Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Much of the stress and emptiness that haunts us

can be traced back to our lack of attention to beauty.

Internally, the mind becomes coarse and dull

if it remains unvisited by images and thoughts

that hold the radiance of beauty.

~ John O’Donohue

God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity,

but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined

by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder,

the source of which is beyond all reason.

~ Dag Hammarskjold

Exodus 24:12-18
Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9

Exodus 24:12-18

The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them."

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?

The rulers of the earth set themselves,
   and the leaders take counsel together,
against God and those God has anointed,
   saying,

"Let us burst their bonds asunder,
   and cast their cords from us."

The one who sits in the heavens 
   laughs;
God has them in derision.

Then God will speak to them 
   in wrath,
and terrify them in fury, 
   saying,

"I have set my ruler on Zion,
   my holy hill."

I will tell of the decree 
   of God:
God said to me, 
   "You are my child;
today I have begotten you.

"Ask of me, 
   and I will make the nations
your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth 
your possession.

"You shall break them
   with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces
   like a potter's vessel."

Now therefore, O rulers, 
   be wise;
be warned, 
   O leaders of the earth.

Serve God with fear, 
   with trembling
kiss God's feet,
   or God will be angry,
and you will perish 
   in the way;

for God's wrath 
   is quickly kindled.
Happy are all 
   who take refuge in God.

or

Psalm 99

God is ruler;
   let the peoples tremble!
God sits enthroned
   upon the cherubim;
let the earth quake!

God is great 
   in Zion,
God is exalted 
   over all the peoples.

Let them praise your great 
   and awesome name.
Holy is God!

Mighty Ruler, 
   lover of justice,
you have established equity;
   you have executed justice 
and righteousness in Jacob.

Extol the Sovereign our God,
   worship at God's footstool.
Holy is God!

Moses and Aaron were
   among God's priests,
Samuel also was among those
   who called on God's name.

They cried to God,
   and God answered them.

God spoke to them
   in the pillar of cloud;
they kept God's decrees,
   and the statutes 
that God gave them.

O Sovereign our God,
   you answered them;
you were a forgiving God 
   to them,
but an avenger 
   of their wrongdoings.

Extol the Sovereign 
   our God, 
and worship 
   at God's holy mountain;
for the Sovereign our God 
   is holy.

2 Peter 1:16-21

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Matthew 17:1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."