The feast of the Transfiguration commemorates an important and mysterious event from the Gospels (e.g., St. Luke 9:26-38). The Transfiguration provides one of the most distinctive and dramatic manifestations of Jesus' divinity. In the synoptic Gospels, our Lord takes Peter, John, and James up onto a mountain where He has a shining appearance during prayer. Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus, and a divine voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son; hear him" (Luke 9:35 KJV).
Although August 6 has been one traditional date to observe the Transfiguration, beginning in the sixteenth century, some Protestants observed it on the last Sunday before Lent. This custom views the Transfiguration as an epiphany or a manifestation of Christ's identity similar in some respects to the coming of the Magi and Christ's Baptism.This reformation liturgical custom resurfaced in recent common lectionaries. From the 1970s onward, a Transfiguration gospel has been used on the Last Sunday of Epiphany (or the Last Sunday before Lent) in all three years among many Anglicans, Lutherans, and others. This certainly seems both a biblical and reasonable way to conclude the Epiphany season. It is an appropriate reminder of our Lord's glory before we enter the somber season of Lent and the journey to the Cross.
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