The Fourth Luminous Mystery of the Holy Rosary is the Transfiguration: “Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, 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 white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” (Matthew 17:1-3)

The Transfiguration recalls the Mystery of Christ’s Baptism and contrasts with the Mystery of Christ’s Crucifixion. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “On the threshold of the public life: the baptism; on the threshold of the Passover: the Transfiguration. Jesus’ baptism proclaimed ‘the mystery of the first regeneration,’ namely, our Baptism; the Transfiguration ‘is the sacrament of the second regeneration’: our own Resurrection.”

St. Thomas Aquinas explains: “Just as in the Baptism, where the mystery of the first regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Spirit appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known in the voice; so also in the transfiguration, which is the mystery of the second regeneration, the whole Trinity appears—the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud; for just as in baptism He confers innocence, signified by the simplicity of the dove, so in the resurrection will He give His elect the clarity of glory and refreshment from all sorts of evil, which are signified by the bright cloud.”

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen wrote, “At His baptism, the heavens were opened; now at the Transfiguration they opened again to install Him in His office as Mediator, and to distinguish Him from Moses and the Prophets. It was heaven itself that was sending Him on His mission, not the perverse will of men. At the baptism, the voice from heaven was for Jesus Himself; on the Hill of the Transfiguration it was for the disciples. The shouts of “Crucify” would be too much for their ears if they did not know that it behooved the Son to suffer.”

The Transfiguration thus prepares the disciples for the Mystery of Christ’s Crucifixion.

A Biblical commentator wrote, “This glimpse of glory was meant to make such an impression on the three apostles, as to prevent their losing courage or faith when, ere long, they saw their Lord in the hour of His deep abasement, and in that fearful state of suffering, when ‘there was no beauty or comeliness in Him’. In fact, the Transfiguration contrasts with the Crucifixion in every respect. In the one, we perceive Christ in wondrous majesty—on either side of Him two Saints—the revelation of God, and the disciples in rapture. In the other we see our Lord marred and disfigured—on either side of Him two thieves—abandoned by God, and with Him His sorrowing Mother, the grief-stricken John, and the weeping women.”

The same commentator wrote, “While Jesus was praying, He was transfigured. Have you ever been able to watch anyone who is praying interiorly and with recollection? You can see devotion on his very countenance, and he is, as it were, transfigured. Prayer raises and ennobles a man, and makes him heavenly-minded, filling him with peace and conformity to God’s will. He who prays devoutly feels himself raised and filled with joy. Have you ever prayed thus? Compose yourself carefully before you begin your prayers, and say: ‘Lord, teach me how to pray!’”

Commenting on this Mystery of the Holy Rosary, Father Thomas Feeley wrote, “When our minds and hearts are raised up to God in fervent prayer, time stands still. Our understanding of ourselves and of the world is transformed. We judge everything from God’s perspective and seek to do his will on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10). Like Peter we say, “Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Mt 17:4). We can then face the world renewed.”


耶穌顯聖容和釘死十字架的對比

玫瑰經光明五端的第四端是耶穌顯聖容:『耶穌帶著伯多祿,雅各伯和他的兄弟若望,單獨帶領他們上了一座高山, 在他們面前變了容貌發光有如太陽,他的衣服潔白如光。忽然,梅瑟和厄里亞也顯現給他們,正在同耶穌談論。』(馬竇17:1-3)

這顯聖容回應著基督受洗的奧秘相對於基督被釘死在十字架的奧秘。

天主教教理稱:『在開始公開生活前:受洗;在開始逾越節前:顯聖容。耶穌的受洗「顯示了我們第一次重生的奧跡:我們的洗禮」;而顯聖容則「是第二次重生的聖事:我們的復活」。』

聖多馬斯,亞奎那解說:『一如受洗宣示了第一次重生的奧秘,整個聖三清楚顯現,因為降生的聖子在那?,聖神以鴿子形狀顯現,聖父以聲音顯示自己;而顯聖容是第二次重生的奧秘,整個聖三出現—聖父以聲音,聖子以人形,聖神以雲彩;如在受洗中一般,以鴿子的單純表徵,祂賦與純潔,所以在復活,祂給祂的選民光榮的清晰和由一切邪惡中更新,這些為雲彩所徵兆。』

可敬Fulton J. Sheen寫道:『在祂的受洗中,天為祂開了;現在在顯聖容中,天空又一次為祂而開,使祂就職作世人的中保,有異於梅瑟和先知們。這是上天派遣祂去執行祂的任務,不是人的自我意願。在受洗時,天上的聲音是為耶穌自己的;在山上顯聖容時,是為宗徒們的。『釘死祂』的呼喊為他們的耳朵會太難負荷,如果他們不知道聖子是理應受苦的。』

由此,顯聖容是為準備門徒們面對基督被釘死的奧秘。一位釋經者寫道:『這一瞬的光榮,是給三位宗徒一個印象, 以防止他們日後看見他們的主人被羞辱,「再沒美貌或俊俏時」,在那受難的恐懼,中失去勇氣。』事實上,顯聖容和被釘死在每一方面都是相對的。這邊我們察覺基督的絕大的光輝,兩旁伴有兩位聖人,天主的顯示和歡天喜地的宗徒們。在那邊,我們看見我主被折磨、破損的面容,兩盜樹立兩旁,被天主捨棄,跟祂一起的是痛苦的母親,傷痛的若望,和流淚的婦女。』

同一的釋經者寫道:『當耶穌在祈禱的時候,改變了容貌。你可曾看見任何人作內心祈禱和收撿心神?在他的面容,你可見到那份虔誠,這就是容貌變了。祈禱把人提升,讓人尊貴,給人天堂的思維,給人注入平安和遵行天主的旨意。虔誠祈禱的人提升自己並充滿喜樂。你可曾這樣祈禱嗎?在你祈禱前好好小心組織自己,並說:「我主,教我怎樣祈禱!」』

Thomas Feeley神父談及玫瑰經的這奧蹟時說:『當我們熱心祈禱,我們的心思都提升到天主處時,時間停業了。我們對我們自己和這世界的認識都會改變。我們從天主的角度去作審斷,並尋求在世上按祂的旨意工作(瑪竇6:10)。一如伯多祿說:『主啊! 我們在這裏真好!』(瑪竇17.4)。然後我們便可面對這世界的更新