CCC Cross Reference:
Heb 11:1 146; Heb 11:2 147; Heb 11:3 286; Heb 11:6 161, 848
Ps 145:3 300
Mk 9:2 552; Mk 9:7 151, 459; Mk 9:9-31 649
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Reading 1
Heb 11:1-7
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,
so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s.
Through this, he was attested to be righteous,
God bearing witness to his gifts,
and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death,
and he was found no more because God had taken him.
Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him,
for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen,
with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household.
Through this, he condemned the world
and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Gospel
Mk 9:2-13
Jesus took Peter, James, and John
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
then from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Then they asked him,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things,
yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man
that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
But I tell you that Elijah has come
and they did to him whatever they pleased,
as it is written of him.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Hebrews 11:1-7
Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended.
It is by faith that we understand that the world was created by one word from God, so that no apparent cause can account for the things we can see.
It was because of his faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and for that he was declared to be righteous when God made acknowledgement of his offerings. Though he is dead, he still speaks by faith.
It was because of his faith that Enoch was taken up and did not have to experience death: he was not to be found because God had taken him. This was because before his assumption it is attested that he had pleased God. Now it is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who try to find him.
It was through his faith that Noah, when he had been warned by God of something that had never been seen before, felt a holy fear and built an ark to save his family. By his faith the world was convicted, and he was able to claim the righteousness which is the reward of faith.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 144 (145):2-5,10-11
I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.
Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall declare your mighty deeds,
shall speak of your splendour and glory,
tell the tale of your wonderful works.
I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.
I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.
Gospel Mark 9:2-13
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Saturday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Hebrews 11:1-7
The good example of the Patriarchs
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[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the men of old received divine approval. [3] By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.
[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteousness, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking. [5] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.
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Commentary:
1. Although the text does not aim to provide a precise definition of faith, it does in fact very clearly describe the essence of that virtue, linking it to hope in future things and to certainty concerning supernatural truths. By means of faith, the believer acquires certainty concerning God's promises to man, and a firm conviction that he will obtain access to heaven. The Latin translates as "substantia" the word the RSV translates as "assurance"; substantia, which literally means "that which underlies", here refers to the solid basis provided by hope.
This verse indicates that faith, which is a type of knowledge, is different from other types of human knowledge. Thus, man can know things by direct evidence, by reasoned proof or by someone else's testimony. As regards knowledge based on information provided by someone else, that is, knowledge based on faith, we can distinguish two types---human faith, when it is another human being whose word one relies on (as in the case of pupil/teacher, child/parent), and supernatural faith (when the testimony comes from God himself, who is Supreme Truth). In this latter case the knowledge provided is most certain.
However, the object of supernatural faith, that is, what one believes in (God and the unchanging decrees of his will), is not something that is self-evident to man, nor is it something that can be attained by the use of unaided reason. That is why it is necessary for God himself to bear witness to what he reveals. Faith, then, is certain knowledge, but it is knowledge of things which are not self-evident, things which one does not see but which one can hope for.
The verse also says that faith is "conviction" concerning things not seen. It is therefore different from opinion, suspicion or doubt (none of which implies certainty). By saying that it has to do with things unseen, it is distinguishing faith from knowledge and intuitive cognition (cf. "Summa theologiae", II-Il, q. 4, a. 1).
Summing up, we can say that "when God makes a revelation, we are obliged to render by faith a full submission of intellect and will. The faith, however which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church asserts to be a supernatural virtue whereby, with the inspiration and help of God's grace, we believe that what he has revealed is true--not because its intrinsic truth is seen by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who can neither deceive nor be deceived" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", chap. 3).
It is, therefore, a feature of faith that it makes us certain about things which are not self-evident. That is why in order to believe one must want to believe, why the act of believing is always free and meritorious. However, faith can, with God's help, reach a certainty greater than any proof can provide. "This faith", St John of Avila comments, "is not based on reasons [. . .]; for when a person believes on the basis of reasons, he is not believing in such a way that he is totally convinced, without any doubt or scruple whatever. But the faith which God infuses is grounded on divine Truth, and it causes one to believe more firmly than if one saw it with one's own eyes, and touched it with one's hands--and to believe more certainly than he who believes that four is greater than three, the sort of thing that is so obvious that the mind never hesitates a moment, nor can it even if it wants to" ("Audi, Filia", chap. 43).
The faith which God gives a person -- supernatural faith -- is necessarily the point of departure for hope and charity: it is what is usually called "living faith". When one lives with this kind of faith it is easy to see that the three "theological" virtues (faith, hope and charity) are bound up with one another. Faith and hope lead a person to unite himself to God as the source from which all good things flow; charity unites us to God directly, by loving affection, because God is the supreme Good. Faith is as it were the first step: it means accepting what God says as true. We then unite ourselves to him through hope, insofar as we rely on God's help to attain beatitude. The goal of this process is charity, the fulness of which is eternal possession of God, the Supreme Good. "Let us grow in hope, thereby strengthening our faith which is truly 'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' (Heb 11:1). Let us grow in this virtue, let us beg our Lord to increase his charity in us; after all, one can only really trust what one loves with all one's might. And it is certainly worthwhile to love our Lord" (St. J. Escrivá, "Friends of God", 220).
If hope in general is the conviction of being able to obtain something worthwhile in the future, something difficult to obtain, theological hope is the conviction of being able, with the help of God, to attain heaven. And faith is precisely what provides certain knowledge of those two truths--that heaven is our goal and that God wants to help us to get there (cf. "Summa theologiae", II-II, q.17, a. 5 and 7). Therefore, nothing should dishearten us on this road to our ultimate goal because we put our trust in "three truths: God is all-powerful, God has a boundless love for me, God is faithful to his promises. And it is he, the God of mercies, who enkindles this trust within me, so that I never feel lonely or useless or abandoned but, rather, involved in a plan of salvation which will one day reach its goal in Paradise" (John Paul I, "Address", 20 September 1978).
3. The creation of the world from nothing is one of the first articles of faith. The text is reminiscent in a way of v. 1, in that faith gives conviction about things we cannot see; that is how we know the origin of all created things and discover God from things we can see.
Essentially the text is emphasizing the importance of belief in God as Creator and in Creation as coming from nothing. This is a truth found in all the creeds and it has been often defined by the Church Magisterium (cf., for example, Lateran IV and Vatican I). "We believe in one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Creator of what is visible--such as this world where we live out our lives and of the invisible -- such as the pure spirits which are also called angels" (Paul VI, "Creed of the People of God", 8).
4. The Book of Genesis (4:3-5) tells of the offerings made to Yahweh by Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's. God said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door ready to waylay you" (Gen 4:6-7). Many Jewish commentators saw this as meaning that Cain's sin may have been one of meanness because he did not offer the best of his crop. Additionally there would have been a sin of envy towards Abel (Wisdom 10:3 speaks of Cain's evil and his fratricidal hatred). In contrast to Cain, the prototype of the envious, selfish, violent and fratricidal man, Jewish literature extolled Abel as an example of generosity, uprightness and piety.
Against this background of Jewish religious thought come the words of Jesus (Mt 23:25) and St John (1 Jn 3:12) who describe Abel as "righteous", that is holy and devout. The Hebrews text stresses that what made Abel's offering the better one was his faith, commitment to God and generosity. That was why God bore witness to his righteousness by accepting the victims he offered and perhaps --according to an ancient oral Jewish tradition--sending fire down upon them to burn them. For God "looked more to the offerer than to what he offered, because the acceptability of an oblation is determined by the righteousness of the offerer, in cases other than of a sacrament," as St Thomas Aquinas says (Commentary on Heb, ad loc.). The text says literally that "God himself bore witness to his offerings", as if to imply that he "came down" or that he "sent down fire" to consume them (cf. the famous oblation of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38; that of Moses and Aaron in Leviticus 9:24; and that of Gideon in Judges 6:21).
"He died, but through his faith he is still speaking": this is reminiscent of the passage in Genesis where God tells Cain that "the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Gen 4:10). Abel is God's witness, his "martyr", because he confesses God's greatness by his faith, sacrifice and generosity. "By leading others towards virtue, Abel proves to be an eloquent speaker. Any words must be less effective than (the example of) this martyrdom. So, just as heaven speaks to us by simply revealing itself to us, this great saint exhorts us simply by impinging on our memory" (Hom. on Heb, 22).
It is comforting to know that the first example of faith in God was given by the son of Adam and Eve, and that it took the form of a sacrifice. It is understandable therefore that Fathers have, in fact, seen Abel as a figure of Christ: he was a shepherd, he offered an oblation pleasing to God, he shed his blood, and was therefore a "martyr for the faith".
When renewing Christ's sacrifice, the Liturgy asks God to look with favour on the offerings and accept them as once he accepted the gifts of his "servant Abel" (cf. Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer I).
5. There was also quite an amount of Jewish tradition about Enoch, one of the Patriarchs from the pre-Flood period; this stemmed from the fact that the Book of Genesis, instead of rounding off mention of him with the usual words "and he died" (as is the case with the other patriarchs), says that he "walked with Elohim, and he was not, for God took him" (cf. Gen 5:21-24). This led people to think that Enoch did not die and that therefore he was in the presence of God preparing the way for the Messiah who would set man free: that is, he must be one of the Messiah's precursors, like Elijah, of whose death also there is no mention. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) elaborates a little on the Hebrew text of Genesis 5:23: it says, "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for the Lord took him", and the RSV Genesis passage reflects this. It might also be pointed out that the Book of Sirach mentions Enoch with great respect, proposing him as an example to all generations; it says that "Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up" (Sir 44:16), and elsewhere it adds that "no one like Enoch has been created on earth" (Sir 49:14). In apocryphal Jewish writing Enoch came to assume great importance: he was attributed great power as an astrologer and described as engaging in a series of fantastic exploits to prepare the way for the Messiah. It therefore became widely believed that Enoch would return to the world prior to the coming of the Anointed.
The Epistle to the Hebrews uses the Sirach texts and the Greek version of Genesis as its ground for stating that Enoch "was attested as having pleased God", and therefore it proposes Enoch as an example of faith.
The sentence "Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death" is not just referring to his being an upright man: it connects him with the coming of the Messiah and with the end of the world. The text is not saying or denying that Enoch died, but simply that he was 'taken up". In view of the fact that it is decreed that all men should die (cf. Heb 9:27), for death is a consequence of original sin (cf. Rom 5:12), most probably the words "was taken up" should he seen as a reference to death, and the following words, "so that he should not see death," should he taken either in a moral sense --that is, "not experience the spiritual death of sin" -- or else as meaning that he arose immediately after our Lord's death, as happened in the case of some saints (cf. Mt 27:52-53).
6. Faith is a virtue which is necessary for salvation, but faith alone is insufficient; it must be "faith working through love" (Gal 5:6). However, faith is of decisive importance because it is "the beginning of man's salvation" (St Fulgentius, "De fide ad Petrum", 1) and because it is "the foundation and source of all justification" (Council of Trent, "De iustificatione, chap. 8); we are referring not only to faith in the sense of a personal act -- the act of faith -- but also to faith in the sense of a body of truths which one holds as certain. Thus, theology says that two things are necessary -- the faith by which one believes (the attitude of the believer) and the truths of faith which have to he believed (articles of faith). The verse speaks of both, but it dwells mainly on the second---the content or "object" of faith –whereas earlier (11:1) it looked more at the importance of the act as such. No one can please God unless he draws near him; but it is not possible to do that without faith; therefore no one can please God unless he has faith. God himself moves us and helps us to approach him, but man needs to respond freely to God's action; it is by the act of faith that he does so: faith is that disposition of soul "by which we yield our unhesitating assent to whatever the authority of our holy Mother the Church teaches us has been revealed by God; for the faithful cannot doubt those things of which God, who is truth itself, is the author" (St Pius V Catechism, I, 1, 1).
That is why, among truths of faith, we distinguish those which are accessible to human reason and those which man could never come to know on his own: the latter are called "mysteries". The former can be reduced to three -- the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of a moral order established by God.
It is clear that if one does not believe in the existence of God and in the moral order established by him there is no possibility of salvation. What does the passage mean when it says that "whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him"? We might reply, with St Thomas, that, after original sin, no one can be saved unless he have faith in the promised mediator (Gen 3:15). For pagans, who have received no revelation, it was and is sufficient to believe that God rewards good and punishes evil (cf. Commentary on Heb, ad loc.).
The words of the sacred writer also pose another problem: how can those be saved who do not know Christ? The first thing to bear in mind is the absolute necessity of true and upright faith. Man has an obligation to seek truth, particularly religious truth, and he must not content himself with just any religion, as if all religions were more or less equal (cf. Pius IX, "Syllabus of Errors", 15 and 16). That is why adult pagans who request Baptism when the are in danger of death or in a situation of dire need must be given before Baptism a short instruction (adapted to the situation and to their intellectual capacity) on the main mysteries of faith -- the Trinity and the Incarnation (cf. "Reply of the Holy Office", 26 January 1703).
All this, however, does not mean that people who are not Christians cannot be saved. What it means, Vatican II teaches, is that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it" ("Lumen Gentium", 14). "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience--those too may achieve eternal salvation. Nor shall divine providence deny the assistance necessary for salvation to those who, without any fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, and who, not without grace, strive to lead a good life" ("Lumen gentium", 16).
Therefore, when in its apostolic and missionary work, the catholic Church encounters other religions, it "rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. It has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from its own teaching nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men. Yet it proclaims, and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14: 6). In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:18-19), men find the fulness of their religious life" (Vatican II, "Nostra aetate", 2). In the last analysis, "although in many ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel to that faith without which it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:6), the Church, nevertheless, still has the obligation (cf. 1 Cor 9:16) and also the sacred right to evangelize. And so, today as always, missionary activity retains its full force and necessity" (Vatican II, "Ad gentes", 7).
Similarly every Christian should always desire to seek God and have others seek him also. "If there is someone who is going to reward us, let us do everything possible not to lose the reward that is given to virtue [. . .]. But, how can one find the Lord? Think of how gold is found--by much effort and trouble [. . .]. So, we must seek God in the same way as we look for something we have lost. Is it not true that we rack our brains? Don't we look everywhere? Don't we look in out of the way places? Don't we spend money searching? If, for example, we have lost a child, what will we not do? What regions, what seas, will we not cross? How much more in the case of God, given that those who seek him have such need of him!" (St John Chrysostom, Hom. on Heb, 22).
7. When Noah received God's order to build the ark (cf. Gen 6-9; Mt 24:17-39; 1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 2:5), there was as yet no sign of a flood: in other words, he had to rely totally on God's word. He took heed, he acted "reveritus", with religious fear, that is, with a deeply religious attachment to God, an attitude which led him to obey very exactly what God told him to do.
Noah's faith "condemned the world" because the worldly and unbelieving men of his time jeered at him when he was making the ark. "What do these words mean -- 'by this he condemned the world'? They mean that he showed up the world as deserving of punishment, because even though they saw him building (the ark) they did not mend their ways or repent" (Hom. on Heb, 23, 1). By acting in line with his faith Noah condemns, in spite of himself, the incredulity of his contemporaries. Today also the life of a person of faith can be a reproach to those around him, but that should not lead him to act any differently.
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From: Mark 9:2-13
The Transfiguration
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[2] And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them, [3] and His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth bleach them. [4] And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. [5] And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah." [6] For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. [7] And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." [8] And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.
[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from the dead. [10] So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. [11] And they asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" [12] And He said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things; and how is it written of the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? [13] But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."
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Commentary:
2-10. We contemplate in awe this manifestation of the glory of the Son of God to three of His disciples. Ever since the Incarnation, the divinity of our Lord has usually been hidden behind His humanity. But Christ wishes to show, to these favorite disciples, who will later be pillars of the Church, the splendor of His divine glory, in order to encourage them to follow the difficult way that lies ahead, fixing their gaze on the happy goal which is awaiting them at the end. This is why, as St. Thomas comments (cf. "Summa Theologia", III, q. 45, a. 1), it was appropriate for Him to give them an insight into His glory. The fact that the Transfiguration comes immediately after the first announcement of His passion, and His prophetic words about how His followers would also have to carry His cross, shows us that "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
What happened at the Transfiguration? To understand this miraculous event in Christ's life, we must remember that in order to redeem us by His passion and death our Lord freely renounced divine glory and became man, assuming flesh which was capable of suffering and which was not glorious, becoming like us in every way except sin (cf. Hebrew 4:15). In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ willed that the glory which was His as God and which His soul had from the moment of the Incarnation, should miraculously become present in His body. "We should learn from Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not even want the glory that belong to Him. Though He had the right to be treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6)" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62). Bearing in mind who became man (the divinity of the person and the glory of His soul), it was appropriate for His body to be glorious; given the purpose of His Incarnation, it was not appropriate, usually, for His glory to be evident. Christ shows His glory in the Transfiguration in order to move us to desire the divine glory which will be given us so that, having this hope, we too can understand "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).
2. According to Deuteronomy (19:15), to bear witness to anything the evidence of two or three much concur. Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted three Apostles to be present. It should be pointed out that these three Apostles were specially loved by Him; they were with Him also at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and will also be closest to Him during His agony at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). Cf. note on Matthew 17:1-13.
7. This is how St. Thomas Aquinas explains the meaning of the Transfiguration: "Just as in Baptism, where the mystery of the first regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Spirit appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known in the voice; so also in the Transfiguration, which is the sign of the second regeneration [the Resurrection], the whole Trinity appears -- the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud; for just as in Baptism He confers innocence, as signified by the simplicity of the dove, so in the Resurrection will He give His elect the clarity of glory and the refreshment from every form of evil, as signified by the bright cloud" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 45, 1.4 ad 2). For, really, the Transfiguration was in some way an anticipation not only of Christ's glorification but also of ours. As St. Paul says, "it is the same Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:16-17).
10. That the dead would rise was already revealed in the Old Testament (cf. Daniel 12:2-3; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 12:43) and was believed by pious Jews (cf. John 11:23-25). However, they were unable to understand the profound truth of the death and Resurrection of the Lord: they expected a glorious and triumphant Messiah, despite the prophecy that He would suffer and die (cf. Isaiah 53). Hence the Apostles' oblique approach; they too do not dare to directly question our Lord about His Resurrection.
11-13. The scribes and Pharisees interpret the messianic prophecy in Malachi (3:1-2) as meaning that Elijah will appear in person, dramatically, to be followed by the all-triumphant Messiah, with no shadow of pain or humiliation. Jesus tells them that Elijah has indeed come, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13) and has prepared the way of the Messiah, a way of pain and suffering.
Verse 12 is a question which Jesus puts to His disciples, but they should really have asked it themselves, had they realized that Christ's Resurrection presupposed the Messiah's suffering and death. Since they fail to ask it, Jesus does, to teach them that He like Elijah (that is, John the Baptist) must experience suffering before entering His glory.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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