a luminous figure
"He was transfigured before their eyes. His face became as dazzling as the sun, His clothes as radiant as light." —Matthew 17:2
In the year of the Rosary, Pope John Paul II proposed five new mysteries of light, also called luminous mysteries (On the Most Holy Rosary, 19). The fourth mystery of light recalls the Transfiguration of Jesus, when He became "as radiant as light" (Mt 17:2).
"The mystery of light par excellence is the Transfiguration...The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ" (On the Most Holy Rosary, 21). "To look upon the face of Christ, to recognize its mystery amid the daily events and the sufferings of His human life, and then to grasp the divine splendor definitively revealed in the Risen Lord...is the task of every follower of Christ" (ibid, 9). "In contemplating Christ's face we become open to receiving the mystery of Trinitarian life, experiencing ever anew the love of the Father and delighting in the joy of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul's words can then be applied to us: 'Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being changed into His likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit' (2 Cor 3:18)" (ibid, 9).
Jesus is "the Light of the world" (Jn 8:12), Whose face shines like the light of the sun (Mt 17:2). Pray the mysteries of light and "gaze on the loveliness of the Lord" (Ps 27:4).
Prayer: Transfigured King Jesus, You make me a sharer in Your divine nature (2 Pt 1:4). Help me reflect Your light to the world.
Promise: "His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed." —Dn 7:14
Praise: Praise You, Transfigured Lord Jesus. You dwell "in unapproachable light" (1 Tm 6:16), yet you have called us out of darkness into Your "marvelous light" (1 Pt 2:9). Alleluia!
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 1, 2011
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