trying to look up but shielding their eyes for the light is too intense to behold.

The bottom half of the painting actually depicts the episode following the transfiguration, the healing of a possessed boy. In that account, after coming down from the mountain Jesus encounters a man in the crowd who begs, “Teacher, I beg you, look at my son; he is my only child. For a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams and it convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it releases him only with difficulty, wearing him out. I begged your disciples to cast it out but they could not” (Luke 9:38-40 cf. Matthew 17:14-20).

The painting has the nine other apostles in a group to the left. The father holding his son is on the right along with other figures from the crowd. In portraying the two episodes together, Raphael reminds us that Jesus, God made man, the one who possesses the glory of God because he is God, embraces the human condition in its totality even to the point of suffering and death (as he foretells in the written account). Through that embrace he lifts humanity out of the shackles of slavery and death (symbolized by the possessed boy) to freedom and life.

Looking at the picture as a whole we see two of the figures in the scene below pointing up toward the transfigured Christ. The father of the possessed boy is looking at the nine apostles who are not able to do anything on their own, hence the pointing upward to Jesus. Jesus is the one who can help and it seems he is doing so already as the boy’s mouth is open as though the demons were fleeing his body and releasing him from their bondage.

The transfiguration of Jesus is one of the key moments in his public ministry. His glory visibly manifests his divinity. God is present here. God’s presence in the past is represented by Moses and Elijah, as well as in the “law and prophets” represented by them signifying the covenant. The mountaintop where this takes place provides a symbolic representation of God’s encounter and presence as he was present to Moses on Sinai and Elijah on Horeb. But there is something more in this “presence.”

We see this in the reaction of Peter who suggests building three booths or tents: “one for you (Jesus), one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter’s offer places Jesus on an equal position with Moses and Elijah. This needs to be corrected because Jesus is more than either or both of them.

So it is at this point that Luke tells us the clouds move in (another theophany or visible manifestation of God’s presence) and from it they hear the voice of God the Father saying: “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” The three witnesses to Jesus’ glory will hold onto that experience and will recall it after the resurrection (cf. II Peter 1:16-21).

Hearing this account of the transfiguration on the Second Sunday of Lent, we are reminded that the journey to Holy Week is a journey to Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. On this journey God is present to us in Christ Jesus. He embraces all of humanity in becoming man. His love propels him to take on our humanity to deliver us, to save us and to give us a share in his divine life, eternal life.

We might also see the words of the Father, “This is my chosen Son, listen to him,” not only as an instruction to follow Jesus and to be obedient to his Word but also as a reminder of our baptism. The Father uses similar words as Jesus rises from the water after being baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17; cf. Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-23).

John the Baptist points to our baptism when he says, “the one coming after me will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16 cf. Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11). Jesus himself speaks of baptism related to eternal life when he says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5).

Arriving at Easter we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the initiation sacraments and our renewal of our baptismal promises. It is a celebration of eternal life. St. Paul reminds us that through baptism and the outpouring of the Spirit we are so united with Christ Jesus that we become “adopted children of God.” Filled with the Spirit we cry out “Abba, Father!” (cf. Romans 8:14-16)

The journey through Lent is a journey into the mystery of divine love and life; an opportunity to journey with God present to us in Christ Jesus from this life to eternal life.

The transfiguration prepares us for the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. St. Luke’s telling of the event draws us into the mystery of divine love, a love that embraces human suffering and death, a love that transforms suffering and death, and a love that triumphs over suffering and death.

Raphael’s “wonderfully beautiful” picture, by combining the next episode of Jesus’ healing the possessed youth, draws the transfiguration further into the human condition. It fills us with hope on our Lenten journey and our journey through life.

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.