As the entire globe prays for peace in Iraq and we remember our fellow Christians who are being persecuted and martyred for their faith, let us unite in solidarity with them on the this day of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. At each moment of the day, when you are praying, pray for peace in a country that needs it more than ever. Although we are facing religious persecution as Christians today, what the Chaldean Christians are enduring does not compare. PRAY, FAST, and do it with great diligence.

In the end, we must remember that we are on the winning team. Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God died for our sins and three days later rose from the dead in all his glory. The Transfiguration of Our Lord is the foreshadowing of His Glory after the Resurrection. As we celebrate this great feast in both the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church, and we remember in prayer our fellow Christians in Iraq enduring their sufferings, let us examine briefly what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about this important event in the life of Jesus Christ –

CCC 567: Christ’s Transfiguration aims at strengthening the apostles’ faith in anticipation of his Passion: the ascent on to the “high mountain” prepares for the ascent to Calvary. Christ, Head of the Church, manifests what his Body contains and radiates in the sacraments: “the hope of glory” (Col 1:27; cf.: St. Leo the Great, Sermo 51, 3: PL 54, 310C).

For the complete teaching of Jesus’ Transfiguration in the Catechism, read paragraphs 554-556. I would also encourage you to read my post from last year here.

O Blessed and Holy Theotokos…Pray for Iraq, the Chaldean Christians, and Each One of Us. Amen.