The Transfiguration of the Lord
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August 6 marks the holy day of the Transfiguration. Jesus takes his three closest friends – Peter, James and John, who He will also take into the Garden of Gethsemane - to the top of Mount Tabor. There He is finally revealed in all His glory. He is accompanied by Moses, the giver of the Law, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, who come to confirm His divinity as the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah.
In the month of August in the northern hemisphere, fruits are ready for harvest and so these are brought to church on August 6 to be blessed for the Transfiguration. In particular, grapes are brought to church, symbolizing the wine for the Precious Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and apples signify our redemption from the curse of original sin, introduced when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Life.
In the icon, only Peter is able to look at the vision and he is the only one to speak, where he utters his famous line, asking Jesus for permission to build tents for Him and the two prophets, so that the three apostles could remain there forever. He says this in his role as leader of the apostolic college, and God gives him the grace to look and to speak so he can fulfill his role.
Jesus tells them on the way down the mountain that He revealed Himself to strengthen them for what will soon come: His Passion. Unfortunately, they will forget this marvelous event and run away. But the Church's meditations on the Transfiguration continue to bring us many blessings.
Alexander Boguslawski describes the Transfiguration Icon:
Although every part of the picture plane is occupied, the main focus of the icon is on the Transfigured Jesus and on the disciples who are awed by the splendor of His glory. The rays of glory that radiate out from Jesus, Who is elevated, seem to relate the apostles to Jesus by means of a triangular composition (Jesus above at the highest point and the apostles below). On Jesus' right is Elijah, and on His left is Moses, holding a tablet. Jesus Himself is holding a scroll, symbolic of His authority and the fact that He is the Living Word of God. His raiment is a bright whitish color that radiates in several directions almost like a star.
Behind Him is a silvery-blue circle permeated with golden shafts of light which probably represents both the cloud and His glory. Because of the compositional focus and the color, Jesus is the central focal point of the painting. While Moses and Elijah are level with Him, they are not presented in a manner that would divert the viewer's attention from Jesus, and they show reverence to Him. Indeed, the figures of the apostles are in attitudes that show their amazement and reactions to the mightiness of Jesus' glory.