St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church issued the following announcement on Aug. 2

The Transfi guration of the Lord is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus is transfi gured upon a mountain (Mount Tabor) (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36). Jesus became radiant, spoke with Moses and Elijah, and was called “Son” by God. It is one of the miracles of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels.

This miracle is unique among others that appear in the Gospels, in that the miracle happens to Jesus himself. Thomas Aquinas considered the Transfi guration “the greatest miracle” in that it complemented baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven.

According to the Gospels, Peter, James, son of Zebedee and John the Apostle were with Jesus upon the mountain. The transfi guration put Jesus above Moses and Elijah, the two preeminent fi gures of Judaism. It also supports his identity as the Son of God. In keeping with the Messianic Secret, Jesus tells the witnesses not to tell others what they saw until he has risen on the third day after his death on the cross.

The Feast of the Transfi guration is commemorated on August 6.

Original source can be found here.