An element of mystery will always invest these words. They must have accomplished the purpose for which they were spoken, for Christ spoke not without a purpose, and no purpose of Christ can miscarry. But their meaning is not clear to us. This obscurity nothing weakens the great message of salvation. We see a part and we accept the other part that is bound up in mystery. But the revelation is so clear that we should believe the teaching and await the fuller manifestation. Perhaps the most probable sense of these mysterious words of Christ is the glorious manifestation of Christ to his Apostles after his Resurrection, and especially in Christ's Ascension. Christ had two phases of his incarnate existence. The first began with his conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary and extended unto his death; the second began with his Resurrection from the tomb, and will never end. The first was Christ's period of humiliation, of suffering, of death; the second is his period of glory, and of life. Now the Apostles had been closely associated with Jesus during the period of his sufferings; they had seen him living the life of man among them. At the same time, he spoke of a life into which he was to enter after the completion of his career on earth. He had just spoken of the participation in this which was held out to his followers. And as it were, to prove to them the reality of this future glorious existence, he tells them that some of them will see a manifestation thereof. The Ascension belongs totally to Christ's glorious existence as the Son of Man. In that event, his body was in its glorified state, in the same form in which it exists in Heaven. A great glory invested his divine person; the angels of Heaven surrounded him. It was the greatest manifestation of his glory ever given to this world; it was one of the greatest proofs of the glorious character of Christ's kingdom. In fact, when Christ shall come to judge the world at the end of time, his coming must resemble his glorious Ascension into Heaven. The mention of Christ's Ascension is also apposite to the theme here treated of by Christ. He has contrasted man's present life with his future life. To make the realization of that future life stronger, he declares to the Apostles, and to the disciples that some of them would, even in this life, witness some evidence of the glories of that other life. The Ascension could justly be called the coming of Christ in his kingdom, or as St. Mark expresses it, the kingdom of God coming with power; because it was the manifestation of the incarnate Word in that glorious form which he possesses as the head of the Church, and which he has promised us as members of his Church. MATT. XVII. 1-13 1. Καὶ μεθ ̓ ἓξ ἡμέρας παρα λαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ' ἰδίαν. 2. Καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένοντο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. 3. Καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλείας, συλλαλοῦντες μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ. 4. Αποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ: Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι: εἰ θέλεις ποιήσω ὧδε σκηνὰς τρεῖς, σοὶ μίαν, καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν, καὶ μίαν Ἠλείᾳ. 5. Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος, ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα: ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ. 6. Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα. 7. Καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν: Ἐγέρω θητε, καὶ μὴ φοβείσθε. 8. Ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλ μοὺς αὐτῶν, οὐδένα εἶδον, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον. 2. MARK IX. 2-13 Καὶ μετὰ ἓξ ἡμέρας παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον, καὶ τὸν Ἰάκωβον, καὶ ̓Ιωάννην, καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψη λὸν κατ' ἰδίαν μόνους, καὶ μετεμορ φώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. 3. Καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο στίλβοντα, λευκὰ λίαν οἷα γναφεύς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐ δύναται οὕτως λευ κάναι. 4. Καὶ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Ηλείας σὺν Μωϋσεῖ, καὶ ἦσαν συλλαλοῦντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ. 5. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ: Ραββεί, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι, καὶ ποιήσωμεν τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν, καὶ Μωϋσεί μίαν, καὶ Ἠλείᾳ μίαν. 6. Οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τὶ ἀποκριθῇ, ἔκφοβοι γὰρ ἐγένοντο. 7. Καὶ ἐγένετο νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζουσα αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐγένετο φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης: Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ. 8. Καὶ ἐξάπινα περιβλεψάμενοι, οὐκέτι οὐδένα εἶδον μετὰ ἑαυτῶν εἰ μὴ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον. 9. Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων: Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα, ἕως οὗ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῇ. ιο. Καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες: Τί οὖν οἱ γραμματείς λέγουσιν, ὅτι Ἠλείαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον; II. Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν: Ἠλείας μὲν ἔρχεται καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα. 12. Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, ὅτι Ἠλείας ἤδη ἦλθεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτόν, ἀλλ ̓ ἐποίησαν ἐν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν: οὕτως καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μέλλει πάσχειν ὑπ ̓ αὐτῶν. 13. Τότε συνῆκαν οἱ μαθηταί, ὅτι περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς. I. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: 2. And he was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light. 3. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Eliah talking with him. 4. And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee,and one for Moses, and one for Eliah. (3) Gosp. III 9. Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ ἃ εἶδον διηγήσωνται, εἰ μὴ ὅταν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. 10. Καὶ τὸν λόγον ἐκράτησαν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς συζητοῦντες, τί ἐστιν τὸ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι. II. Καὶ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν, λέγοντες: Ὅτι λέγουσιν οἱ γραμ ματεῖς, ὅτι Ἠλείαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον. 12. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτοῖς: Ἠλείας μὲν ἐλθὼν πρῶτον, ἀποκαθιστάνει πάντα, καὶ πῶς γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ καὶ ἐξουδενωθῇ; 13. ̓Αλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι καὶ Ἠλείας ἐλήλυθεν, καὶ ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἤθελον, καθώς γέγραπται ἐπ ̓ αὐτόν. 2. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them: 3. And his garments became glittering, exceeding white; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them. 4. And there appeared unto them Eliah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. 5. And Peter answereth and saith to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Eliah. whatsoever they listed. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. 13. Then understood the disciples that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist. they would, even as it is written of him. LUKE IX. 28-36 28. And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray. 29. And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling. 30. And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Eliah; 31. Who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32. Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33. And it came to pass, as they were parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus: Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Eliah: not knowing what he said. 34. And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 28. Εγένετο δὲ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ὡσεὶ ἡμέραι ὀκτώ, παραλαβών Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον, ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι. 29. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ προσ εύχεσθαι αὐτὸν τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον, καὶ ὁ ἱμα τισμὸς αὐτοῦ λευκὸς ἐξαστράπτων. 30. Καὶ ἰδου, ἄνδρες δύο συν ελάλουν αὐτῷ οἵτινες ἦσαν Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ηλείας. 31. Οἱ ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ, ἔλε γον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ ἣν ἔμελλεν πληροῦν ἐν Ιερουσαλήμ. 32. Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ ἦταν βεβαρημένοι ὕπνῳ: δια γρηγορήσαντες δὲ εἶδον τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας τοὺς συνεστώτας αὐτῷ. 33. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαχω ρίζεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἀπ ̓ αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν: Επιστάτα, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι, καὶ ποιήσωμεν σκηνὰς τρεῖς, μίαν σοὶ, καὶ μίαν Μωϋσεῖ, καὶ μίαν Ἠλείᾳ, μὴ εἰδὼς δ λέγει. 34. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ἐγένετο νεφέλη, καὶ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτ τους, ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν νεφέλην. |