August 6, 2025 The Transfiguration of Jesus
While not a Holy Day of Obligation, all Feast Days pull you and I towards the true reason to attend Mass on August 6th - to worship Our Lord. He is eager to have us spend some time with Him, in worship and in prayer.
The Transfiguration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a theological concept that intertwines two central pillars of our Catholic faith: the luminous event of Christ's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the mystical devotion to His Sacred Heart. While the Gospels do not explicitly recount a "transfiguration" of the Sacred Heart in the same way they describe the physical transfiguration of Jesus, the spiritual reality of the Sacred Heart is inherently illuminated and revealed through this pivotal moment in salvation history.
The Scriptural account of the Transfiguration, found in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36, presents Jesus in a state of divine glory, His face shining like the sun and His garments dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear with Him, conversing about His "departure" (Luke 9:31) – His Passion, Death, and Resurrection – which He was to accomplish in Jerusalem. A cloud overshadows them, and a God’s voice from the cloud declares, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Matthew 17:5).
This event, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, is "the definitive revelation of the Trinitarian God" (CCC 555). It is a glimpse into Christ's divine nature, anticipating His glorious resurrection and ascension. It is here that the connection to the Sacred Heart becomes clear.
The Sacred Heart is understood as the very core of Christ's being, symbolizing His boundless love, forgiveness, compassion, and divine human will. Just as Christ's Divine glory was unveiled on Tabor, so too is the infinite love of His Sacred Heart revealed in this event. He willingly went to the cross to save you and me from our sins.
Furthermore, the voice from the cloud, commanding the apostles to "listen to him," emphasizes the authority and truth emanating from Jesus. This command extends to listening to the pleadings of His Sacred Heart, that points Catholics towards holiness and conformity to His will. The Catechism reiterates the importance of listening to Christ, the Incarnate Word, who is "the light of the world" (CCC 548).
Our devotion to the Sacred Heart, deeply rooted in Scripture and nurtured by tradition, finds its ultimate expression in the self-sacrificial love of Christ on the cross, anticipated by the Transfiguration. The pierced Heart of Jesus on Calvary (John 19:34) is the ultimate manifestation of His transfigured love – a love that is simultaneously divine and human, radiant and wounded, glorious and humble.
In essence, the Transfiguration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not a separate event but a theological interpretation that views the Transfiguration of Christ as a profound revelation of the glorious and loving essence of His Sacred Heart. It is a moment where the divine light of His being illuminates the depths of His love, foreshadowing His ultimate sacrifice and inviting all to listen to and embrace the boundless compassion found within His pierced and glorified Heart.
This understanding enriches our appreciation for both the historical event of the Transfiguration and the enduring devotion to the Sacred Heart, revealing them as integral aspects of God's saving plan.
David Tay
